Tricking the Tallyman

Illustrated by S.D. Schindler
Look inside
Paperback
$7.99 US
8"W x 10"H x 0.16"D  
On sale Jan 07, 2014 | 40 Pages | 978-0-385-75519-1
| Grades K-3
Reading Level: Lexile AD660L | Fountas & Pinnell T
Are kids interested in learning about the very first American census? Probably not. Do young readers clamor for stories set in the very, very olden days of the late 18th century? Uh, not really. Okay, but do they like nutty cat-and-mouse trickery, wacky slapstick, and animals disguised as people? You bet! So let them have all that, and if they end up learning a thing or two about our country, its history, and the ways our government works, shhh . . . we won’t tell!

Tricking the Tallyman accomplishes the tricky task of showing kids the way the 1790 census was tabulated (or tallied) and how the country’s new citizens came to understand (after much misunderstanding) how it worked to help them and the country. Excellent for classroom use or to put in the hands of bright kids with a taste for the quirky and irreverent, young readers may enjoy this story so much they might not even notice how much they’ve learned!
S. D. Schindler has illustrated a wide range of picture books, including Hornbooks and Inkwells and Gold Fever, both by Verla Kay; The Unforgettable Season, by Phil Bildner; The Snow Globe Family, by Jane O'Connor; and Louder, Lili, by Gennifer Choldenko. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. View titles by S.D. Schindler
  • WINNER | 2010
    Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
  • WINNER | 2010
    NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies
Starred Review, School Library Journal, March 2009:
"Charming and humorous, this book is certain to appeal to children–and to educators."

About

Are kids interested in learning about the very first American census? Probably not. Do young readers clamor for stories set in the very, very olden days of the late 18th century? Uh, not really. Okay, but do they like nutty cat-and-mouse trickery, wacky slapstick, and animals disguised as people? You bet! So let them have all that, and if they end up learning a thing or two about our country, its history, and the ways our government works, shhh . . . we won’t tell!

Tricking the Tallyman accomplishes the tricky task of showing kids the way the 1790 census was tabulated (or tallied) and how the country’s new citizens came to understand (after much misunderstanding) how it worked to help them and the country. Excellent for classroom use or to put in the hands of bright kids with a taste for the quirky and irreverent, young readers may enjoy this story so much they might not even notice how much they’ve learned!

Author

S. D. Schindler has illustrated a wide range of picture books, including Hornbooks and Inkwells and Gold Fever, both by Verla Kay; The Unforgettable Season, by Phil Bildner; The Snow Globe Family, by Jane O'Connor; and Louder, Lili, by Gennifer Choldenko. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. View titles by S.D. Schindler

Awards

  • WINNER | 2010
    Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
  • WINNER | 2010
    NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies

Praise

Starred Review, School Library Journal, March 2009:
"Charming and humorous, this book is certain to appeal to children–and to educators."

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