School Library Journal Review
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. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
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. [Review covers these Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? titles: Checks and Balances, Judges and Courts, The President, Vice President, and Cabinet, The Congress, Getting Elected, and Documents of Freedom.] (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
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.--Leeper, Angela Copyright 2010 Booklist
