That's Not Fair!: Getting to Know Your Rights and Freedoms by Danielle S McLaughlin, Dharmali Patel (Illustrations)

That's Not Fair!: Getting to Know Your Rights and Freedoms by Danielle S McLaughlin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


That's Not Fair by Danielle McLaughlin is a fun and educational read for children about how and why we have certain laws and certain freedoms in our country - U.S.A. This book will be a great way to introduce young people to democracy at a young age.

Via a fictional town and it's quirky characters, basics of our system / democracy, freedoms, and the process and need for certain laws are explained in a fun and easily understood way. The book has bright and exciting illustrations that represent the character's feelings and convey their feelings which bring about the need for laws, and why those laws (freedoms) exist to help make life as fair as possible for citizens. Each chapter ends with questions for the reader to consider to get the reader thinking about how the law helps, who still might not feel it is fair, or what the common good may be for the population.

The situations and characters are funny, teach valuable lessons, and explain why we have certain freedoms, how democracy works, as well as what it might be like if we did not have certain laws. I was glad to receive this book free for an honest review and enjoyed the way our process of making law is demonstrated for younger people in an easily understood and entertaining way. I love this book, the expressive illustrations, and the easy to understand way democracy is demonstrated for upper elementary or mid schoolers.



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This unique addition to the CitizenKid collection, written by by Danielle S. McLaughlin, provides an accessible exploration of the rights and freedoms of citizens in a democracy through a series of six short stories starring Mayor Moe and the councillors of a sometimes wacky city. In each story, the councillors are first presented with a problem, and the group then makes a decision to address the problem with a new law, only to discover later there were unintended consequences. There is one councillor, Bug, who objects to each decision being proposed by commenting, ?That's not fair!? --- a sentiment familiar to children, who have an innate sense of justice. The topics are child-friendly: Should you be allowed to search someone's bag because you think they have something of yours? Does it make sense to have a law that states people can say only nice things? Conclusions for each story include an extended discussion of the rights and freedoms featured in the story, along with three questions to ponder: Why did the councillors make their decision? Did the new law achieve its purpose? Were there any unexpected results? There are no right answers given. Instead children are encouraged to look at all sides of each issue, which engages their critical thinking skills and fosters empathy for other points of view. This book would be perfect for sparking spirited discussions on civics lessons and inspiring children to become involved citizens. The bright and humorous illustrations by Dharmali Patel keep the interest level high. A Note for Parents and Teachers and definitions of the rights and freedoms covered in each story are included at the end of the book.