| Constitution Translated for Kids, Third Edition | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 19 reviews)
Sales Rank: 296180
Category: Book
Author: Cathy Travis
Publisher: Ovation Books
Studio: Ovation Books
Manufacturer: Ovation Books
Label: Ovation Books
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 3 Reprint
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 112
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 10 x 7.3 x 0.4
ISBN: 0981453414
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9780981453415
ASIN: 0981453414
Publication Date: September 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Constitution Translated for Kids is a simple translation of the entire U.S. Constitution, written at the 5th grade level. With the original 1787 text alongside a translation, this is the first-ever side-by-side look at our most supreme legal and political document. This book is an excellent teaching tool for teachers and parents.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 It ain't just for kids! December 26, 2008
Actually, I think this book isn't for only kids. Every American citizen should have a copy of it. We have forgotten what this document says and what it means to each and every one of us. My hat is off to Cathy Travis for undertaking this work so that the young ones in the United States would have a guide to the most important document in our government, the basic law of our land.
The book is well laid out, easily understood and goes into detail in an extremely apt manner the nuances, including the controversial aspects of the document. Throughout most of the book the actual words of the Constitution are in a column to the left of the page and then the explanation of the text is on the right. Cathy Travis has broken down the explanation quite often to include examples to make the words easier to understand for the reader. From time to time she also adds historical information to make the overall study even more pleasurable. Her language is plain and intelligible but not necessarily language that you would take as written for other than the casual reader. I would liken her style to the writing you might find in Reader's Digest - written for everybody to read.
I would like to go back to my comment at the top of this review for a moment. I think it is no shame for adults to study this book in the format that Cathy has laid it out and I would encourage people to do so. It could easily have been titled The Constitution for Beginners as far as I am concerned. We could all do with a perusal of this book, whether the goal be for the study of the Constitution for the first time or whether it be to brush up on your knowledge of its content. Far too many of us Americans have no real idea of what our constitution says let alone what it means. None of us have to be historians or legal experts in constitutional theory but it is our duty to understand our government and to know our rights granted by this document. As a big "L" Libertarian I believe that the knowledge of our constitution is of the utmost importance to our everyday lives. Not only is the Constitution the cornerstone of our government but it is the very basic document that protects all the rights that we take for granted. We need this knowledge just to be good citizens.
To put it mildly, I am happy with the work done on this book. It is very good that Cathy Travis believes this constitutional learning should start with our youth in schools and she has done an excellent job at putting this book together. And on a more personal note, I am also happy to know that the author is from my home state of Arkansas as well...!
 Parents and educators will welcome this book as a quick and informative read and no doubt will support discussion October 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In a few weeks Americans will once again be going to the polls to elect their forty-fourth President. For those of us who are not familiar with the American Constitution, Cathy Travis's Constitution Translated for Kids: Third Edition is an excellent starting point even though the title may be misleading in that it implies that it is only written for children.
As the Forward states, "the U.S. Constitution is the most revolutionary document ever produced by free people, and it set the stage of upheaval in the way nations all over the world governed the people they served. With the advent of the Constitution, for the first time people who were `governed' were the ones who chose their leaders."
Beginning with the Birth of Democracy and the timeline leading to constitutional government, Travis proceeds to present on the left hand side of each page the actual text of the constitution as well as its amendments and on right hand side their translations in a way that children as well as adults can easily grasp their meanings. It should be pointed out, as mentioned, the U.S. Constitution is the shortest, and the oldest Constitution of any government in the world. It comprises seven articles, however, there are now twenty-seven amendments wherein the first ten are known as The Bill of Rights.
As an example of how accessible Travis has made the U.S. Constitution to children as well as adults, lets look at some of the provisions of Article Two and the matter of the President's salary. The actual words state: "The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them." Now lets look at the translation that basically tells us the President receives a salary by serving as President, and this cannot be increased or deceased while he serves as President. We are also informed that the President cannot get paid anything but a salary from the United States while President. Furthermore, he cannot receive any money from any state. In other words, the President of the USA may be the chief executive officer, however, unlike CEOs of public companies, his salary is very much controlled and there are no stock options or nice bonuses.
Section Four bluntly reminds us that the President or Vice President and even other officers of the United States can be "kicked out of office (impeached) if they are found guilt of double-crossing (betraying) the country, offering people money, or getting money to do something dishonest, or any other really big crimes.
After presenting the U.S. Constitution in its entirety, Travis gives us a brief synopsis of how the three separate branches of the US Government work. And as we are informed, by having these three entities, the founding fathers made sure that the power of the United States government was never in the hands of just one person, or one group of people. This is called "separation of powers." The recent economic problems is testimony to how the system works wherein the hands of the President were tied until he received the consent of Congress pertaining to his wish to bail out financial institutions.
A very helpful section is "Words to Look at While You Are Reading." Thirty eight words are listed that help us navigate the workings of the Constitution. Did you know that the President's cabinet is made up of appointees that is unlike my own Canadian Parliamentary system wherein cabinet ministers are generally elected by the people? Another useful section is that devoted to the Executive Branch or as we know it, the Presidency. What many of us don't realize, especially if we are not Americans, is that when people vote for president, they aren't really voting for a person running for president; they vote for Electors, the people who make up the Electoral College. Here is where it becomes very interesting for it is possible to lose the popular vote yet still be elected president. The Twelfth Amendment discusses in further detail the workings of the Electoral College.
As the Constitution is a living document, it is never finished and thus there are entire sections devoted to the Amendments as well as proposed Amendments as for example a proposed Amendment to lower the voting age to sixteen. It is here where the pros and cons are also presented.
The final pages of the book show how in practice separation of powers work, a breakdown of the number of electoral votes each state controls, and a list of questions that violate Constitution Privilege. For example, someone gets arrested, but the police don't tell him or her the reason for the arrest.
Travis has worked on Capital Hill for many years, most recently as Communications Director of Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz of Texas. She has also worked on several political campaigns and she certainly knows her U.S. Constitution. Parents, teachers, and other educators will certainly welcome this book as a quick and informative read and no doubt will support discussion and learning about many topics related to the U.S. Constitution.
Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures
Wonderful Educational Tool October 15, 2008
This is a fantastic resource for anyone wishing to better understand the Constitution. It's written at a level middle graders will comprehend, but it would also be useful for teenagers and adults who may not always 'get' the wording in the original document. The side-by-side format is ingenious, allowing the reader to easily find specific sections or Amendments.
As a homeschooling mom, I particularly appreciate the exercise section at the end which provides proposed Amendments and points of discussion. There's also a page of hypothetical situations which will allow the student to determine what if any Constitutional privileges are violated. My only complaint is that for that particular section there's no answer key - it would have been helpful just to make sure I'm not overlooking anything. But, aside from that one tiny thing, I thought the book was an exceptional tool that would be extremely useful to teachers and anyone interested in learning more about the foundation of the U.S. government.
Excellent curriculum clarifying the U.S. Government October 12, 2008
This book was recommended by another home schooling mom as we embark upon the study of our constitution and government. It is a concise, clear and very helpful course, in understanding and teaching the various branches and functions of our government. We appreciate the use of a curriculum that is not only easy to use but factual and accurate. Very pleased.
Constitution Translated for Kids March 22, 2007
I teach middle school Civics. When I heard Cathy Travis' interview on NPR, I ordered the book for my classes that were studying the Constitution. The students loved the book's explanations.
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