Cynthia and Sanford Levinson, a noted children's author and a constitutional scholar, have created a fascinating nonfiction book for young people--useful to readers of any age--that considers how the constitution was shaped, factors that continue to push its evolution, processes that guide our governance and laws, stumbling blocks toward progress, and how we can improve our guiding principles as our nation's needs continue to grow.
Cynthia has extensive experience authoring about big issues and making them feel accessible and understandable (she's a former teacher and educational policy consultant), such as Who Owns the Moon? and We've Got a Job. Teaming up with Sanford, a legal scholar, professor, and author of several books about the Constitution, has resulted in the valuable, needed book Fault Lines in the Constitution.
Designed for young people, Fault Lines is illuminating for anyone looking to get up to speed on the Framers' considerations, why the Constitution was shaped the way it was, its evolution, the possibilities and barriers in place regarding changing it, our current, growing needs, and how all of this affects our day-to-day leadership, rights, and lives.
Is a book for young people about the Constitution possibly the extent of the scope of my own current abilities to understand the ins and outs of all of this? Possibly, yes. Do the Levinsons' clear content along with the engaging book design (with graphics, examples from the past and present day, and plain language around challenges and opportunities) make for informative, entertaining, important reading? Yes. And does grasping the information contained in Fault Lines feel more relevant and essential than ever, as the current administration--and its unelected influencers--challenge and disregard the power of the Constitution and its impact on our lives in large-scale, destructive, and often terrifying ways? Definitely.
By explaining decisions formed in 1787 and how they impact us today, the Levinsons lay out the ins and outs of voters' rights, the Electoral College, gerrymandering, representation across states, vetoes, term limits, pardons, succession, emergency powers, and amendments. Fault Lines considers what might need to develop in order to best serve and reflect the realities of our present-day nation, finishing with a grade for each aspect of the Constitution and a tone of empowerment for change.
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Note that a new edition of this title is in the works that will reflect relevant factors and events through early 2025.
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