School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-This audiobook offers insight into the historical and present-day importance of voting to listeners who are approaching or just past the voting age. Listeners will understand why it is important to vote and how we are electing not only one person to oversee the government but those whom the president will appoint as well. While the text is geared to younger voters, as it discusses how young people can contribute to government either by voting in elections or even by running for office, adults can learn plenty about the history of our nation's electoral process. Most interesting is the behind-the-scenes look at the campaigns and the work that goes into them during an election. Nicholas Mondelli's conversational reading style makes the information interesting. The only piece that does not translate well to audio is the reading of the lists, as it is easy for listeners to forget the topic of the list from start to finish. VERDICT Steeped in details, this will be best enjoyed by those already interested in politics, or students in a civics or government class; however, every listener will walk away having learned something. ["This book is a timely addition to educate new and prospective voters, and it is not so specific to render it obsolete after the 2016 election cycle": SLJ 5/16 review of the Zest book.]-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This timely handbook offers a thorough, accessible overview of American elections and voting in six chapters that explore the history and workings of the government, the voting process, political parties, becoming informed about relevant political issues, how elections works, and political engagement. Fleischer avoids hot-button topics, instead looking at the traditional definitions of the Republican and Democratic parties and the practical side of how elections unfold, including discussions of the electoral college, the contested 2000 election, presidential debates, and the role of public opinion polls ("When evaluating poll data, it's always important to look at how the question was worded"). Fleischer's well-contextualized, nonpartisan approach results in a valuable resource for readers looking to understand and become involved in a complicated system while avoiding spin. Ages 14-up. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Neither the American electoral nor political process is simple. And if you think so, you've likely got it wrong. Fortunately, self-described political nerd Fleischer is here to clarify things. In a particularly winning voice, abetted by numerous intriguing anecdotes and trivia, Fleischer commences at the beginning, with an origin story (Revolution, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, Bill of Rights), before moving on to mechanics. He issues an implicit challenge with his introduction"If there's one thing we know for sure about American government, it's that a lot of Americans don't know much about it"and then goes on to make sure readers buck that trend. His discussion of the electoral college is a fine example of his compressive clarity: the college is a compromise measure to rein in populous states while avoiding the pitfalls of giving too much power to Congress and state legislatures. It has its drawbacks, but it is not as egregious as push polling ("one of the sleaziest of political dirty tricks") or hindering voter registration. Fleischer works plenty of civics and history into this study of the revelatory power of politics"Strom Thurmond and George Wallace demonstrated that racists were a large voting bloc"so his closing suggestions on how readers can get involved and be heard are perfectly placed. Fleischer's primer tenders a wealth of insight in a generous and welcoming manner. (resources) (Nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
