Into the Streets

Starred review from April 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-From slave rebellions and the Boston Tea Party, to the 2017 Women's March and the March for Our Lives following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, Bieschke covers the history of major protests in the United States. In chronological order, each protest is allotted a four-page vignette of text, photographs, and relevant sidebars. While most protests are, almost by definition, anti-establishment or anti-government, the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally is included. Bieschke approaches this event as an exercise of First Amendment rights. Not all protests have sparked the desired changes in society or government. Not all have been peaceful, either, often involving violence both from protesters and/or from law and government officials. However, the text never loses sight of the fact that the right to assemble and protest is a basic American right. A short section of suggestions on how to start a protest completes the book. Source notes are included; the majority are websites, with a smattering of print sources. The online sources are from legitimate and respected news outlets such as the New York Times, CNN, BBC, and the Institute for Policy Studies. A good index is helpful; an annotated list of recommended reading features impressive choices. VERDICT Highly recommended for middle grade through high school collections in both school and public libraries.-Katherine Koenig, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 11, 2020
Bieschke (Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens) spans more than five centuries in this expansive and inclusive work that records the rich history of protest U.S. After a brief introduction defining protest and its myriad forms, chapters chronologically feature demonstrations both storied and lesser-known, violent and peaceful, between 1492 and 2018. Nearly three-quarters of the book focuses on progressive protests (the Stonewall riots, the Ferguson uprising), while the remainder center on political or environmental movements. Straightforward storytelling highlights key people, slogans, strategies, and reasons for these movements, often emphasizing the role played by teens, such as that of climate activist Greta Thunberg. Spray-painted neon borders and numerous archival photographs grab the eye, and asides insert additional details: the origin of the peace symbol, for example. This roundup of rallies, parades, sit-ins, walkouts, boycotts, and more shows there are as many protest methods as there are reasons to protest. A concluding spread offers a 10-point blueprint for readers starting their own protest. Source notes, further reading, and an extensive index are included in this engaging compilation. Ages 13–up. 

July 1, 2020
Grades 8-11 This is a compilation of 34 instances when citizens of the U.S. exercised their right to protest, demonstrate, march, or create mayhem to express their views. Each act is covered in its own four-page chapter, usually evenly divided between text (accessible information set off by headers and subtitles) and illustrations (photos, archival documents, reproductions). The events are listed in chronological order, beginning with colonial times, events in the nineteenth century, the twentieth century (with special attention paid to the tumultuous 1960s: civil rights, the Vietnam War, Black Power, the Stonewall Riots, Occupation of Alcatraz, the Attica Prison uprising, flower power, and more), and on through the 2018 March for Our Lives. The introduction uses the 1968 student walkouts in Los Angeles as a model of civil disobedience, emphasizing how the teens' activism brought about changes (bilingual classes, a Chicano history curriculum). The back matter includes chapter notes, recommendations for further reading, and a few tips on how to plan a protest. This is helpful curriculum support and a how-to guide for young dissidents.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)