social science – Mom Read It

Killer Underwear Invasion: How to Spot Fake News, Disinformation & Conspiracy Theories, by Elise Gravel, (Sept. 2022, Chronicle Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9781797214917

Ages 8-12

Beneath the giggles – and there are many – lies a smart and frank discussion about fake news and disinformation. Elise Gravel breaks it down for middle graders in this graphic novel treatise on responsibly consuming media, with hilarious yet sobering examples. Gravel places fake news in an historical context by starting with a town crier announcing that “an evil magician has turned the king into a goat” and uses examples of politicians, puppy-pinching, and medicinal shampoo consumption to illustrate concepts like clickbait, conspiracy theories, and viral news stories. Her trademark colorful blob creatures lead readers through laugh-out-loud scenarios presenting readers with the whys, hows, and consequences of fake news. Gravel provides straightforward guidelines for readers to follow: thinking critically; checking sources and how to find reliable sources; separating fact from opinion, and more. An excellent introduction to being a smart media observer for middle graders and middle schoolers. A first purchase.

Get a free downloadable teacher’s guide on Chronicle’s Killer Underwear book detail page, and visit Elise Gravel’s webpage for free downloadables – her latest on Peer Review is a perfect accompaniment to Killer Underwear – and blog entries.

Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today, by Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Sanford, (Sept. 2017, Peachtree Publishers), $19.95, ISBN: 9781561459452

Recommended for readers 10-14

You don’t need a political science degree to see that it’s been a pretty tumultuous year for our country. You don’t even need to watch the news: stick a toe into the social media waters or just go out in public, and you’ll hear all about our current political climate. What tweens and teens may not realize is that a lot of the political issues we’re struggling with today have their roots in the U.S. Constitution. Husband and wife scholars Cynthia and Sanford Levinson examine this document in detail, from its creation to the present, to point out fault lines – cracks in our foundation – how other countries may deal with similar issues, and suggestions for how to address the flaws.

Big-ticket takeaways include the Electoral College and state-by-state representation: how it’s great to be a tiny state, not so much a big state. An honest, no-holds barred look at our governing document, Fault Lines in the Constitution is an important book to have in libraries and classrooms today, tomorrow, and for years to come. Includes a timeline, extensive notes, bibliography, and index. Fault Lines in the Constitution received starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Booklist.

Cynthia Levinson holds degrees from Wellesley College and Harvard University and also attended the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. A former teacher and educational policy consultant and researcher, she is the author of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March. Sanford Levinson is an American legal scholar and a professor at the University of Texas Law School. He holds degrees from Duke, Stanford, and Harvard universities and is the author of several adult works of nonfiction.