Title: Together We March, 25 Protest Movements that Marched into History
Author: Leah Henderson
Illustrator: Tyler feder
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2021
Ages: 8-11
40 pages.
Genre: nonfiction
Themes: marching, peaceful protests, justice, black lives matter, being heard, mother jones, great thunberg, children’s rights, equality, protection, learning, independence
Opening:
In recent years, have you noticed that more and more people are taking to the streets to protest? These people are using their feet, their voices, the words on their signs, and the strength in their numbers to combat injustice, oppression, inequality, and discrimination. They protest these wrongs, demand change, and call for further action in their neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries, or even in the world, every day. It may feel like this global surge of speaking out is new, but marching and marchers have a long history.
Synopsis:
March through history and discover twenty-five groundbreaking protest movements that have shaped the way we fight for equality and justice today in this stunningly illustrated and sweeping book!
For generations, marches have been an invaluable tool for bringing about social change. People have used their voices, the words on their signs, and the strength in their numbers to combat inequality, oppression, and discrimination. They march to call attention to these wrongs and demand change and action, from a local to a global scale.
Whether demanding protective laws or advocating for equal access to things like voting rights, public spaces, and jobs, the twenty-five marches in this book show us that even when a fight seems impossible, marching can be the push needed to tip the scales and create a movement. This gorgeous collection celebrates this rich and diverse history, the often-overlooked stories, and the courageous people who continue to teach us the importance of coming together to march today.
Why I like this book:
This is an outstanding detailed overview of 25 protest movements since the beginning of the 20th century from around the world with Mother Jones in 1903 marching in New York for improvements to child labor. There were protests I knew nothing about like the Bulgarian Jews in 1943 or the Wanyama Urith Wetu Walk (Wildlife is Our Heritage Walk) in Kenya in 2013. The last march was from May 2020 in the US, Justice for George Floyd.
The double-paged spreads go into much detail, and this book is appropriate for upper elementary or even middle school classrooms. This is a beautiful collection and celebration of these slices of history and often little-known movements. It is inspirational and a call to the power of collaborative protests.
Earth Day is also in here, which we celebrated yesterday.
Resources/Activities:
Long selected bibliography included in the end, as well as the direction to visit the author’s website for the full 36 page bibliography. http://www.leahhendersonbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/TOGETHER-WE-MARCH_Work-Cited-Further-Reading-1.pdf
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Wow!What an amazing timeline of events! I’ve got to get my hands on this book. Thanks for the rec, Joanna!
Wow – this looks great! it’s sure to inspire powerful conversations. Thanks for sharing!
What a fascinating book — right up my ally. I loved hearing about a few of the little known protests. People have really been taking to the streets in peaceful protests in recent years — change always come from the ground up — and I sincerely hope that we continue to see more. What a powerful read. Thank you so much for sharing this book.
Ooh, Joanna, this is fascinating! Thank you for the introduction. I have it on hold at my library.