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

Elizabeth Levy (Author), Joan Holub (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1992 | Age Range: 7 - 10 years | Series: If You... | Lexile Measure: 810L (What's this?)

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

• Age Range: 7 - 10 years
  
• 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: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > Children's Books > History > United States > Colonial & Revolutionary

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

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

By Becki Uccello

Format: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.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Constitution Review October 17, 2005

By K. McMahon

Format: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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes history come alive October 27, 2011

By Robyn463

Format:Paperback

We are using this book as part of our homeschooling curriculum. My 8 year old son loves the book. We have been reading and discussing about 10 pages each day and he always wants to keep going. The book is written in a way that is simple enough for my 3rd grader, yet it doesn't feel "dumbed down". Every 1 to 2 pages has a subheading in the form of a question such as "How well did Congress work under the Articles of Confederation?" and "How are laws passed?". These questions help generate interest for what is coming up next.
My son really liked the section that told about who several of the key delegates were such as Ben Franklin, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, etc. The book tries to show you their personality, not just facts about their lives.
I would definitely recommend this book!