Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio is a graphic novel chronicling the events leading up to the shooting of four college students in May, 1970. Author-illustrator Derf Backderf uses a journalistic style to spotlight the four dead students. Swearing is frequent: "bastard, "hell," "s--t," "f--k." Sexual content is minimal, a few casual embraces between college kids. Violent scenes throughout, as students confront National Guardsmen: riots, arson, rock throwing, beatings, bayonetings, graphic depictions of shooting deaths. Scenes set in bars feature beer and cigarettes.
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What's the Story?
From the start, KENT STATE: FOUR DEAD IN OHIO shows a school and a town in 1970 getting ready for a bloody confrontation. Students want the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) to leave campus as part of a protest against the war in Vietnam. The National Guard is desperate to maintain control. Tensions rise over the course of a week, culminating in a showdown that leads to the shooting deaths of four students and the injury of nine others.
Is It Any Good?
Journalistic graphic novels aren't common, but this powerful chronicle of a national tragedy uses the comics medium to full advantage. In Kent State, author-illustrator Derf Backderf builds his account of the Kent State massacre from interview transcripts and news reports, and he unearths details that remain haunting after five decades. The four students are treated with sympathy, their stories heartbreaking and infuriating. The National Guard is portrayed as a mix of gung-ho bigots and scared amateurs under incredible stress. Readers who can stand the intensity will find much food for thought.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio depicts student unrest at Kent State in 1970. Does the author's depiction remind you of any recent protests around the country?
What techniques can a cartoonist use that are not available to a writer of prose? What kinds of stories work best as graphic novel?
What factors contributed to the tragedy at Kent State? Could the shootings have been prevented?
Book Details
- Author: Derf Backderf
- Illustrator: Derf Backderf
- Genre: Graphic Novel
- Topics: Activism, History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Abrams
- Publication date: September 9, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 15 - 18
- Number of pages: 288
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: March 12, 2021
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