We Rise We Resist We Raise our Voices - OPTIONAL

We Rise We Resist We Raise our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, forward by Ashley Bryan. PICTURE BOOK. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2018. $19. 9780525580423

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This book is offered, per the forward, as a safe place to unpack what it means to be a young person of color. The introduction makes reference the 2016 elections and how it was confusing to young listeners to hear speeches about “taking our country back” and how this book can offer hope in that confusion. The book then contains over twenty short pieces by a variety of authors, each accompanied by a piece of art by different artists. Some of the pieces are essays, some poetry, some lists and instructions, and some music. 

I want to clarify that the buying advisory may shift if you have a large population of students of color - it will appeal to those readers and offer community. It is a book that is politically charged, which is neither good or bad, but is something to be aware of. The art is appealing to younger readers with most of the illustration depicting elementary aged children, but a majority of the writing, especially the poetry, is a for a slightly older reader. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher