How is a Government Elected? (Your Guide to Government). Susan Bright-Moore. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2009. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.78 (RLB). ISBN 978-0-7787-4330-9 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4325-5 (RLB). Subject Headings: Elections-United States-Juvenile literature. Voting-United States-Juvenile literature. United States-Politics and government-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-5 / Ages 6-10. Review by Suzanne Pierson. * /4

	How is a Law Passed? (Your Guide to Government). Susan Bright-Moore. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2009. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.78 (RLB). ISBN 978-0-7787-4331-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4326-2 (RLB). Subject Headings: Legislation-United States-Juvenile literature. United States-Politics and government-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-5 / Ages 6-10. Review by Suzanne Pierson. * /4

	What Are the Levels of Government? (Your Guide to Government). Baron Bedesky. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2009. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.78 (RLB). ISBN 978-0-7787-4332-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4327-9 (RLB). Subject Heading: United States-Politics and government-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-5 / Ages 6-10. Review by Suzanne Pierson. * /4

	What is a Government? (Your Guide to Government). Baron Bedesky. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2009. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.78 (RLB). ISBN 978-0-7787-4333-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4328-6 (RLB). Subject Heading: United States-Politics and government-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-5 / Ages 6-10. Review by Suzanne Pierson. * /4

excerpt:

A government is a special group of people who make and enforce rules. In the United States, we have a democracy because we elect the people who are in our government.

We have many levels of government. Where do you live? You live in a city. The city is part of a state, which is in a country. Each of these places has a form of government. (From How is a Law Passed?.)

This series, “Your Guide to Government,” provides a simplified overview of United States government, including the roles of different levels of government, the importance of citizen involvement in the election process and how laws are passed.

     If you feel that you need more information on the American government in your primary/junior library collection, you may want to consider this series. It divides the information into manageable topics and uses simple language and many large and colourful photographs and illustrations to explain each topic. Each book includes a contents, simple glossary and index.

      However, the usefulness of the series may be limited in Canadian school libraries by the assumption in the text that the reader is an American citizen. Primary students, and even some juniors, may not have sufficient understanding of the distinction between Canadian government and United States government to understand that the ‘we’ in the text does not refer to them. The usefulness of the books in intermediate and senior collections for second language students or as lower reading level resources is also limited. Some of the photographs used to illustrate the information have a juvenile focus, such as a picture of some primary students on a school playground to support the text:

     We need to follow all of these laws. For example, your local government decides what school supplies you need. Your state decides the subjects that schools should teach. The national government makes laws to ensure that every child can go to school. (From How is a Law Passed?.)

      Combined with the large print and oversimplified information, the books will not likely appeal to older students. Individual books in the series also have other weaknesses. The message conveyed by some of the photographs is confusing. What meaning would a young student make of a picture of George W. Bush kissing a baby with the caption, “When people run for office, they try to get as many people to vote for them as possible”? (From How is a Government Elected?.)

     The text also assumes a certain set of values and experiences which may not reflect all of the students in our schools. In How is a Government Elected? the reader is asked to “Think about a family planning a vacation. Everyone shares their ideas. Each family member votes on where to go.” It is likely that not every student shares that experience.

     How is a Government Elected? explains what elections are and the important role and responsibility of the right to vote.

     How is a Law Passed? follows the long path that all legislation takes from the initial identification of the need for a law, its introduction, through committee, Congress, and the House of Representative, to the President for approval.

     What are the Levels of Government? uses simple explanations to distinguish the levels of government in the United States and to explain how each level contributes to the lives of individual citizens. The levels of government described include school, city, district, county, state, and federal. The special role of tribal councils on Native American reservations is also discussed.

     What is a Government? explains the three branches of United States government, the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The explanations are clear but may confuse young readers because of the assumption that the reader is a citizen of the United States. “The President of the United States leads our country. The governor leads your state.”

Not Recommended.

Suzanne Pierson is a retired teacher-librarian, currently instructing Librarianship courses at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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