Bibliographic Information

Lewis, J. (2013). March: Book one. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions.

ISBN: 1603093001

 

Plot Summary

Georgia Congressman John Lewis’ memoir March: Book One is the story of his life and his fight for African American civil rights. This first book in the March series focuses on his life in Alabama and the life changing experiences that brought him to where he is today. The story starts off in Washington D.C. in the year 2009 at the Cannon House office building where he meets Jacob and Esau. He starts telling the two young boys his story and the graphic novel jumps back to 1940. Here we learn about Lewis’ life and his experiences with segregation and racism in the 1940s. The story follows him from the Nashville Student Movement to the time he met Dr. King during the Supreme Court decision of Brown versus The Board of Education. Readers learn about other important civil rights cases and notable civil rights figures in American history.  We learn how Lewis was influenced by these notable civil rights leaders and how he came to be a Congressman. 

 

Critical Evaluation

This first book in the March series was more of a personal journey story for Lewis moving back and forth between 2009 and the 1940s/1960s. The story relied heavily on visual literacy as a way to depict racism and segregation during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Every page and every image was drawn with dark grey undertones that depicted the seriousness of Lewis’ story. Pages that took place in the present had more white spaces then black. They felt emotionally lighter and friendlier compared to pages that took place in the 1940s. Each page that took place in the 1940s felt darker and darker as it progressed with stories about racism and segregation. Sometimes characters were lost in the shadows of a page, which requires readers to find visual cues and think critically about what that meant. I felt myself feeling despair and pain for those characters in the shadows as they struggled with racism and segregation. Every page that depicted something awful was drawn with gloomy, grimy, and shadowy images. As well, there were subtle visual cues, such as signs or small word bubbles in the backgrounds that had racist messages and/or racial slurs. Why they seemed sometimes irrelevant to whatever story or tale Lewis was sharing, those small visual cues added to the over all story about racism during an awful time in American history.

 

Reader’s Annotation

I grew up rural Alabama during the 1940s. I couldn’t attend the same schools; use the same water fountains or the same bathrooms as someone that was white… because I was black. This is my story about growing up during a time of segregation, the 1960’s civil rights movement, and how I became a civil rights leader.

 

Author Information

The following information was taken from the author’s website, https://johnlewis.house.gov/john-lewis/biography.

 

“Often called one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced, John Lewis has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he calls The Beloved Community in America.   His dedication to the highest ethical standards and moral principles has won him the admiration of many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the United States Congress.

 

He has been called the conscience of the U.S. Congress, and Roll Call magazine has said, John Lewis…is a genuine American hero and moral leader who commands widespread respect in the chamber. He was born the son of sharecroppers on February 21, 1940, outside of Troy, Alabama.  He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools in Pike County, Alabama.  As a young boy, he was inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which he heard on radio broadcasts.  In those pivotal moments, he made a decision to become a part of the Civil Rights Movement. Ever since then, he has remained at the vanguard of progressive social movements and the human rights struggle in the United States.”

 

Genre

Non-fiction Graphic Novel, History, Memoir

 

Curriculum Ties

Could be used for lessons on civil rights and black history month.

 

Booktalking Ideas

• What does separate, but equal mean?

• What happened in the Supreme Court decision Brown versus The Department of Education?

• How did Martin Luther King Jr. influence Lewis?

• How did Lewis and the other characters deal with racism?

• How would you handle racism?

 

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Grades 6-10

 

Challenge Issues

Racism, Racial Slurs, Mature Language

 

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation)

• Active Listening

• Explanation of why it was chosen for the collection (Rational)

• Awards

• Reader Advisory Reviews (Students, Parents, Educators)

• Positive and Negative Reviews

• National Council of Teachers “Right to Read”

• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials

• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Library Selection Policy & Library District Reconsideration Form

 

Why I choose it

I choose to read this book because of the content. I wanted a book on civil rights and important leaders during the movement. I felt that this book would be teen friendly, but still address an important time in American history.