Rebels, Robbers, and Radicals: The Story of the Bill of Rights

by Teri Kanefield

"An excellent resource for teachers and librarians from middle school up, especially as we enter the semiquincentennial year of 2026." (New York Times Book Review)

Meet the rebels, robbers, radicals, determined teenagers, and ordinary Americans who shaped our Constitutional rights.

The first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution—known as the Bill of Rights—include the guarantee that no person may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Yet this soaring vision of human rights was written by enslavers who deprived others of these rights. The struggle to resolve this paradox continues to the present day.

From Teri Kanefield comes the story of the Bill of Rights, from the founding of America to the first sedition laws, slavery, women’s equality, the Civil War, Prohibition, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, the Civil Rights movement, gun control, and more.

Using real court cases, Kanefield explains the meaning of each of the first ten amendments. The result is the story of Americans who have tested the limits of their rights or demanded that their rights be recognized.

With full-color illustrations and thought-provoking text, Rebels, Robbers, and Radicals explores how our rights have evolved as the nation grew and changed.

Genres: Nonfiction, American History, Middle Grade, History, Government, Law

224 pages, Hardcover

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

Teri writes novels, short stories, essays, stories for children, nonfiction for both children and adults, and lots of appellate briefs.

Her stories and essays have appeared in publications as diverse as Education Week, Scope Magazine, The Iowa Review, Cricket Magazine, and The American Literary Review.

Teri's books have received the following honors and distinctions:

The Girl From The Tar Paper School:
--Jane Addams Book Award
--Carter G. Woodson Middle Level Book Award, 2015
--California Reading Association Eureka Silver Honor Book Award
--Included on the 2015 list of Notable Social Studies Trade Books for young readers compiled by the National Council for Social Studies
--Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children (National Association of Teachers of English), Recommended Book
--Included in the New York Public Library's list of 100 children's books to read in 2014.
--A Junior Library Guild selection

Praise for The Girl From The Tar Paper School:
"Beautifully and clearly written." School Library Journal, starred review
"Worthy of the highest recommendation." Midwest Book Review

Rivka's Way
--Sidney Taylor Book Awards, Notable book of 2001
-- Lilith Magazine's 5th Annual Selection of Books for Young Readers
--Included in Great Books for Girls, by Kathleen Odean
--Included in Best Jewish Books for Children and Teens, by Linda R. Silver

Praise for Rivka's Way :
"A rewarding read for the romantically inclined." School Library Journal
"A simple but daring adventure." Voice of Youth Advocates

Guilty? Crime, Punishment, and the Changing Face of Justice
--Junior Library Guild selection

Teri's law practice is limited to representing indigents on appeal from adverse rulings.

She lives in California near the beach..

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always maintained the belief that adults should read juvenile non-fiction to quickly get informed on a variety of issues. The information is well-researched, and condensed to a shorter passage that can be consumed quickly for those who are short on time. This book is a perfect example of a juvenile book that all adults should read. We've all learned about the Bill of Rights in school, but when the author breaks them down and explains her strategy of using real-life law cases to illustrate these laws, it really helps bring them to life. I appreciated the refresher, and found myself learning over and over again how state's rights differ from federal rights, and how various law scholars feel about this paradigm.

In today's divided political culture, it helps to read about our foundational amendments to the Constitution and to look at a different perspective. Told in a factual narrative with interesting cases and hand-drawn black and white illustrations, this would be a fantastic reference for social studies teachers, and young readers who might be interested in law or politics.

I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

[Rick Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good review. Nothing special

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: REBELS, ROBBERS, AND RADICALS: THE STORY OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS by Teri Kanefield, Abrams, May 2025, 224p., ISBN: 978-1-4197-6826-2

“Number three
You have the right to free speech
As long as you're not
Dumb enough to actually try it”
– The Clash (1982)

“[T]he only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been and, by the grace of God, we always will be a Christian nation.”
— Vice President J.D. Vance, recently speaking to more than 30,000 young conservatives at Turning Point USA’s AmFest 2025.

Young readers will learn in REBELS, ROBBERS, AND RADICALS why Americans will never have to deal with the U.S. literally becoming a Christian nation. Let’s hope a bunch of those 30,000 young conservatives read this book and get the true facts.

In fact, any eighth grade American history student fortunate enough to be inspired or induced to read REBELS, ROBBERS, AND RADICALS will come away with some terrific history-related anecdotes, an enhanced understanding of basic American Constitutional law, and a mighty impressed teacher. For each of the ten amendments included in the Bill of Rights, veteran attorney and children’s author Teri Kanefield does an excellent job of encapsulating the colonial history that led to each of the amendments being included in the U.S. Bill of Rights. The author then provides valuable lessons through briefly summarizing the facts underlying court cases that have led to landmark Supreme Court decisions–decisions that direct how these amendments are to be interpreted and applied.

“The abolitionist movement in the United States gained momentum in the early nineteenth century. Slave states responded by passing laws limiting the speech of those who were enslaved and those who advocated for Black freedom. Mississippi’s slave code of 1857, for example, allowed for the death penalty or imprisonment with hard labor for up to twenty-one years for ‘using language having the tendency to promote discontent among free colored people, or the insubordination among slaves.’ A Georgia law outlawed ‘the assembling of [Black Americans] under the pretense of divine worship.’ The fear that slavers would use any public discussion of abolitionism to further terrorize their enslaved populations chilled speech about the issue.
At the same time, language that incited violence against Black Americans was tolerated and even encouraged by enslavers and law enforcement officers in slave states.
Abolitionist Wendell Phillips pointed out that restricting speech that advocated Black freedom meant that it was not possible to have a meaningful discussion about slavery. He said this was a problem because the drafters of the Constitution compromised on the issue of slavery, with the understanding that the issue would be left to the American people to resolve. Obviously, the people could not resolve the issue if they were not permitted to talk about it…
Because the First Amendment at the time applied only to the federal government, there was nothing to stop states from passing laws that restricted speech.”

The court cases cited—cases (in my experience) central to undergrad Constitutional history texts and curricula—provide clarity as to the importance and practical application of these amendments in our lives. The author includes just enough historical context and case law commentary for tween and teen readers to grasp the debates involved in the history, while keeping the book relatively short and sweet.

“Thomas Jefferson said he considered trial by jury ‘as the only anchor, ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.’”

Notably, there are also repeated discussions of the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment:

“No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.”

It was the post-Civil War adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment that led to the Supreme Court analyzing, in subsequent years, how the various clauses making up the Bill of Rights are fundamental rights that also apply to state governments’ actions and lawmaking, and not just to the Federal government.

The Supreme Court is–at this very moment–contemplating the meaning of another section of the Fourteenth Amendment:

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”

The Court will also, presumably, be debating the current deportations-without-due-process, and the current issues concerning blowing up boats and killing the occupants without a shred of due process. (I bet that, like me, plenty of kids are having nightmares from watching the videos on the news and wondering how the hell that is permitted.)

In sum, given the history currently playing out, it'll really be a plus for young readers to learn how these amendments can directly and significantly affect the citizenship rights of their lives and/or their friends’ lives. The bottom line is that REBELS, ROBBERS, AND RADICALS is a great read and a must-have for middle school collections.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The paradox and cognitive dissonance of the Bill of Rights is named right away – how could the framers of the Constitution create this document while simultaneously continuing to deny huge swaths of people (African Americans, women, native Americans, etc.) individual rights? The mindset of the framers is explored – drafters wanted safeguards against a tyrannical president, but does a tyrant even obey laws? These questions seem more pertinent than ever in the current climate. Chapter by chapter, the text explores each amendment’s origins along with the court cases that tested its strength and the ways that the amendment has been interpreted and evolved over time. Definitions and explanations of historical significance are offset in pinkish boxes throughout the text. For example, in the chapter about the First Amendment (which is the longest), Christian Nationalism is explained in the section that delves into the evolution of the freedom of religion. 

This dense volume is jam-packed with information about the creation, defense, and evolving nature of the Bill of Rights. The relevance cannot be overstated; many of the concepts debated in the text are currently being tested in the courts, such as the role of religion, voting rights, cruel and unusual punishment, etc. Highly recommended for all collections serving ages 12+ for research purposes. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Constitution and Bill of Rights sit at the heart of our country and at the moment in the middle of much debate. Ensuring that the next generation understands it and the history surrounding its creation and changes always feels like a vital piece of education, but now perhaps more than ever. This middle grade - young adult nonfiction broaches this lengthy and complicated issue with clear text, interesting cases throughout history, and well roundedness that informs its audience without lecturing them. I think this book would make for an excellent addition to a US History or Government unit or course, would delight the young history buff, and even teach most adults more about these important documents.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well constructed book with highlighted terms and a handful of colorful illustrations regarding the first 10 admendments of the U.S. Constitution. Kanefield uses historic constitutional challenges to these admendments and so not as well known but help explain the nuances and sticking points of these admendments over the last 200 plus years. This book is not for all kids, but for those who want to get a better understanding of the key admendments to the constitution and how American history has been transformed by them, especially for the populus that have been on the margins. Recommend for 10-14 year olds who want an explainable text to the Bill of Rights.

[margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kanefield is clearly very knowledgeable but the reading level was a bit carelessly calibrated for middle grade. Kanefield continually uses challenging vocab with minimal context clues to help readers. There are occasional notes, but I found Kanefield's choice of what to define a bit arbitrary (why "implied" but not "infringe"?). While I’m all for incorporating challenging vocabulary, in a book with so much new information, it doesn't make sense to keep using words like axiomatic or ratify without definitions (or at least context clues).

That being said, I LOVED the carefully prepared bibliography and notes, I wish all kid's nonfic would do the same.

[Libby]

(E-Lib) Even though this is for middle schoolers, I read an enticing review of it in the NYT, so I thought I'd give it a read. I was completely disgruntled with this. I read the first 25% and then just skimmed the rest. It says it's a story, but there isn't much of a through line to tie it all together. It's like a case book. And I sure am glad that I didn't pick this for RRL when I saw it was for middle school kids -- that would have been a complete disaster. What a disappointment. I was really hoping to (easily) learn some political/government stuff that I never knew or had forgotten.

[Angela Gyurko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh to have had this book in high school to argue my cases with the various authority figures in my life. At certain places it gets a bit heavy on the detail, but it is an amazing resource that should be in the toolbox of every civics teacher.

Purchased a copy for the 13 year old in my life. I have confidence they will put it to good use.

[Sfahrney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the Amendments to the Bill of Rights with helpful contextual background. Highly recommend this book for middle school AND adults. I learned a lot in an easy to understand format.

[Nicole Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super informative, super boring! I learned a lot though and think most (if not all) American people would benefit from reading this book.

[Kevin Koppelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting facts about the amendments to the constitution and the cases behind the amendments.