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Shh! We're Writing the Constitution Review

Jean Fritz has been writing books about U.S. history for decades, and SHH! WE'RE WRITING THE CONSTITUTION, originally published in 1987, is another fine addition to her collection. The first 44 pages (minus a few - the story actually starts on page 7) are a history of how the Constitution came to be written and ratified, followed by four interesting pages of notes, and then the Constitution itself (excluding any amendments), for a total of 64 pages. I am surprised to see that AR has this listed at a reading level of RL 7.1, but I am assuming that this reading level includes the actual Constitution at the end of the book, which would certainly drive up the overall reading level - the earlier parts of the book seem somewhat lower to me. I had never read the Constitution in its entirety, so was glad it was included in the book. And though I'm a bit of a history buff, I did learn several new things about our Constitution and how it came to be.

We often take our country and its beliefs for granted, but this book does a nice job of showing that there was plenty of disagreement during the hot summer of 1787 while delegates from the Colonies wrote this founding document, our blueprint for a Republican government. Fritz does a nice job showing the different personalities of some of these delegates and how this factored into the proceedings, mentioning things like some delegates falling asleep during the presentations of one boring speaker. While the temperatures boiled, so did some of the tempers, with some members even storming out in anger at times. Nothing about our founding was cut and dried, nor could anyone take for granted how things would turn out, and this book makes that fact come alive. The Colonies had already drafted the Articles of Confederation years earlier, and these had largely turned out to be a failure - Colonies followed them when they felt like it and didn't follow them when they didn't feel so inclined.

Tomie dePaola's illustrations complement the story (as with other books in this series by Fritz), with pictures on most of the first 44 pages, none afterward. I would rate this book an 8 on a scale of 1-10.

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution Feature

ISBN13: 9780698116245
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution Overview

The award-winning author takes readers behind the scenes at the Constitutional Convention for a good-humored history lesson, enlivened by dePaola's quirky illustrations. Full color .

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Customer Reviews

Constitutional Primer - -
Writing in a conversational storytelling style, Jean Fritz describes the writing of the Constitution and the development of the Bill of Rights. Quick to clear up any misunderstanding about how the colonies came to form a new nation - those fifty-five delegates from the fledgling sovereign states did not come to Philadelphia singing sweet refrains of "one nation under God" - the text clearly and thoroughly covers the arguments, debates, negotiations, and compromises that hallmarked that Federal Convention. The text is compelling, interesting, and complete; and along the way, Fritz takes the time to show the human side of such historical icons as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison as she fills in the details about the forming of our nation. Also of particular note are the references appended, which include the complete text of the Constitution, a complete list of the signers, and a list of references supporting specific pages in the book.

And as always, Tomie Depaola's well-researched, uncomplicated illustrations thoroughly support the text and lend historical accuracy to the content, further facilitating reader understanding and augmenting retention.

Delightful reading for all ages - Ace - East Coast
Great narrative -- engrossing and educational for ALL ages.

De Paola's (of Strega Nonna fame) illustrations are absolutely perfect -- they convey the individual's character as well as their emotions during this 4 month stressful, enlightening brilliant and difficult time in our nation's history -- the rewriting (which turned into the total re-write) of the Articles of Confederation which became our nation's Constitution.

This appeals to all ages -- and having just completed the reading and study of several wordy tomes having to do with the Constitutional Convention, "Shh! We're Writing the constitution" provided a delightful conclusion to my studies, as well as welcomed comic relief.

A gem for introducing youth to the basis of our United States government. - San Francisco Anna-Marie - San Francisco, CA
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, Jean Fritz, pictures by Tomie dePaola, G.P. Putnam's sons, Penguin Putnam books for Young Readers, New York, N.Y., 1987, 64 p.
This nonfiction book written in storytelling style describes how the United States Constitution came to be written and ratified with the disagreements, debates, negotiations, and compromises. It also reveals why the Bill of Rights was developed. Jean Fritz introduces the ordinary human aspects of significant historic characters such as George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and John Hamilton. The book includes a listing of notes supporting the text with references to specific pages, the text of the Constitution, and a list of the signers.
Jean Fritz has created a delightful vehicle to learn about the United States Constitution. She uses a conversational style with humor and entertaining anecdotes coupled with de Paola's engaging and colorful illustrations on every page. Although aimed at readers from age 8 to 12, this is an excellent introduction for reluctant readers as well as anyone seeking a lively and fascinating introduction to the United States Constitution.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 26, 2010 20:20:05

Children's Books

Saturday, June 26, 2010