Cheney tells the story of how the Constitution of the United States came to be when it looked like the young country was about to fail shortly after the victory over England in the Revolutionary War. The states simply cannot agree on a set of rules to abide by, so a set of delegates from each state meet together to figure out a better way for everyone to work together.
For over a year, the delegates debated and argued for what they thought the Constitution should look like. Several committees were formed to flesh out the main frame that was finally decided on. Finally, a final draft was signed and was ready to be ratified by the individual states and its citizens.
On July 4, 1788 enough states had ratified and accepted the document and the Constitution was made law, and much celebration followed.
The book also includes a foreword by Lynne Cheney and a list of sources.
What I Thought:
This story of our constitution is a solid historical lesson that I enjoyed very much and learned a lot from! Harlin did an amazing job with the illustrations for this book, the paintings are full of detail and add much to the story.
This is a long book, and probably not appropriate for a group read aloud with young children. However, this would be a wonderful read aloud to a class who are studying the Constitution in class, or reading aloud to an individual or small group. A definite must have for social studies/history teachers and those who are interested in the history of this time.
Want to see more? Check it out on Amazon: We The People: The Story of the Constitution by Lynne Cheney, paintings by Greg Harlin.
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