United States Constitutions - Federal & State, Political Sociology, Constitutional History, United States History - Politics & Government, Democracies & Republics - General & Miscellaneous

Signing Their Rights Away

Name: Signing Their Rights Away
Author: Kiernan, Denise , D'Agnese, Joseph
ISBN: 9781594745201

by Kiernan, Denise, D'Agnese, Joseph

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Overview

Unfold Book Jacket for a Full-Color Reproduction of the U.S. Constitution

With their book Signing Their Lives Away, Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese introduced readers to the 56 statesmen (and occasional scoundrels!) who signed the Declaration of Independence. Now they’ve turned their attention to the 39 men who met in the summer of 1787 and put their names to the U.S. Constitution.

Signing Their Rights Away chronicles a moment in American history when our elected officials knew how to compromise—and put aside personal gain for the greater good of the nation. These men were just as quirky and flawed as the elected officials we have today: Hugh Williamson believed in aliens, Robert Morris went to prison, Jonathan Dayton stole $18,000 from Congress, and Thomas Mifflin was ruined by alcohol. Yet somehow these imperfect men managed to craft the world’s most perfect Constitution. With 39 mini-biographies and a reversible dust jacket that unfolds into a poster of the original document, Signing Their Rights Away offers an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages.

About the Author, Kiernan, Denise , D'Agnese, Joseph

Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese are the authors of Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame & Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence. They have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Saveur, Reader’s Digest, Discover, and other national publications. D’Agnese’s work has twice been included in the anthology “Best American Science Writing.” Both are winners of Educational Press Association awards. They live in North Carolina. Visit them online at signingtheirlivesaway.com.

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Editorials

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up—The Constitution is glorified, misquoted, and occasionally vilified, but few people doubt the impact of this oldest of functioning constitutions. This compact book presents short biographical sketches of the 39 signers in clear, accessible language. Organized by state, entries initially identify each man with his signature, a pen-and-ink portrait, his name, and a snappy descriptive phrase (e.g., "The Signer Who Lived the Longest," "The Signer Who Was Ruined by Drink"), along with birth and death dates, age at signing, profession, and burial site. At a uniform four pages each, the entries cover each subject's life prior to the Constitutional Convention, how he came to be present, contribution to the Constitution, and major events of later life. Opening with an informative introduction, comparison chart of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and a time line, the volume closes with the text of the Constitution and a "Miscellany" that includes information on preservation and printing and a list of convention attendees who did not sign. More detailed and for a slightly older audience than Dennis Fradin's The Founders: The 39 Stories Behind the U. S. Constitution (Walker, 2005), this entertainingly written book may take a bit of promotion due to the subject matter and dull cover.—Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA—