(To be published in May of 2025)
A Junior Library Guild selection
The first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution—known as the Bill of Rights—include the guarantee that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Yet this soaring vision of human rights was written by enslavers who deprived others of these rights. The struggle to resolve this paradox continues to the present day.
From Teri Kanefield comes the story of the Bill of Rights, from the founding of America to the first sedition laws, slavery, women’s equality, Prohibition, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the Civil Rights movement, gun control, and more.
Using real court cases, Kanefield explains the meaning of each of the first ten amendments. The result is the story of Americans who have tested the limits of their rights or demanded that their rights be recognized. With full-color illustrations and thought-provoking text, Rebels, Robbers, and Radicals explores how our rights as citizens evolve as the nation grows and changes.
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Q: What is the reading level?
A: I wrote it at the same level I wrote for California appellate justices 😂.
Okay, seriously — it’s the highest level before kids start reading adult-level books. Also here’s a secret: A lot of adults also read my books.