Run: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell

 

"First you march, then you run." 

John Lewis' story doesn't end with the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Run Book One is the story of tension within the membership of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, that John Lewis was the leader of. What stands out most in reading this first book in the series are the comparisons the reader can make to what was happening in the 1960s to what is happening now -- how despite the progress that African Americans have made, white Americans always find a way to push back in an attempt to continue their oppressive behavior, both systemic and on an individual level. 

I've been thinking a lot lately about how difficult it is to live in these turbulent times, thinking that every time you turn around something horrible is happening in our country or the world, but reading Run was a good reminder that this era does not hold a monopoly on continuous terrible events. The difference is, we just have instantaneous access to those events, therefore flooding our brains with constant anxiety and existential dread. 

This book ends on a cliffhanger, which makes sense because it is intended to be a trilogy just like March. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book and if it were already available, I would be picking it up immediately. 

Run: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell
Published: August 3, 2021
Publisher: Abrams ComicArts
Pages: 152
Genre: Memoir/Graphic Novel
Audience: Young Adult/Adult
Disclosure: Free copy received at ALA conference 2022

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Audiobook Review: Same Sun Here by Silas House & Neela Vaswani

Today the sun was out, and as I walked to school, I wondered if it was sunny in Kentucky, too. And then I thought to myself that it's the same sun here as it is there, and that made me feel like you're not so far away after all. 

Meena lives in New York City's Chinatown and River lives in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. On the surface, these two young people appear to have little in common, except for one thing: they were on the snail mail list for pen pals at school. So as Meena and River interact entirely through letters, they learn about each others' lives and cultures, celebrating their similarities and differences, as we watch them navigate the injustices of the world through the eyes of their wide-eyed, innocent pre-adolescence. This is one of those special books that hovers over the line between middle grade and young adult.

Told entirely in letters between two pen pals, Same Sun Here deals with heavy social justice themes with grace and sensitivity without being too heavy-handed. Candlewick graciously sent me a copy of both the book and audiobook, and while the book has some illustrations that you will miss by only listening to the audiobook, I highly recommend the audiobook anyway. Both authors narrate it and Silas House's deep southern drawl is one of the most soothing voices I have ever listened to. 

As most teachers and librarians know, reading helps build empathy, and Same Sun Here is a book that can definitely help expedite that process.


Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani
Published: February 14, 2012
Publisher: Candlewick and Brilliance Audio
Pages: 300
Audiobook Length: 5 hours, 47 minutes
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Middle Grade/Young Adult
Disclosure: Book and audiobook provided by publisher

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