March, Books One and Three by John Lewis

John Lewis recounts his role in the Civil Rights struggle in this series of graphic nonfiction histories that vividly portray the difficulty, agony, and ultimate triumph.

March Book One and March Book Three by John Lewis and Andrew Ayden, artwork by Nate Powell.  Top Shelf Productions, 2013 and 2016.

Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15

Recommended for: Ages 15-up

About ten years ago Andrew Aydin, then serving as communications director in the office of Representative John Lewis, suggested a joint project to his boss: why not write a graphic-novel account of Mr. Lewis’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement of the early 1960s?  March Book One, published in 2013, begins with Lewis’s rural-Georgia childhood, when he preached to chickens and dreamed of occupying a real pulpit someday.  In college, however, he became involved in political activism with the Nashville lunch-counter sit-ins.  From that time he never looked back, choosing politics as evangelism by other means.  Volume two (which I haven’t read) opens with the election of 1960 and increasing agitation in the south as the Civil Rights movement takes shape, ending with the March on Washington and the Assassination of JFK.  March Book Three, published last summer, swept this year’s ALA youth media honors with two Coretta Scott King Awards, the YALSA prize for outstanding nonfiction, and the Prinz medal for best book for Young Adults.

March Book Three begins with the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, where four young girls lost their lives.  It ends with President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Acts of 1964, putting a legal halt to the vicious attempts to keep blacks from voting in the south.  In between those two events came the Freedom Summer (in which three young volunteers were murdered), the election of 1964, the “Dixiecrat” walkout from the Democratic convention, the assassination of Malcolm X, and the iconic march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama, beginning with the infamous Edmund Pettis Bridge where Mr. Lewis was beaten to within an inch of his life.  It’s almost too much for a single volume, which is why Book Three runs to fully twice the length of Book One.  Events come thick and fast and the political maneuvering gets confusing.  It would have helped to include a list of historical characters and a chronology.

But this is essential history, and the dramatic, graphic format provides an accessible way to get up close and personal with a battle that had ti be fought.  Conservative Republicans can quibble with the way some of their leading lights, such as Barry Goldwater are portrayed–as a de facto racist, which he wasn’t.  But the stakes were high, the price was steep, and the courage and determination of these men and women were undeniable, especially as they stuck to the principle of nonviolence in the face of the most vicious provocation.  Within just a few years, their stoic endurance and principled love turned the tide of public opinion in their  favor.  What they accomplished should be an example of us today.

Cautions: Language (small amount of graphic language, including the f- word and profanity), disturb ing images and testimonies of violence

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

  • Worldview/moral value: 3.5
  • Artistic value: 4.5

 

Stay Up to Date!

Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.

Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Support our writers and help keep Redeemed Reader ad-free by joining the Redeemed Reader Fellowship.

Stay Up to Date!

Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.

Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

FREE Bible Guide!

Get a guide to the Best Bibles for Children and Teens. Perfect for an Easter gift.

Janie Cheaney

Janie is the VERY senior staff writer for Redeemed Reader, as well as a long-time contributor to WORLD Magazine and an author of nine books for children. The rest of the time she's long-distance smooching on her four grandchildren (not an easy task). She lives with her equally senior husband of almost-fifty years in the Ozarks of Missouri.

We'd love to hear from you!

Our comments are now limited to our members (both Silver and Golden Key). Members, you just need to log in with your normal log-in credentials!

Not a member yet? You can join the Silver Key ($2.99/month) for a free 2-week trial. Cancel at any time. Find out more about membership here.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.