ALA Booklist (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Although the government is run for the people and by the people, the people can't do all the work. After briefly explaining how citizens elect representatives to make decisions for them, this entry in the How Does Government Work? series focuses on how candidates run for office. The straightforward text follows a fictional mayor, Kate Brown, from the campaign trail to the victory party as she tries to become one of her state's senators. It introduces the Democratic and Republican Parties, as well as third parties, and describes what it takes for Kate to win, including an effective campaign staff, fund-raising, and attending rallies. Each step of the process is reflected in color photographs of actual elections, such as John McCain volunteers calling supporters for donations and Barack Obama casting his vote in the 2008 presidential election. A timely, well-rounded book.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

These books provide accessible overviews of the U.S. government. Documents looks at the creation of three essential documents from the late 1700s. The other volumes discuss running for elected office and the three branches of government. Lots of archival illustrations and/or photographs break up the concise, choppily written texts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

KOWALSKI, Kathiann M. . Judges and Courts: A Look at the Judicial Branch . ISBN 978-0-7613-6516-7 ; ISBN 978-0-7613-8823-4 . LC 2010041795. LANDAU, Elaine . The President, Vice President, and Cabinet: A Look at the Executive Branch . reprods. ISBN 978-0-7613-6517-4 ; ISBN 978-0-7613-8825-8 . LC 2010041799. NELSON, Robin &; Sandy Donovan . The Congress: A Look at the Legislative Branch . reprods. ISBN 978-0-7613-6518-1 ; ISBN 978-0-7613-8824-1 . LC 2010042498. NELSON, Robin &; Sandy Donovan . Getting Elected: A Look at Running for Office . ISBN 978-0-7613-6519-8 ; ISBN 978-0-7613-8822-7 . LC 2010041859. SWAIN, Gwenyth . Documents of Freedom: A Look at the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution . reprods. ISBN 978-0-7613-6514-3 ; ISBN 978-0-7613-8821-0 . LC 2010041922. ea vol: 40p. (Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Lerner . 2012. PLB $27.93; ebook $20.95. Gr 3-5 With as much pep as a Sousa march, these titles delineate the hows and whys of U.S. government. Similar to Gareth Stevens's "Know Your Government" (2009), the writing is direct and engaging. The illustrations are a compelling blend of historical photos, stock photos, and period sketches. Each image is captioned with information that supplements the text. Red and blue design elements and borders look crisp and lively against the white backgrounds. While each book stands by itself, as a whole, they emphasize the relationships between the government's many parts. All of the volumes are also available as interactive ebooks.