Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to share my opinion.

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

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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.

MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK:

THE CONSTITUTION IS ALIVE AND WELL
The Constitution Kids
Written by Gary Gabel

The author correctly points out that the subject of the Constitution rarely comes up in modern schools. Gabel decides to remedy that problem by incorporating its story within the pages of a time travel adventure containing three unlikely friends. Kali, Alex, and Roman who display unique interests and talents. Kali is an empath, Roman a science and tech prodigy, and Alex, an excellent communicator.

On a summer day, the three fifteen-year-old friends encounter a protest demonstration and demonstrators claiming the right to gather under the Constitution. Curious, the friends decide to research the Constitution in the library. When they find and open an old book, they meet Ben Franklin who initiates a time travel journey on which they investigate the Constitution, and the Amendments added to it.

During this journey, the teens meet famous people like Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, and Wyatt Earp. In addition, they journey back and forward in time to colonial times, visit slaves, a gulag, and Nazi Germany, among other places. The threesome experience how the Constitution works and the reasons why for each amendment.

Gabel details the characters as relatable and integrates the past and present seamlessly. Modern readers learn not only what the Constitution contains but why it evolved and how it works.

This book is a wonderful tool to teach civics and responsibility. I recommend it for the bookshelves of middle-grade and high school readers.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win one of ten copies of The Constitution Kids. Enter below to bring this magical journey home!

Click here for the entry form: https://gleam.io/2295r/the-constitution-kids-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, March 31, 2025The Children’s Book ReviewTour Kick-Off for The Constitution Kids

Tuesday, April 1, 2025The Fairview ReviewBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Wednesday, April 2, 2025Froggy Read TeachInstagram Post about The Constitution Kids

Friday, April 4, 2025NancyStewartWritesBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Monday, April 7, 2025One More ExclamationBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Tuesday, April 8, 2025Cover Lover Book ReviewBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Wednesday, April 9, 2025Barbara Ann Mojica’s BlogBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Friday, April 11, 2025Crafty Moms ShareBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Monday, April 14, 2025Deliciously SavvyBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Tuesday, April 15, 2025Country Mamas With KidsBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Wednesday, April 16 2025icefairy’s Treasure ChestBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Friday, April 18, 2025The Starlit PathBook Review of The Constitution Kids

Monday, April 21, 2025Q&As with Deborah KalbAuthor Interview with Gary Gabel

Written by Ann M. Morris

Illustrated by Obayomi Aanuoluwapo and Dirisu David

A beautiful multicultural picture book that teaches children about life in rural Ghana.

Kwame is respectful, obedient, and grateful for his simple life in a rural village. In this story, Kwame wakes early to help his mother wash clothes by hand. Then he sweeps the dirt floor of his one room hut before dressing in his uniform to walk to school at the Royal Promise Mission. Today is a special day. The children from around the area will be marching to celebrate the anniversay of Ghana’s independence.

Children from around the world learn a bit about the food, flag, customs , language, and difficult life of a small rural village. Kwame provides a good role model for children. Charming illustrations and an interactive activity keep readers engaged with the tale.

Highly recommended to parents and teachers of elementary school readers.

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Would You Rather? Hanukkah Edition: Light Up the Season with a Hilarious Holiday Game for Kids

Written by Lindsey Daly

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zeitgeist Press and voluntarily decided to review with my honest opinions.

This book is filled with more than 160 questions about the Festival of Lights. The questions are aimed at readers in the eight to twelve year old audience. Each of these feature a choice with the reader being asked which is the preferred choice. Players of the game have fun while learning about the preferences of each participant. Judges choose the best answer based on humor, creativity, and logic. There are eight rounds to the game.

An enjoyable way to learn about the foods, rituals, history, and culture of Hanukkah while employing critical thinking skills. This book just might become and annual family Hanukkah tradition.

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How to Train Your Amygdala
Written by Anna Housley Juster
Illustrated by Cynthia Cliff

Most kids have never heard of the Amygdala, but it plays a vital role in keeping them safe. The author uses creative imagery to explain in simple language how it works. Sometimes worrying about what might happen can make the Amygdala work overtime so it is important to train it not to set off false alarms.

Juster provides children with strategies and techniques to relax and remain calm. Examples include deep breathing, relaxing, and connecting with favorite people. The interactive part of this book provides step by step directions for children and an accompanying guide for adults working with children.

Kudos to the author for writing this guide in simple, easily understandable language with large text and appealing illustrations. Recommended for children from preschool through primary grades and the caretakers who love and support them.

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What is Hanukkah?: Your guide to the fun traditions of the Jewish Festival of Lights (Jewish Holiday Books)

Written by Shari Last

A comprehensive picture book about this Jewish celebration including lots of additional resources. Last provides facts about its basis on the lunar calendar, the history of the Maccabees, the lighting of the menorah, and the word’s many spellings. Going beyond that, she reveals how Hanukkah is celebrated in different countries, foods and recipes, and how to play the dreidel game associated with the holiday.

The illustrations are bright and appealing and the text large enough to read easily for beginning readers. Language is informal and geared to the elementary school age target audience. This book is a good choice to place on a classroom multicultural holiday bookshelf or as a family activity book to celebrate the Hanukkah holiday at home.

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Sensing The World With Momo : A fun quick science learning chapter books for ages 8-10 (Kids Books Momo’s Science Adventures: The Nervous System Series)

Written by Rizu Shami

An innovative approach to teaching children about stimuli and the nervous system. Part of a series of books done in comic book format featuring a character named Momo speaking in simple phrases located in balloons.

Momo teaches readers about internal and external stimuli, the five senses, and the way our bodies react to these stimuli. While the book is targeted for readers ages eight and older, the simple pictures transmit the message effectively to younger children.

Recommended to parents and teachers as a teaching tool about the nervous system.

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Profitable Money Skills for Kids

Written by Michael Slochowsky

This is a basic primer for kids with all the necessary information to understand money.

It is written in fairly simple language though I believe younger children will need additional guidance for complete understanding. The author begins with an introduction as to why he wrote the book, and why he included interactive strategies to implement its lessons.

Chapter One explains the history of money and its purposes. Then we move on to different types of saving strategies, budgeting, and tools to use. Kids learn the differences between needs and wants, and how to invest smartly. There are suggestions about how kids can earn money, give to charity, and avoid scams. Finally, there are goal-planning strategies, and discussions about planning for a sound financial future.

This book is a valuable financial literacy tool that can grow with the child providing a strong foundation for a sound financial future. Highly recommended to parents and teachers.

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A Period

Written and Illustrated by David Ross

A very clever book written with lots of subtle humor.

A period is born and begins its journey by rolling forward. As it continues, the period encounters the other punctuation marks in the English language. At first, the period seems to try to figure out how it fits in and what is its purpose. The journey continues as the reader finds out about the other punctuation marks and what they do.

The end of the book provides an excellent guide for students of grammar identifying the punctuation marks and how they function in language. While the book is recommended for children ages six and older, I believe middle grade and high school students will gain the most value from reading it.

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Escaping the Blaze: The Real Life Adventures of Dolph and Gwen

Written and Illustrated by Darcy Guyant

This is my first time reading a book from this series about Coast Guard rescues, and it certainly did not disappoint. Guyant bases his children’s books on real life rescue missions that he has flown. Children learn about courage, teamwork, and cooperation.

This is book two in the series. The main characters are Gwen, a female pilot, Mike and Sam, her crew, and Dolph, her helicopter. Dolph is personified and a truly wonderful character role model. Children learn about aviation and witness Gwen as a wonderful example of a strong female role model. The plot of this book involves the crew rescuing four adults and four children from a wildfire threatening the lighthouse on the peninsula on which they live and work.

The beautiful illustrations and text unfold naturally and build up to the climax. Can Dolph, Gwen, and another helicopter accomplish the dangerous mission? I also enjoyed the surprise included at the end of the tale.

A perfect book to teach and inspire young minds. Recommended especially for ages six through ten, but adults will enjoy it just as much!

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My Superhero Mom

Written by FA Khan

Illustrated by Noor Alshalabi

Soha is excited when her teacher announces an essay competition. She is confident that she can win. Her enthusiasm is dampened when the topic is announced. The students must write about why their mom is a superhero. Soha’s classmates share with her that each of their mothers have important positions in the community like teachers, doctors, and pharmacists. Soha’s mom is a stay- at- home mom.

Soha soon realizes that she is wrong. Her mom volunteers at soup kitchens, bake sales, and the food bank. She is a valuable member of the community. Soha learns that not all heroes are paid for their work. The value lies in the results that they produce for others.

This picture book is a valuable teaching tool. Children realize that a community needs responsible citizens who know the value of teamwork, empathy, kindness, and respect.

I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated multicultural book for readers in elementary and middle school. A worthwhile addition to both home and classroom libraries.

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