My book came out March 10. It was just before coronavirus warnings stepped up, so I got to share it with lots of kids and adults at various book events. One was a special library visit where I shared selections from my book and several other books about activism. We talked about people standing up, speaking out, and demonstrating for change.
After we had read about the ways demonstrations have helped prompt change in America, we did our own demonstration. The library provided poster board. I thought kids would need lots of help figuring out what they wanted to write on their posters. I was wrong! Only one or two kids asked for help. The others knew right away what they cared about. There were many posters about the environment!
We chanted and marched through the library, outside, and up and down the sidewalk. When our march was over, I asked how it had felt. One very honest boy said, “Kinda embarassing.” And he’s right. Sometimes standing up, speaking out, and advocating for change can be uncomfortable.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do!
Books I used in my storytime:
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Nabi Ali (Sourcebooks: 2020).
Equality’s Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Magdalena Mora (Beach Lane: 2020).
If You’re Going to a March by Martha Freeman, illustrated by Violet Kim (Sterling: 2018).
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Atheneum: 2017).
