Review by Booklist Review
It is said that history is written by the winners, but as Hasak-Lowy shows in this eminently readable book, the winners aren't whom one might expect. Beginning with a crisp discussion of what nonviolent activism is (and isn't), he goes on to explain how this crucial way to fight back works. The following chapters include profiles of nonviolence leaders and their movements, starting with Gandhi, who served as the modern inspiration for nonviolence as a way of making social change. Hasak-Lowy then looks closely at Alice Paul and women's suffrage, Martin Luther King Jr.'s shaping of the civil rights movement, Cesar Chavez taking up the cause of farm workers' rights, Vaclav Havel's Velvet Revolution, and the very current climate change movement of Greta Thunberg. These examinations are not simply overviews; Hasak-Lowy's writing gives life to both the people and issues involved, taking time to explain historical backgrounds and the ways the lessons from one movement affected future ones. Although more photographs might have boosted appeal, the good-size print gives the book a welcome, open feel. The book concludes with short looks at other important nonviolence movements around the world. A thoughtful and inspiring book.--Ilene Cooper Copyright 2020 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In his introduction to this cogent appeal to young fighters of injustice, Hasak-Lowy (Roses and Radicals) carefully distinguishes institutional activism from nonviolent activism: the more "disruptive, risky tactics that challenge those in power and interrupt the way things normally work--without taking up arms." Succeeding chapters, illustrated with black-and-white photos, cover Gandhi's advocation of nonviolent resistance during India's quest for independence, Alice Paul's campaign for women's right to vote, Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for civil rights, Cesar Chavez's work organizing farmworkers, and Vaclav Havel's leadership of the 1989 Czech "Velvet Revolution." In each case, despite different hostile conditions, activists' insistence on nonviolent but forceful actions successfully mobilized large groups of courageous people to fight for what they believed was right. Hasak-Lowy argues that oppressed individuals can create powerful change and that individual responses enable change. A striking and very timely conclusion highlights teenage Greta Thunberg's bold challenge to fight global climate change. Substantial back matter covers other notable movements of the past century and includes notes and a bibliography. Ages 10--14. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up--Hasak-Lowy profiles six past and present leaders of nonviolent resistance from Gandhi to Greta Thunberg. Gandhi's methods of protest (disobeying the law, being arrested, marching with groups of followers along historical routes) proved to be so effective that other leaders modeled their tactics on his techniques. The book focuses on activists of the 20th century: Alice Paul went on a hunger strike in prison to advocate for women's suffrage, Martin Luther King Jr. and thousands of children went to jail in Birmingham to protest segregation, and Cesar Chavez led a grape boycott that resulted in the United Farm Workers gaining decent pay and working conditions. Photographs provide context. Gandhi is shown dressed in a three-piece suit with trimmed hair when he was a practicing lawyer from 1893 until 1913. Later he's shown barefoot and wearing homemade clothes suitable for the Salt March in 1930. The author describes the suffering inherent in the work of these brave men and women and captures the joy of victory. Readers will learn about others equally important and worthy of mention: Bayard Rustin, James Bevel, and Dolores Huerta. The source notes and bibliography are excellent. VERDICT Highly recommended for its outstanding treatment of the history of social justice. A good resource for student activists.--Patricia Aakre, P.S. 89, New York
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Hasak-Lowy introduces a polemic: Over the last war-ridden century, nonviolent activism has proven to be a powerful way to effect social change. He chronologically presents five significant movements, focusing on leaders who fostered the resources of aggrieved people--their bodies, courage, and persistence--to oppose injustice nonviolently. Mohandas K. Gandhi, initially among Indian workers in South Africa, then in India, adopted techniques of nonviolent resistance to gain independence from British colonial rule. The American suffragist Alice Paul, drawing on her Quaker upbringing, led the "Silent Sentinels": banner-wielding women who demonstrated at the White House. These activists endured beatings, arrests, incarceration, forced feedings during hunger strikes, and more in their determined quest for their full rights as citizens. The chapter on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. credits his many mentors and collaborators, presenting their arduous work in planning and executing civil action in Birmingham. In early May 1963, thousands of demonstrating Birmingham youth endured water cannons, police dogs, and widespread arrests, stunning the nation. Chapters on Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers movement and Vaclav Havel and Czechoslovakia's astounding Velvet Revolution round out the volume. The author deftly connects these movements: Far from avoiding conflict, each leader actively engaged in it, helping people reassume the power previously ceded to their oppressors. A concluding section cogently illuminates Greta Thunberg's urgent work on the climate crisis. This excellent, timely overview will open eyes and deserves a wide readership. (other notable movements, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
