US Government through Infographics

Super Social Studies Infographics

by Nadia Higgins, Alex Sciuto (Illustrations)

Trying to comprehend the US government can almost make your mind shut down. You need to understand how it stacks up to governments around the world (from democracy to dictatorship), how systems and laws change over time (years ago, women couldn't vote!), and who holds the power today (how do big decisions get made?).

How can all these laws and ideas make more sense? Infographics! The charts, maps, and illustrations in this book tell a visual story to help you better understand key concepts about our country's government.

Crack open this book to explore mind-boggling questions such

• Why was the first government created?
• How does a system of checks and balances work?
• Where does all that tax money go?

The answers will help make you a model citizen!

Genres: Nonfiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Nadia Higgins is the author of 50-plus books for children. She also worked as an editor in the industry for almost ten years. Many of her books have a science bent, though she’s also written about pop stars, car art, and zombies.

Nadia's favorite part of being a writer is doing research. "I'm always looking for that vivid detail or off-the-wall fact," she says. Her books often use humor or fiction techniques to bring a nonfiction topic to life.

Besides writing, Nadia enjoys dancing, making soup, and doing puzzles. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two young daughters.

Reviews

[Dan]

informative

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This in an interesting and appealing infographic introduction to a somewhat dry topic (the US government). The twelve short chapters are prefaced with four questions designed to give readers a taste of what is to come – in this instance, political science or social studies concepts. Copious factual data (graphs, charts, diagrams) is presented in easy to read and easy to understand infographics so as not to overwhelm the reader. The history of democracy is covered in a timeline; the steps on “How to become President” are displayed on a game board. Complicated topics, such as taxation, checks and balances and federalism, become manageable when presented in this relatively new format. The data representations, illustrations and photographs are sure to appeal to readers. Back matter includes a glossary, relevant websites and an index. The title would be a good beginning research resource. It is a worthwhile addition to any library. It is part of the "Super social studies infographics" series.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Politics often second as a sleeping pill substitute for me, so I didn't have high hopes for this book. I was pleasantly surprised. The history of government and democracy is presented in a clear, concise manner with charts, bubbles and timelines. The "fun facts" add some needed entertainment to an otherwise dry topic. This is the perfect book for students as well as anyone wanting to brush up on the building blocks of our government.