Monday, May 19, 2008

See How They Run


Goodman, Susan E. 2008. See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House. Illustrated by Elwood H. Smith. Bloomsbury USA. 96 pages.

If you're looking for a down-to-earth, straight-forward, reader-friendly guide to politics that is appropriate for children--probably eight and up if I had to guess--then look no further than Susan E. Goodman's See How They Run. Its engaging text (in combination with photographs, illustrations, and sidebars) makes a complex and often complicated subject a bit easier to digest. This would be a good example of what makes children's (or YA) fiction so accessible to adults. This subject (for most) could have so easily been dull and lifeless and difficult to wade through. But it isn't. It's accessible. It's well researched. It's interesting. Dare I say it--it's fun EVEN if you don't have an assignment due. I'm a big believer in I-didn't-know-that facts saving the day when it comes to nonfiction. And this book has plenty. Recommended for children AND adults.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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