All About U.S.: A Look at the Lives of 50 Real Kids from Across the United States

K-Gr 4–A grandiose and ambitious project, this book dives into an unflinchingly honest look at children’s lives throughout the United States. Based on years of interviews, these vignettes present one kid per state. Each page features a brief description of a child’s day alongside a lush illustration of their home, starting from the eastern coast and moving westward. Readers see traditions or hobbies, collections or chores. Some lives are familiar, others not so much. But all show family structures bursting with love. In the back matter, real photos of the kids and their homes drive each anecdote home. There are also fascinating demographic charts comparing the book families with countrywide statistics. These include breakdowns of groupings tracked by the Census and by Pew Research Center, like race and religion. This is the type of comprehensive book that can be useful for family reads, school projects, and everything in between. It’s impossible to read this and come away with anything but connection and love for other people.