What Is Citizenship?

March 1, 2017
Grades 1-3 Following the controversies of the 2016 election, a series on the values of citizenship and democracy feels particularly relevant. Although the books in the Citizenship in Action series are a bit didactic and school-centered, they aspire to inspire students to take action on cherished American values. What Is Citizenship? approaches the title question solely from the point of view of active citizenship in a democracy, discussing the rights and responsibilities of citizens and introducing the purpose of government. The books tend to focus on community and skirt any hint of controversy. There is a lot of overlap in the material the books cover, including an introductory chapter common to several of the books. Still, the books are one tool to help encourage democratic values in children.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)