I'm really glad this exists! It's a very readable, accessible book for teens about a hugely important event that is often overlooked by American history books. (I mean, I know I read [b:And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic|28212|And the Band Played On Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic|Randy Shilts|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386924077s/28212.jpg|1080309] when I was in high school, but that was extracurricular reading because that's the kind of nerd I was.) It's already--happily--out of date with its talk of gay marriage, but still a great look at just how hard it was to be a gay American in the 60s. (Not that it's a walk in the park now, but.)

There's also a lot of interesting oral history in here, great eyewitness accounts and primary source documents. I already knew a lot of this stuff, but not all of it. (Like, I had never heard about protesters throwing the ashes of AIDS victims on the White House lawn in 1992 and I straight-up cried in the break room at work reading about it. JESUS.)

Recommended for high school students for sure, and interested junior high kids could certainly understand it although there is some ~mature content~.