When we queried our parent bloggers for interest in reviewing Bill O’Reilly’s latest book, Kids Are Americans Too, we wanted to hear from bloggers across the political spectrum - provided they were willing to read with an open mind, in spite of their own political beliefs or their perception of the author’s political beliefs. We were thrilled to see how many thoughtful and politically well-informed bloggers responded, and we were confident that whether or not the bloggers gave the book two thumbs up, they would give it a thorough read and a fair assessment.

We’re not disappointed in the least.

One blogger, whose review was titled “Can I Give Bill O’Reilly the Benefit of the Doubt?”, stated that even though “I wanted to be able to find something positive to say about this book,” she could not. Another blogger, who startled a few of his readers by even making mention of the book (readers who then clicked through out of sheer curiosity!), wryly commented that “there is no real evil in this book, so if your teenager reads it, he or she would not likely harmed by it.”

Despite such inauspicious introductions, the bloggers definitely recognize the importance of the subject matter: “I do agree with the general premise - it is important for kids to learn about how our country is governed and what rights they do and don’t have under the Constitution. As a political science major in college and a lifelong political junkie, helping students learn about our political process and our rights in our government is hugely important.” Another blogger summarized the book in this way: “There are two main themes of the book: avoiding apathy and recognizing the importance of balance between rights and responsibility.” She described the objective of the book as getting kids to start “thinking about the other person’s perspectives, and the greater good when considering how individual rights mesh with community goals, expectations, and pleasantries.”

O’Reilly “explains in the introduction…that many American kids are complete morons. He goes on to explain that these morons are too lazy to figure out what their country is all about.” But one reviewer, who is “a listener and viewer of Mr. O’Reilly’s“, grew up in a rural location. As she described it, “I had very limited access to resources about politics and current events. Our once-a-week 30 page newspaper could’ve hardly counted! If only I’d had access to Bill O’Reilly’s new book Kids are Americans Too, I might’ve realized a thing or two about politics, civil duty and my rights as an American…kid.” Because of her lack of knowledge as a kid, would O’Reilly have considered her to have been a moron, or - because her parents had conservative views which they endeavored to pass on to her - would he consider her sources of information to have been sufficient?

For one blogger, that’s what O’Reilly’s message in Kids Are American Too boiled down to: “Praise children who conform to his view of the world and mock those who don’t. That’s not the kind of message I think any children should get from a book, no matter where they or their families fall on the political spectrum.” That was the major objection to the book, along with “the constant referrals to and self-promotion of Mr. O’Reilly’s radio/television programs and the obvious promotion of Fox News” and that “the reader might be a bit bothered by the excessively casual tone…[The book] sounds as if it was transcribed directly from one of Bill O’Reilly’s radio or television programs, and I’m not certain if this is necessary to add to its effectiveness.”

“I found this book to be trite,” commented one reviewer, and another concluded that: “If you’re a fan of O’Reilly’s show and you think children should be exposed to his views, then you’ll like this book. If you’re looking for a well-balanced volume to help your middle-schooler learn about the Constitution where the scenarios aren’t infused with the personal opinions of a conservative pundit, you’ll be sorely disappointed.”

What will the rest of the parent bloggers think of Kids Are Americans Too? Check out their upcoming reviews!

Wed 10/24 - Builder Mama
Thurs 10/25 - Marketing Mommy
Mon 10/29 - Baggage Reviews
Tues 10/30 - Taste Like Crazy
Wed 10/31 - My Two Cents
Thurs 11/1 - Bananas and Toddlers
Tues 11/6 - Final Round-Up Review on PBN