Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation

by Jacqueline Jules, Jef Czekaj (Illustrator)

Overview

The thirteen ORIGINAL colonies! Together again! One night only!

The children of Forest Lake Elementary School trod the boards in a dramatic reenactment of how the United States Constitution came to be. After the Revolution, the young United States was anything but united. The states acted like thirteen separate countries, with their own governments, laws, and currencies. It took bravery, smarts, and a lot of compromises to create a workable system of government under the new constitution.

Full of facts about our fledgling democracy, the call for a national government, and the Constitutional Convention, this book presents American history with personality, good humor, and energy. This show is not to be missed.

Jef Czekaj’s exuberant illustrations capture the excitement of opening night and the elation of the birth of a nation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580891905
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/28/2009
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	53,108
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Jacqueline Jules is the author of several books for children, including ABRAHAM'S SEARCH FOR GOD (Kar-Ben) and THE ZIZ AND THE HANUKKAH MIRACLE (Kar-Ben). Her poetry has been featured in over sixty publications, including Cricket, Cicada, and The Christian Science Monitor. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

Memorable for the contrast between the melodramatic title and Czekaj's funny cartoon scenes of popeyed children putting on a low-budget stage play, this account of our Constitutional Convention should leave even less attentive readers with some idea of what the resultant document is all about. The curtain rises on players in state-shaped costumes running around shouting "Hooray! Freedom!" In subsequent scenes they fall to squabbling ("I know what's best for me") under the weak Articles of Confederation, recognize the need for change and gather (all but Rhode Island, that is) in sweltering Philadelphia for long, secret negotiations-nearly failing to reach consensus until Connecticut proposes the Great Compromise over the nature of the two legislative houses. "Who will be the first to sign? George Washington, of course!" A lively way to kick off discussions of how the Constitution works and why it's still a living document, especially with readers too young to tackle Jean Fritz's Shh! We're Writing the Constitution (1987). (Informational picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews