 |
| Image: Scholastic Inc. |
Teen Tuesday features Kent State by Deborah Wiles. This novel in verse relates the events leading up to what is now known as the May 4th Massacre or the Kent State Shooting. Students on college campuses were protesting the Vietnam War from the late sixties. At Kent State, in Ohio, there is a grassy knoll perfect for assembly and protest. Students gathered to protest the war on May 1 and planned another march for May 4. On that day, the National Guard was called in and when the students refused to disperse, the Guard fired on the crowd, killing four students and wounding nine others. Two of the four students killed were protesters, the other two were uninvolved, one of whom was actually an ROTC student, meaning he was committed to joining the armed services after graduation.
The multiple and disparate view points can feel a tad overwhelming at times, which I think is the point. I enjoyed the book and found it emotionally intense; but then, I have a memory of the event. I am not certain what young readers will do with this without some background knowledge. I'm eager to book talk this and find out. Do not skip the very long but thorough and touching author's note at the back. The May 4 Massacre was a pivotal event in the Vietnam War Era and the book comes out just in time to mark its 50th anniversary. Don't miss it.
No comments:
Post a Comment