ABOUT THE BOOK
The Constitution Kids
Written by Gary Gabel
Ages: 8+ | 200 Pages
Publisher: 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 LINK
MY REVIEW
In the preface to the book, the author explains his purpose in writing it. He says, “I thought it important to write something that might engage both adults and younger people while teaching them about the Constitution.” By introducing middle schoolers who become curious about what the Constitution actually says, he sets up a story through which readers can explore the various amendments - when and why they were written as well as how they might impact the lives of citizens. Young readers will also meet many historical figures, some more well-known than others. Benjamin Franklin kicks off their adventure by taking them to observe the Constitutional Convention. James Madison introduces them to the Bill of Rights. Each amendment is explored through the lens of a particular historical period, such as Alice Paul discussing freedom of speech in her activities as a suffragist. Examples are also given from other countries, like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn being sentenced to a Russian gulag because he criticized Joseph Stalin in a letter to a friend. Other figures show scenes related to various amendments - Wyatt Earp talks to the three friends about the right to bear arms, Frederick Douglass talks about the 13th Amendment and the end to slavery in the United States, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg discusses the 5th Amendment and concepts like double jeopardy. It almost becomes a guessing game for readers, wondering which person from history will be the next to appear. By the end of their tour through the Constitution, all three kids have a much better understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the law - and readers will, too.
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.
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