. . . If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution [Paperback]

Elizabeth Levy (Author), Joan Holub (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: If You.

If you were there when they signed the Constitution you would see
--Why the Constitution is called a miracle.
--The first big argument.
--What was missing from the Constitution.

This books takes you behind the locked doors of Philadelphia's State House during the history-making summer of 1787. You will meet the key delegates and find out what is going on.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5 Levy presents the basic facts of the framing of the Constitution in a series of questions and answers. Background is provided in a very cursory explanation of the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, and Shay's Rebellion. Although there is no index, readers will have little difficulty locating individual topics by skimming the boldly printed questions, which are arranged in a rough chronological sequence. Like Fritz' Shhh! We're Writing the Constitution (Putnam, 1987), Levy includes small bits of interesting social trivia to add appeal to the text. Fritz' book is the better of the two, but Levy's is a good second choice for this age group. The pen-and-ink drawings on each page are bland, and important details are occasionally lost in the gutter. Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Elizabeth Levy was born on April 4, 1942, in Buffalo, N.Y. She earned a B.A. (magna cum laude) from Brown University, and a M.A.T. from Columbia University. Before writing full-time, she worked as an editor and researcher in a news department at American Broadcasting Co. and was an assistant editor at a publishing company. Her books cover a wide range of reading levels and subject matter. While Levy obviously writes her books to instruct children, she also says she writes on subjects in which she is greatly interested. Levy is a member of the Authors Guild, Authors League of America, Writers of America, and PEN.

Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated over 120 children's books. She lives in Raleigh, N.C.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; Updated edition (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590451596
• ISBN-13: 978-0590451598
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Science > Customs, Traditions, Anthropology
  • #22 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > United States > Colonial & Revolutionary
  • #43 in Books > Children's Books > History > United States > Colonial & Revolutionary

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good resource!, March 24, 2000

By 

Becki Uccello (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: . . . If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution (Paperback)

"They Signed the Constitution" by Elizabeth Levy has become an excellent resource for me to use in the classroom. I teach 7th grade social studies, and we spend 1 quarter of the year on government. My colleague and I have used most of this book for the past 3 years to supplement the rest of the material we use. We have also created a worksheet to be used with it. Students take turns reading aloud in class from this book. They find it easy to read and easy to understand, definitely not the dry textbook we're used to reading! I recommend this book for elementary and junior high teachers teaching government, as well as students looking for an easy way to understand part of our early American history.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Constitution Review, October 17, 2005

By 

K. McMahon "bibliophile" (Dracut, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: . . . If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution (Paperback)

This was a great book. It provided both facts and interesting tibits about the founders. I used it as a resource in my 5th grade inclusion social studies class and they found it both useful and informative.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jump into History!, August 12, 2008

By 

Renee Huskey "I learn something new every day." (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: . . . If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution (Paperback)

Written in easy to understand, age appropriate language, Elizabeth Levy offers a great overview to the writing of the Constitution, putting into context such ideas as the original "Federal Convention," and the two sides of the Constitutional debate. Some may argue that the book is light on details, but Levy has done an excellent job of focusing on who her audience really is, offering social trivia that grabs the attention of her young readers as she draws them toward the more meaty, albeit arguably less compelling, matters of Constitutional construction. For example, she provides interesting character sketches on many of the delegates, including both famous names, like Alexander Hamilton (who was known to have a "graceful turn of the leg"), and lesser known names like William Patterson and Luther Martin. Topics are easily discerned - defined by bold headlines and arranged chronologically, and the text throughout is supported by colorful pen-and-ink drawings.