Matulli, Allison, and Clelia Castro-Malspina. Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment. Illustrated by Carmelle Kendall. Running Press Kids, 2023. 978-0-762-47838-5. 178 p. $16.99. Grades 6-12.
Your Freedom, Your Power begins by exploring how the United States Constitution came to be and how the Bill of Rights was added soon after. Then, the remaining chapters are divided into aspects of the First Amendment, and the authors include thought-provoking questions throughout for students to consider. Social media consent, student protests after incidents of gun violence, and historical events like the 1963 Birmingham Children’s Crusade are all carefully covered. This book specifically explores young peoples’ relationship with the constitution and dives into famous student and youth cases. Freedom of speech, freedom of petition, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble, and freedom of religion are all included. The end of the book includes related court cases, references, sources, and guiding questions for students who wish to create successful petitions.
THOUGHTS: The amazing attention to detail concerning historical cases and current events makes this book an excellent purchase for secondary school library collections. Although this is a ‘kid’s guide’ as stated in the title, the book is one that anyone (including adults) could pick up, read, and learn something new. It is ‘kid’ in the sense that the lawyer-authors absolutely know their target audience, but the readers are not talked down to. That is the best part about this book: The author breaks down complex civics concepts into clear, understandable, and engaging terms for teens. This title is a relevant, recommended purchase for school library nonfiction collections.
300 Social Sciences