Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Amplify Publishing Group to bring you this post.
These days knowing what the Constitution says seems more important than ever. In our current situation it seems like many people are pushing the limits of the Constitution. Some are even wondering who is protecting it as our law. But who among us has actually read the Constitution? It is an old document written in English from another time. It is a boring read however today I get to share with you a book that kids will enjoy reading that has them reading and understanding the Constitution. It is The Constitution Kids by Gary Gabel.
About the Book:
The Constitution Kids Written by Gary Gabel | Ages: 8+ | 200 PagesPublisher: Amplify Publishing (2025) | ISBN: 979-8891383906
Publisher’s Book Summary: Alex, Kali, and Roman are three fifteen-year-old friends who live in a small town. Alex is a great communicator, Roman is a bit of an inventor, and Kali is an intuitive empath. It’s summertime, and an adventure is triggered when they find themselves in the middle of a protest outside the local library by people who want to ban certain books. During the protest, people are focused on what they believe to be their Constitutional rights, causing the three teenagers to realize how little they know about the Constitution.
In their search for answers, they discover a book with magical properties, which becomes a catalyst in helping them discover what the Constitution is really all about.
Join the teenagers as this mysterious book enables them to travel through time and space—bringing to life historical figures like Ben Franklin, Wyatt Earp, Alice Paul, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and many more. Each of these historical figures will teach them about the original Constitution and its amendments. Through the eyes of these three teenagers, you’ll be able to explore what it was like when the original Constitution was signed. You’ll even travel to other countries, like Russia, where you’ll meet Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in a field within the Gulag where he was imprisoned.
The Constitution, by itself, can be a difficult document to read, but The Constitution Kids will bring it to life with unusual experiences, humor, and fun, no matter your age.
Purchase Links:
About the Author:
Gary J. Gabel, Ed.D., has spoken to groups throughout the United States on the subjects of personal takeover, accountability, and leadership. He has personally trained thousands of people, primarily in the areas of leadership, management, motivating performance, presentation effectiveness, sales, and customer service. He has worked with over 200 CEOs, helping them build high-performing teams.Gary has written several books, including Day One, which was jointly authored with Tom Buck and published in 2020. Gary’s other book, Personal Takeover, was published in the United States by Career Press in 2003. It was translated into Korean in 2004, with an Arabic translation in 2005. The second edition of Personal Takeover was released in October 2019.
Gary was the 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year for Service Companies in Michigan. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics and a doctorate in Education. He formerly served as Chair of the National Council on Education and Human Development at The George Washington University. His current memberships include the Oakland Schools Education Foundation Board of Trustees and Mensa.
Gary’s presentations at TEDxDetroit and others can be viewed on YouTube. Gary lives with his wife, Lisa, in Michigan, and they have two children and three grandchildren.
From Me:
What a fun way to learn about and read the Constitution! I love how the book has the kids meet all these famous people from history who show them not only what the Constitution says but why it matters. There are people like Albert Einstein, Alice Paul, Wyatt Earp, James Madison and more. Each part of the Constitution is shared with how it protects Americans or why it really matters to us. Yet the book does all of this with a bit of magic--spirits and time travel. What a great way to learn about our government and the law of the land. The characters are well developed and interact in a wonderful way. I love their personalities and difference but also how they care for one another and seem to love to learn. Plus, their parents seem to support them and are excited to see them taking their own educational adventure to learn about the Constitution.
I also love that their interest begins because of a book banning protest as well as a person with a gun at it. They want to figure out what the laws actually are and one of their mothers suggests going to the library to research the Constitution. At the library the magic happens with a book called The Living Constitution. Each day they return to learn about the next part. The book is full of adventure and history. They visit many famous times in history which share the importance of each part of the Constitution. The book is full of history lessons as well entertaining stories. This book is perfect for summer reading, class reading or a unit on the Constitution. It would also be an interesting parent child read so that you can discuss the Constitution with your kids.
Giveaway:
Enter for a chance to win one of ten copies of The Constitution Kids. Enter below to bring this magical journey home! Good luck!
