Freedom

School Library Journal

ea. vol: 64p. illus. photogs. reprods. index. (American Values First Bks.) CIP. Watts. Sept. 1985. PLB $9.40. Gr 4-7 While the value of the American system is never questioned in these two titles, neither are problems within the system ignored. Freedom examines the history and contemporary applications of Constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms: religion, press, assembly, speech and petition. Cantwell establishes how these five specific freedoms came to be included in the Constitution and shows how they have been interpreted and applied throughout the history of the United States. Justice traces the development of the concept of justice in Western civilization, discussing its translation into practice with an emphasis on the British and American legal systems. Johnson looks at the Bill of Rights in both theory and practice, examining both its history and its place in today's American judicial system. The process of arrest and trial is discussed, with special attention to the rights of the accused. Both Johnson and Cantwell present their ideas clearly, and both effectively reduce complex ideological and historical situations to a level accessible to younger readers while retaining the crucial elements of the situation. Each book features nine black-and-white illustrations, appropriately balanced between photographs representing contemporary issues and artwork depicting historical scenes.William G. Piekarski , Worcester State College , Mass.