Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid?s Guide to the First Amendment

A nonpartisan, unbiased look at the First Amendment and how it informs our daily lives, this book clearly explains the fundamentals of American politics to middle grade readers.

A Junior Library Guild Selection!
Chicago Public Library’s BEST BOOKS OF 2023! 

The First Amendment grants kids and every other citizen five monster privileges: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press,
freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government. If the First Amendment is everywhere in their lives, shouldn’t kids know more about it? Yes!

In Your Freedom, Your Power, middle grade readers get a focused look at their freedoms and rights through the lens of this all-powerful First Amendment. The book engages children in learning more about their country and their rights and responsibilities. Each section will answer key questions readers may have thought about like: Do I have the right to protest at school? Can I be punished at school for something I say on social media? Why can’t I wear whatever I want? Can I text whatever I want? While answering these questions and explaining fundamental legal concepts every kid should know, Your Freedom, Your Power shares the fascinating stories behind some of the most important legal cases and social movements that have affected kids’ lives and rights.

Allison Matulli, Ed.D, JD, M.Ed.―or "Dr. Ally," as the kiddos call her―is a former attorney, certified Montessori educator, author, and proud mother of two. Based in Miami and a self-proclaimed spicy food aficionado, she is on a mission to help children understand their rights and respect those of others to build conscious, compassionate communities. Through her organization, The Little Lawyers, her work as a lecturer at Howard University, and her groundbreaking role as Florida International University’s first-ever Global Fulbright Scholar and Freedom Forum First Amendment Expert Fellow, Dr. Ally equips young people with the tools to become thoughtful, legally literate, and active citizens. She is the author of Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment and We Are Free: Our First Amendment Rights―a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. 

Clelia Castro-Malaspina is a former attorney whose goal is to make the law more accessible to kids. She received her bachelor’s degrees in English and Communications from Boston College, her law degree from American University Washington College of Law and her Master’s in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College.