Includes bibliographical references (page 245).

Marcus is stumped by a summer assignment: to write an essay on what it means to be a citizen. He's surprised to hear from people in his community that constitutions play an important role when it comes to citizenship -- they can even affect whether you feel like you belong in your country or not. From a Kosovo Albanian neighbor to a Rwandan exchange student, and even in his own family history, Marcus discovers stories of how constitutions -- including the U.S. constitution -- shape the political landscape and our daily lives.