Gary Gabel

Gary Gabel is the visionary behind The Constitution Kids, blending historical wisdom with engaging storytelling. His mission is to bring civic understanding to the next generation through meaningful, accessible education. ‍ Gary Gabel is an author and entrepreneur known for his contributions to personal development and leadership training. He has authored several books, including:
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Personal Takeover: Create a Professional Life Full of Optimism, Energy, and Impact
Originally published by Career Press in 2003, with a second edition released in 2019, this book focuses on personal empowerment and professional growth. 

‍Day One: The First Steps to a Meaningful Life...: Co-written with Tom Buck and published in 2020, this novel explores themes of redemption and personal transformation. 

‍The Constitution Kids: This book introduces readers to three fifteen-year-old friends—Alex, Kali, and Roman—each with unique talents, embarking on adventures that intertwine with lessons about the U.S. Constitution. 

‍In addition to his writing, Dr. Gabel has an extensive background in entrepreneurship and education:He founded and served as CEO of Great Lakes Strategies, a benefits consulting and administration firm based in Birmingham, Michigan.He co-founded Allecon, LLC, a stock administration firm, and Infinite Learning, a training company.

Dr. Gabel has held leadership roles in educational institutions, including serving as Chair of the National Council on Education and Human Development at The George Washington University and as President of the Schoolcraft College Foundation Board of Governors. His academic credentials include an Associate of Arts from Schoolcraft College, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan, a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Detroit, and a Doctorate in Human Resource Development from The George Washington University. Dr. Gabel has also been recognized for his entrepreneurial achievements, notably receiving the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2001 for Michigan Service Companies.Through his writing and professional endeavors, Gary Gabel has influenced many in the realms of personal development, and leadership.

The Constitution Kids brings history to life through time travel and magical storytelling. What inspired you to use this unique blend of fantasy and education to explore the U.S. Constitution?
Many people find it difficult to read the Constitution itself. It is pretty dry reading, yet it is an incredibly important document for us Americans to understand. It serves as the foundation for our country. I felt it was necessary to turn the exploration of the Constitution into a magical adventure and a time-travel quest. I wanted to make history come alive for the reader, one Amendment at a time, which, in fact, would help unlock the magic inside the Constitution.

Your three main characters—Alex, Kali, and Roman—each bring a different strength to the story. How did you develop their personalities, and how do those traits help them understand the Constitution in their own way?
I felt that the three characters had to have distinct traits that enabled each to play a role in dealing with the historical figures the teens meet. Alex was to be the communicator, Kali the intuitive-empath, and Roman the inventor. Their dynamic as friends provides humor and heart, even in serious situations. That way, I could approach big topics in an imaginative way that feels less heavy. I wanted readers to realize that the Constitution doesn’t have to be cumbersome and boring—the readers just haven’t met the right kids.

You introduce readers to powerful historical figures like Ben Franklin, Alice Paul and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Was there one character or moment in history that especially surprised you in your research?
I was as surprised as the three teens when I learned that Ulysses S. Grant who led the Union Army and was President twice was actually a slight man, only 5’8” tall, with a meek demeanor. He tells the teens that this actually helped him get things accomplished since he would appear less threatening than a large, tall man would. Also, I found it interesting that the 15th Amendment only applied to men of color, that women wouldn’t get the right to vote until much later, when the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. And this caused a major kerfuffle between Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

Writing a book that appeals to both young readers and adults is no easy feat. How did you balance humor, adventure, and historical depth to keep readers of all ages engaged?
A lot of adults who see the title The Constitution Kids automatically conclude that this book is strictly for teens and tweens. Yet, every adult who has read it has said that the telling of the story was ingenious, with the mixture of humor, pathos and adventure to tell the story of the Constitution. As one adult reader said, “I couldn’t wait to get to the next
chapter to see who the kids would meet next and where that person would take them!” I felt that having actual historical figures who had a hand in the original drafting of the Constitution and the reason for the various Amendments would bring credibility to each chapter.
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If young readers take away just one lesson from The Constitution Kids, what do you hope it will be?
I would hope that young readers would realize how deeply the American Constitution plays a role in providing the underpinnings for our country. After reading the book, I believe the young readers will feel emotionally attached to the Constitution and feel a need to defend it so that our “American experiment” lives on in perpetuity.

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Website: https://www.theconstitutionkids.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygabel

Purchase the book here: 
https://www.amazon.com/Constitution-Kids-Gary-Gabel/dp/B0DNNS5H35