Parents' Guide to

Glimmer of Hope: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement

By Lucinda Dyer, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Inspiring story of teens who organized March for Our Lives.

Book The Founders of March for Our Lives Biography 2018
Glimmer of Hope: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement Poster Image

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What's the Story?

GLIMMER OF HOPE begins on Valentine's Day 2018, shortly after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, left 17 dead and 17 others injured. Safe at home that evening, junior Cameron Kasky determined "this one has to be different" and that survivors of the shooting, not the media, should be the ones to tell the story. Two days later, he and a group of close friends met in his living room and began an extraordinary five-week journey that would see student activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas organize March for Our Lives, a demonstration in support of tighter gun control that drew 800,000 participants to Washington, D.C. The following chapters, each written by organizers or participants in the march, show how students put together a social media team and organized trips to Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., to speak with lawmakers (Senators Lindsey Graham, Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Bill Nelson, Bernie Sanders) about gun reform. Many of these meetings would prove demoralizing, as the students felt they never got straight answers to their concerns and questions. Organizers write about doing interviews with major media outlets, speaking at an anti-gun rally three days after the shooting, and participating in a CNN Town Hall, where they confronted Sen. Marco Rubio about taking money from the NRA. Numerous students recall heartbreaking memories in the "First Day Back at School" chapter, where they were welcomed by therapy dogs and police officers carrying the same weapon the shooter had used. "The March for Our Lives" chapter includes both reflections from participants and excerpts from speeches given by several students. The book ends with a look at what the future holds for the organizers of the march, a new movement called Road to Change, whose goal is to educate, register, and motivate young people to vote.

Is It Any Good?

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This is the inspiring story of how a small group of teens refused to give into grief and anger and instead took action, organizing a march against gun violence. Glimmer of Hope is both empowering and downright amazing, as the students organized March for Our Lives in just five weeks. None of the contributors mention this fact and are unfailingly modest about their own accomplishments, always crediting the success of the march to a group effort. Each chapter has a photo of the writer or writers, and there's an insert with photos of memorials at the high school, pictures from the march in D.C., and others of students speaking at events around the country.

For readers who may be hesitant about their ability to successfully organize for a cause in their school or community, this story of the Parkland teens should give them the confidence needed to take on the challenge.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the campaign against gun violence that's presented in Glimmer of Hope. Do you agree with the Parkland students that gun laws in America need to be changed? If so, how would you rewrite those laws?

  • What do you think should be done to stop school shootings? Is arming teachers the answer?

  • Has the book inspired you to become involved with any issues in your school or community? What are the special talents and skills teens can bring to organizing a movement like March for Our Lives?

Book Details

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