This Is Our Constitution
What It Is and Why It Matters
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From Gold Star father, beloved Democratic National Convention speaker, and 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Khizr Khan comes a book for young people about the Constitution—what it says and why it matters for everyone.
Our Founding Fathers created the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights as a blueprint for American government and the rights of American citizens. This document is not merely a piece of parchment but a living, breathing promise of our deepest democratic values.
Khizr Khan grew up in Pakistan, with few of the fundamental rights that are enshrined in the Constitution. He immigrated to America and became a citizen, raising his family to appreciate and honor all our nation has to offer. Khizr Khan is deeply passionate about the Constitution: the guarantees and protections it provides for each and every person and the beacon of light it shines throughout the world.
This Is Our Constitution is a personal journey that Khizr Khan is taking with our nation’s young people.
The book includes:
* A highly personal introduction and conclusion
* Notes throughout that share Khizr Khan’s reflections on and connections to the U.S. Constitution
* The fascinating history of why and how the Constitution was written
*Article by article and section by section, an easy-to-follow explanation of what the Constitution means
* A closer look at key amendments, including the Bill of Rights, and pivotal Supreme Court decisions
* The complete texts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
This is a book about why the Constitution matters to you, and us all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As he did in his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Khan interweaves sincerity, personal knowledge, and passion with an urgent message about committing oneself to justice and liberty in his first book for children. Khan's firsthand exposure to the absence of fundamental freedoms, growing up in newly independent Pakistan, fostered his deep appreciation for the values, principles, and ideals threaded throughout the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He believes that, other than its tolerance of slavery (which he describes as an expedient but "shameful compromise"), the Constitution embodies an aspiration to human dignity that he encourages readers to defend ardently. After Khan provides historical context for the Constitution and paraphrases its sections in language geared toward his audience, the book presents the full text of both founding documents. He concludes by highlighting landmark Supreme Court decisions from 1803 to the present, entreating readers to study the Constitution and to engage in appropriate actions to preserve it. Khan's optimism and dedication to the ideals of America's Founding Fathers infuse this inspiring and instructive work. An adult memoir, An American Family, publishes simultaneously. Ages 10 up.
