I was so excited to read the graphic novel adaptation of one of my favorite books. I loved experiencing the story in a new format, though I will say I wish some sections of the book were a little longer. 

The illustrations were beautiful and truly captured the emotions being portrayed from the words, but also those in which words were not used. 

It's a no from me...

“At their core, the principles of civil resistance are inherently democratic: nonviolent campaigns require mass public support and participation if they are to succeed” (26).

This is an Uprising critically explores the difference between violent and nonviolent revolts in an attempt to uncover why nonviolent uprisings bring more successful outcomes than violent revolts. Mark and Paul Engler reviewed a handful of civil unrest cases that sparked mass resistance from the Civil Rights Movement in the United States to the takedown of Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia. To this, I really appreciate the way in which the authors intersect the uprisings, stacking them on top of each other to compare and contrast their actions, as well as the ways in which they used the various theories to critique what might have worked better for each case. 

 One of the theories that Paul and Mark Engler discussed early on in chapter two which played a vital role throughout the rest of the book was from scholar and activist Saul Alinsky. Alinsky made the argument that social movements, like #MeToo, are not as effective nor as sustainable in creating long-term changes as creating a social organization, like Black Lives Matter. By this, Alinsky meant that creating social movements that include protests, marches, sit-ins, etc. are not able to be sustained long-term, thus making them only partial fixes. Alinksy supported the idea of building an organization that may take a year or two to come into fruition but that will be sustainable and able to push for social change long-term. 

This being said, it was still emphasized by other scholars that movements have the potential to be successful in their own ways, including being able to bring immediate acknowledgment of an issue as well as sparking large bursts of support.

Alinsky's theory was brought up time and time again throughout the book as the author’s critiqued and evaluated the other civil revolts. Initially, I thought to myself, “why wouldn’t it make sense to have both? Have social movements put on by the social organization?” The more I read, and the more I thought about discussions from my classes, this idea does seem to be the case with some modern social organizations, like Black Lives Matter, where we see an organization that will start, support, and participate in civil unrest movements. 

The second major idea brought up was that of “trigger events” (181). The authors define a trigger event as a “highly publicized, shocking incident that dramatically reveals a critical social problem to the public in a vivid way.” The examples were events like the Three Mile Island nuclear melt for nuclear safety, the Sensenbrenner Bill for immigrant rights, and the police killings of Black men for Black Lives Matter. This theory is relevant and often seen in today's social movements.

I did read this book for an Information Services for Diverse Users class and was asked to relate it to the course materials we had discussed that semester. Though it was a bit difficult for me to find direct relations to course materials, we did talk IN DEPTH about the need for community support and unity when making changes to diversity and inclusion. And though this book does not discuss topics of homelessness, diversity in youth services, or mental health, it still provides examples of how communities need to come together in order to make real, lasting change. I think this book can help show readers that unity within a community is the answer - as Alinsky said, we need “person-by-person recruitment, careful leadership development, and the creation of stable institutional bodies that could leverage the power of their members over time” to create that structured change. 

A beautiful memoir written in verse. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by Jacqueline Woodsen. The author's narration of their story added so much emotion behind the words, and the connection of each poem crafted a truly beautiful story. 

This is a story based on Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw’s personal experience. This story explains to readers what a travelin’ eye is and what a lazy eye is. Jenny Sue shares how others used to make fun of her and teachers would get upset with her, leading Jenny Sue to have to see a specialist. But even through all of this, Jenny Sue, with the help of her mother, is able to make the most of her treatment and have so much fun along the way. 

Optimistic tone even when things were not going the way she hoped. 
Focuses on disability. 
Discusses the trouble and success it has led her to.

Benny does not like hugs, and he is shy and does not always talk. Benny’s friend describes the unique traits of Benny, a young boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is a story that encourages children to understand and accept the uniqueness of each individual. I wish the author would have provided different ways to say greet Benny. 

Focuses on Benny’s personality. 
Heavy emphasis on ASD. 
Images make it seem like the friend is babysitting or watching over Benny all the time.
Seems to have the goal of covering what ASD “looks like.” 

The story of a mother and a daughter spending a lovely day at the sunny beach. They are dancing and swimming, running and playing. All the while, they are communicating with their hands using American Sign Language. The loving communication between mother and daughter is heartwarming and precious, and readers can learn a little bit of signing along the way. 

Poetic nature.
ASL in the margins to help readers learn some simple signs. 
The story does not focus on disability.
Shares language with readers.
Light and loving words on each page.