The Art of the Possible: An Everyday Guide to Politics

Gr 5–8—In this highly accessible introduction to politics, Keenan provides readers with a brief yet relatively thorough overview of how government policy works. Focusing primarily on North American political processes and emphasizing the importance of active, informed citizenship, Keenan explains concepts such as policy vs. process, the ideological spectrum, and the checks and balances built into many democratic systems. Supporting these ideas are real-life case studies and examples both familiar (Malala Yousafzai and her advocacy for girls' education) and lesser known (Jane Jacobs and her city planning activism) that make complex topics more clear and engaging; sidebars, diagrams, and in-text definitions of key words also keep readers involved while breaking up longer passages into more manageable blocks of information. McLaughlin's whimsical color illustrations perfectly suit the narrative by keeping the tone light without detracting from the content. The book's most noticeable drawback, however, is that it's too optimistic; examples from the darker side of politics are lacking, as are non-Western models of government.