March: Book Two
Confrontations intensify in riveting civil rights memoir.
Kids say
Based on 2 reviews
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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 March: Book Two continues the historical saga and personal memoir Rep. John Lewis began in March: Book One. This installment, as excellent as the first, follows the young Lewis as he and his allies protest segregation and other racist policies in the American South. African-American protestors are beaten, shot at, sprayed with high-pressure hoses, and attacked with dogs. A freedom rider bus is firebombed, as is a church full of worshippers. Strong language is used in intense scenes ("hell," "damn," "goddammit," "bastard," "s--t," "balls," and "pissing" one or two times each), and the "N" word is used in various scenes. Crowd scenes include smoking, but the freedom riders actively discourage the use of tobacco.
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What's the Story?
Having achieved success with the Nashville sit-in campaign, John Lewis and his fellow freedom riders up the stakes by traveling by bus and taking their message of nonviolent protest to the American Deep South. They are met with police brutality, beatings, attacks by dogs, and even murder. Their struggle attracts the attention of the influential and powerful, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and their path leads to the landmark 1963 March on Washington.
Is It Any Good?
MARCH: BOOK TWO maintains the level of excellence established by the first volume. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia), assisted by writer Andrew Aydin and illustrator Nate Powell, does an exemplary job of delineating the issues, depicting the hardships and dangers with clarity and compassion. The scenes set in the early '60s are more harrowing than ever, but the flash-forwards to the inauguration in 2009 offer a much-needed sense of hopefulness. Fans of nonfiction graphic novels will be anxious to see the next and final installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the medium of comics is suited to depicting historical subjects. What unique storytelling techniques does the combination of words and pictures allow?
Is nonviolence more effective than other methods of protest? Why do you think Martin Luther King Jr. told his followers to always be polite and to not fight back? Why did Malcolm X not agree with this philosophy?
How has the United States changed in the years since the March on Washington? Why do you think John Lewis and his collaborators include in this volume the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama?
Book Details
- Authors: John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
- Illustrator: Nate Powell
- Genre: History
- Topics: Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Top Shelf
- Publication date: January 20, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 192
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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