The My American Government series gets off to a strong start with a slim but informative book that introduces the election process. Beginning with an amusing anecdote about Ronald Reagan's run for the presidency, the book then goes on to discuss, in short, simple bites, the political parties, how primaries and caucuses work, conventions, and the electoral college. Readers will also find information about how members of Congress are elected and about state elections. Printed on shiny paper, the pictures, though at times generic, show up nicely. Particularly well integrated and interesting are the sidebars, which include everything from how the donkey and elephant became the party symbols to the importance of voting (with examples of narrow elections) to the news that Australians are required by law to vote. A short list of books and Web sites rounds out the package.

THOMAS, William David . What Are Citizens' Basic Rights? chron. ISBN 978-0-8368-8861-4 ; ISBN 978-0-8368-8866-9 . LC 2007032425. THOMAS, William David . What Are the Parts of Government? charts. ISBN 978-0-8368-8862-1 ; ISBN 978-0-8368-8867-6 . LC 2007026511. THOMAS, William David . What Is a Constitution? charts. ISBN 978-0-8368-8863-8 ; ISBN 978-0-8368-8868-3 . LC 2007027281. ea vol: 32p. (My American Government Series). photos. reprods. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Gareth Stevens . 2007. PLB $23.93; pap. $8.95. Gr 3-5 These books have an accessible format and clear writing. Each one begins with a story to help personalize the information, such as one about presidential candidate Reagan visiting a coffee shop (in Leaders ) or another about a student who is unfairly treated (in Basic Rights ). Charts ("How a Bill Becomes a Law" in Parts of Government ; "Three Branches of Government" in Constitution ) aid understanding. Relevant issues such as the disputed 2000 election are highlighted in text boxes. Differences in federal versus state and local governments are noted, and unusual issues such as Native American governments within states and the voting provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act are mentioned. Black-and-white and full-color vintage and more recent photographs appear throughout. For a younger audience than the "Library of American Government" series (World Almanac Library), this set will be helpful to libraries looking to update their voting and government offerings before the 2008 election. Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA