America Votes: How Our President Is Elected - Hardcover

Granfield, Linda

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1553370864 ISBN 13: 9781553370864

Publisher: Kids Can Press, 2003

Synopsis

Kids shouldn't have to wait until they're old enough to vote to get caught up in the excitement of presidential elections! From the first primaries, through the party conventions, to the final count at the polls, the race for the presidency is a whirlwind of passionate speeches, sensational campaigns and new beginnings that every American can be a part of!

About this title

About the Authors

Linda Granfield has won many awards for her non-fiction/history titles for young readers and adults including the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. Her books include In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae, Pier 21: Gateway of Hope, Canada Votes and America Votes. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Steve Bjorkman has illustrated over seventy books for children. He lives and votes in Irvine, California.

Reviews

Grade 4-6-In 29 two-page chapters of clear, straightforward prose, the author explains the presidential election process, including its history, the two-party system, third parties, PACs, election fraud, also-rans, and more. This thorough overview is enlivened with examples drawn from history and children's own lives. Colorful cartoon drawings keep the pages animated and interesting. Granfield delights in the quirks of the system and devotes the chapter "Animal Farm" to animal metaphors, including the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant, and "Pass the 'Lection Cake, Please!" to foods associated with various presidents. The author emphasizes not only the right but also the responsibility to vote and indicates ways that even pre-voters can get involved. One quibble: the funny chapter titles and puns or wordplay could confuse the uninitiated; for example, "Let's Have a Party" is a history of political parties, but "Party Time" is about presidential conventions. An appealing resource for units on the U.S. government or civics.
Dona Ratterree, New York City Public Schools
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4-6. Granfield breaks down information about the American electoral process into manageable chunks and presents each topic on an attractive, double-page spread. Subjects range from qualifications for voting and the troubled history of voting rights to the Electoral College, campaign finance, and election fraud. Solid research, a detached perspective (originally from Massachusetts, Granfield now lives in Canada), and respect for her audience provide a sound basis for the presentation, which is lightened by humorous asides and a keen sense of what will interest children. Bjorkman's ink-and-watercolor illustrations brighten the pages with light and sometimes amusing interpretations of American life yesterday and today. It's a sign of the times that the section presenting the role of television provides good definitions of terms such as photo op, sound bite, message of the day, and spin, but underlying Granfield's unflinching look at the way things work (including campaign spending issues, vote buying, and gerrymandering) is a basic faith in the system. An attractive, informative guide to voting in America. Glossary. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Kids Can Press
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1553370864
• ISBN 13: 9781553370864
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bjorkman Steve
• Number of pages: 64