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prof_shoff's review
5.0
I haven't sobbed over a book in a long time but I did with this one. Revolution is an enthralling story that makes the struggle for civil rights real and compelling.
tami_provencher's review
3.0
I am split in my opinion of Deborah Wiles' Revolution. The main character is Sunny, a 13-year-old white girl living in Greenwood Mississippi in the summer of 1964. 14-yr-old Raymond Bullis, a young black man living in the Baptist Town--the "colored" area of the small city occasionally trades narrations with Sunny. Sunny lives with her father, her stepmother, older stepbrother, Gilette, and her younger stepsister, Audrey. Raymond lives with his parents; his older sister has died before the beginning of the story due to a ruptured appendix when no white doctor would treat her at the hospital.
The summer of 1964 was dubbed "Freedom Summer" as those who were fighting for equality between races in the United States went en masse into the southern states--particularly Mississippi--to encourage and help black Americans register to vote. There were a lot of young college-age students (white and black) who often stayed in the homes of the local black residents.
Sunny's mother left when she was an infant and when she sees a young "agitator" named JoEllen--who happens to be staying with Raymond's family during the summer--she is struck by how much she resembles the only picture she has of her mother at age 18. Sunny's drive to meet and then be around JoEllen also leads her to become embroiled in JoEllen's and Raymond's actions during that difficult summer.
Revolution seems to want to tell us a story of the advent of Civil Rights in the southern United States through the different perspectives of Sunny and Raymond. There are many moments where the book succeeds in doing just that. Unfortunately the story often gets lost in or sidetracked by rhetoric--which is never as effective a teacher or communicator as personal stories.
At 495+ pages Revolution takes too long to get where it is going. It abruptly interrupts the stories of Sunny and Raymond to divert attention to nonfiction pieces about the politics of the time as well as well-known (and not-so-well-known) historical figures important in the Civil Rights movement in the United States. When the book DOES return to Sunny and Raymond the pacing is very slow. The pacing doesn't hit a nice stride until about page 400.
Revolution could perhaps be a nice addition to an upper middle or high school classroom discussing the Civil Rights movement in historical, cultural or sociological context because it offers a teacher the opportunity to bring examples of personal narratives into factual material. On its own, Revolution tries to do the same thing in reverse. It is, ultimately, unsuccessful if it is indeed intended for a young adult audience. It is a shame because once trimmed of its excesses Revolution is a moving story of two young people: one fighting for the right to feel he can stand among others replete in himself as an individual alone, and one realizing she can allow compassion and empathy into her life, which opens everyone involved to a greater life.
At its heart Revolution has the power to open its readers up to the idea that fear, and the hate born from it, can be defeated by courage and compassion. My concern is that they will neither find nor read Revolution independently. Young people will probably benefit most from Revolution when they are led to it--and through it--by a passionate teacher or other older role model. In this guided context or as an independent reading choice for someone passionately interested in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's in the U.S. Revolution will have its greatest impact.
The summer of 1964 was dubbed "Freedom Summer" as those who were fighting for equality between races in the United States went en masse into the southern states--particularly Mississippi--to encourage and help black Americans register to vote. There were a lot of young college-age students (white and black) who often stayed in the homes of the local black residents.
Sunny's mother left when she was an infant and when she sees a young "agitator" named JoEllen--who happens to be staying with Raymond's family during the summer--she is struck by how much she resembles the only picture she has of her mother at age 18. Sunny's drive to meet and then be around JoEllen also leads her to become embroiled in JoEllen's and Raymond's actions during that difficult summer.
Revolution seems to want to tell us a story of the advent of Civil Rights in the southern United States through the different perspectives of Sunny and Raymond. There are many moments where the book succeeds in doing just that. Unfortunately the story often gets lost in or sidetracked by rhetoric--which is never as effective a teacher or communicator as personal stories.
At 495+ pages Revolution takes too long to get where it is going. It abruptly interrupts the stories of Sunny and Raymond to divert attention to nonfiction pieces about the politics of the time as well as well-known (and not-so-well-known) historical figures important in the Civil Rights movement in the United States. When the book DOES return to Sunny and Raymond the pacing is very slow. The pacing doesn't hit a nice stride until about page 400.
Revolution could perhaps be a nice addition to an upper middle or high school classroom discussing the Civil Rights movement in historical, cultural or sociological context because it offers a teacher the opportunity to bring examples of personal narratives into factual material. On its own, Revolution tries to do the same thing in reverse. It is, ultimately, unsuccessful if it is indeed intended for a young adult audience. It is a shame because once trimmed of its excesses Revolution is a moving story of two young people: one fighting for the right to feel he can stand among others replete in himself as an individual alone, and one realizing she can allow compassion and empathy into her life, which opens everyone involved to a greater life.
At its heart Revolution has the power to open its readers up to the idea that fear, and the hate born from it, can be defeated by courage and compassion. My concern is that they will neither find nor read Revolution independently. Young people will probably benefit most from Revolution when they are led to it--and through it--by a passionate teacher or other older role model. In this guided context or as an independent reading choice for someone passionately interested in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's in the U.S. Revolution will have its greatest impact.
asealey925's review
4.0
This was a good follow-up to Countdown! I occasionally found myself confused at who was telling the story and when, but once that was worked out, I was just as fascinated with both plot and media as I was with Countdown.
bibli0phagist's review
5.0
I love how the author incorporates primary sources throughout the story. An excellent story about 'Freedom Summer'.
librarykristin's review
4.0
Funny how timely this is, fifty years later. This makes me wish I'd been a college student at the time and socially aware enough to head to Mississippi that summer. There was even a letter home from a woman from my small college in the nonfiction bits of the story!
luvdivy's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cmbohn's review
5.0
You say you want a revolution, well you know
We all want to change the world.
Title: Revolution (The Sixties Trilogy, #2)
Author: Deborah Wiles
Challenge: Women's History Month, Read Diverse Books
Setting: Mississippi, 1964 - Freedom Summer
Themes: Civil Rights, racial equality, social change, blended families, coming of age
It's the year when everything changes for three young kids, Sunny, Gillette, and Raymond. It's a year of revolution, of violence, of triumph, of fear and of hope.
Sunny can't wait for summer to begin. Swimming at the pool with her friends, going to the movies, listening to The Beatles, visiting her grandma, and going to see A Hard Day's Night. It's going to be the best summer of her life.
Until a group of "invaders" come to town and suddenly, her perfect summer becomes something else. People Sunny has known her whole life start acting in new and unpredictable ways. Tempers flare. And the colored folks at the edge of town start showing up in places they've never been.
Gillette has a new family, a new father, and a new sister who he just can't figure out. She doesn't have any idea how good she's had it. Meanwhile, he just want wants to play baseball.
Raymond lives in the colored part of town. His parents work at one of the cotton farms, and he helps out by picking cotton in the summer. Now a group of Northerners have come to town and are trying to get everyone riled up. His parents are worried about it, but Raymond figures it's time for a change. He might be too young to register to vote, but he's sure like to go to that nice air conditioned movie theater.
I moved around a lot as a kid, mostly living in the Midwest, but also in the South. Never in Mississippi. And as a white woman, I've directly experienced racism. But I've grown up with it around me, in my schools, in my communities, even in my home. My parents were not overtly racist, but they weren't perfect either. But I've definitely never experienced anything like this.
I loved this book. Her previous book, Countdown, introduced me to the Cuban Missile Crisis. It's the same style, combining news stories, photography, and storytelling. Don't be intimidated by the size of these books. The extra content makes them look bigger than they really are, and both books are pretty fast reads. I would definitely recommend this for kids junior high age and up. I'm anxious to read the next one, which I think will be about the Vietnam War.
We all want to change the world.
Title: Revolution (The Sixties Trilogy, #2)
Author: Deborah Wiles
Challenge: Women's History Month, Read Diverse Books
Setting: Mississippi, 1964 - Freedom Summer
Themes: Civil Rights, racial equality, social change, blended families, coming of age
It's the year when everything changes for three young kids, Sunny, Gillette, and Raymond. It's a year of revolution, of violence, of triumph, of fear and of hope.
Sunny can't wait for summer to begin. Swimming at the pool with her friends, going to the movies, listening to The Beatles, visiting her grandma, and going to see A Hard Day's Night. It's going to be the best summer of her life.
Until a group of "invaders" come to town and suddenly, her perfect summer becomes something else. People Sunny has known her whole life start acting in new and unpredictable ways. Tempers flare. And the colored folks at the edge of town start showing up in places they've never been.
Gillette has a new family, a new father, and a new sister who he just can't figure out. She doesn't have any idea how good she's had it. Meanwhile, he just want wants to play baseball.
Raymond lives in the colored part of town. His parents work at one of the cotton farms, and he helps out by picking cotton in the summer. Now a group of Northerners have come to town and are trying to get everyone riled up. His parents are worried about it, but Raymond figures it's time for a change. He might be too young to register to vote, but he's sure like to go to that nice air conditioned movie theater.
I moved around a lot as a kid, mostly living in the Midwest, but also in the South. Never in Mississippi. And as a white woman, I've directly experienced racism. But I've grown up with it around me, in my schools, in my communities, even in my home. My parents were not overtly racist, but they weren't perfect either. But I've definitely never experienced anything like this.
I loved this book. Her previous book, Countdown, introduced me to the Cuban Missile Crisis. It's the same style, combining news stories, photography, and storytelling. Don't be intimidated by the size of these books. The extra content makes them look bigger than they really are, and both books are pretty fast reads. I would definitely recommend this for kids junior high age and up. I'm anxious to read the next one, which I think will be about the Vietnam War.
backonthealex's review
5.0
It's Saturday night, June 20, 1964 in Greenwood MS and Sunny Fairchild, 12, and her older stepbrother Gillette, 14,, have just snuck into the municipal pool in Greenwood MS for a forbidden nighttime swim. But as Sunny backstrokes to the edge of the pool, her hand suddenly touches someone else and as she screams and screams, a young black boy, every bit as afraid of Sunny as she is of him, runs from the pool, grabbing his clothes and a pair of new white Converse hi-tops.
Raymond Bullis, 14, just wanted to know what it was like swimming in the cool, clean "white only" pool, especially since the "black" pool had been closed for a long while now and black kids could only swim in the muddy river.
This night begins a intertwined journey which will take Sunny and Raymond through a summer of change that will impact both of their lives as each comes of age in the time that will become known as Freedom Summer
Sunny has heard so much about the so-called "invaders", as the local media refers to those "Civil Righters" coming south to help register black voters and to set up Freedom Schools for their children, but she is also dealing with "invaders" at home. Sunny was perfectly happy living with just her father and an idealized idea of her mother, a person only known to her in a photo with Miranda, age 19 written on the back. Sunny has convinced herself that her mother loved her but she left her as a baby because she needed adventures. Now, Sunny's father has just remarried and everything's changed. He's brought a new family to live in the house, stepmother Annabelle, Gillette and his little sister Audrey, 5. And even though Annabelle wants nothing more than to be a mother for Sunny, Sunny is resistant to her every attempt, testing her over and over.
For Raymond and his friends, change can't come fast enough - in fact, even SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) are too slow. But when he takes things into his own hands, he brings down all the wrath and hatred of Deputy Davis, a little too quick with physical force when it come to the activists, both black and white, and the black residents in Greenwood.
The novel is told from three points of view - Sunny, Raymond and a narrator there to fill in some of the blanks about Sunny's mother and father, as well as Annabelle's first abusive husband, a cop friend of Deputy Davis. The narrative is interspersed with photos, song lyrics, speeches, political slogans, posters, pamphlets and four of what Wiles calls "opinionated biographies" of SNCC's Bob Moses, Lyndon Johnson, the Wednesday Women and Muhammad Ali, all important figures of the Civil Rights movement, so that the reader genuinely feels wrapped up in the events of that summer along with Sunny and Raymond.
Sunny and Raymond are both believable characters, well drawn as children of the time. Sunny has always accepted the way things are, believing that the blacks on the other side of the tracks were happy with their separate but definitely not equal lives, and so Freedom Summer is a real eye opener for her.
Raymond gives the reader a credible picture of what life was like on his side of the tracks, from the lack of electricity, indoor plumbing, proper schools and recreation for kids to the threat of job loss if one dared step out of line, all designed to keep blacks down.
If there is a flaw in this book, for me it is the thankfully-not-very-time-consuming substory of the young Civil Rights activist, Jo Ellen Chapman, who reminds Sunny of her mother. Sunny, even as she realizes Jo Ellen is not really her mother, becomes a little obsessed with her, and the whole thing comes to a quick but unsatisfactory resolution by the end of the book.
As a former history teacher, I loved reading Revolution. It is a truly wonderful book, and one you won't soon forget as it brings history to life and life to history. It is the second book of a planned trilogy. The first book, Countdown, takes place in Washington D.C. and is the story of Jo Ellen's younger sister Franny, 12, and covers time of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. It is also written in the same documentary style. I am really looking forward to the third book, which takes place in 1966. 1962, 1964 and 1966 were all important, pivotal years in our recent history.
Want to know more about Freedom Summer?
Deborah Wiles has Pinterest boards for both Revolution and Countdown that have more documentary resources for interested readers who might like to follow her boards. A particular favorite of mine is the 1962 and 1964 playlists of what kids were listening to back then. Be sure to check them out.
Scholastic offers a PDF discussion guide for the Civil Rights Movement, that includes Revolution and The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell, as well as suggestions for addition books on this important topic.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
Raymond Bullis, 14, just wanted to know what it was like swimming in the cool, clean "white only" pool, especially since the "black" pool had been closed for a long while now and black kids could only swim in the muddy river.
This night begins a intertwined journey which will take Sunny and Raymond through a summer of change that will impact both of their lives as each comes of age in the time that will become known as Freedom Summer
Sunny has heard so much about the so-called "invaders", as the local media refers to those "Civil Righters" coming south to help register black voters and to set up Freedom Schools for their children, but she is also dealing with "invaders" at home. Sunny was perfectly happy living with just her father and an idealized idea of her mother, a person only known to her in a photo with Miranda, age 19 written on the back. Sunny has convinced herself that her mother loved her but she left her as a baby because she needed adventures. Now, Sunny's father has just remarried and everything's changed. He's brought a new family to live in the house, stepmother Annabelle, Gillette and his little sister Audrey, 5. And even though Annabelle wants nothing more than to be a mother for Sunny, Sunny is resistant to her every attempt, testing her over and over.
For Raymond and his friends, change can't come fast enough - in fact, even SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) are too slow. But when he takes things into his own hands, he brings down all the wrath and hatred of Deputy Davis, a little too quick with physical force when it come to the activists, both black and white, and the black residents in Greenwood.
The novel is told from three points of view - Sunny, Raymond and a narrator there to fill in some of the blanks about Sunny's mother and father, as well as Annabelle's first abusive husband, a cop friend of Deputy Davis. The narrative is interspersed with photos, song lyrics, speeches, political slogans, posters, pamphlets and four of what Wiles calls "opinionated biographies" of SNCC's Bob Moses, Lyndon Johnson, the Wednesday Women and Muhammad Ali, all important figures of the Civil Rights movement, so that the reader genuinely feels wrapped up in the events of that summer along with Sunny and Raymond.
Sunny and Raymond are both believable characters, well drawn as children of the time. Sunny has always accepted the way things are, believing that the blacks on the other side of the tracks were happy with their separate but definitely not equal lives, and so Freedom Summer is a real eye opener for her.
Raymond gives the reader a credible picture of what life was like on his side of the tracks, from the lack of electricity, indoor plumbing, proper schools and recreation for kids to the threat of job loss if one dared step out of line, all designed to keep blacks down.
If there is a flaw in this book, for me it is the thankfully-not-very-time-consuming substory of the young Civil Rights activist, Jo Ellen Chapman, who reminds Sunny of her mother. Sunny, even as she realizes Jo Ellen is not really her mother, becomes a little obsessed with her, and the whole thing comes to a quick but unsatisfactory resolution by the end of the book.
As a former history teacher, I loved reading Revolution. It is a truly wonderful book, and one you won't soon forget as it brings history to life and life to history. It is the second book of a planned trilogy. The first book, Countdown, takes place in Washington D.C. and is the story of Jo Ellen's younger sister Franny, 12, and covers time of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. It is also written in the same documentary style. I am really looking forward to the third book, which takes place in 1966. 1962, 1964 and 1966 were all important, pivotal years in our recent history.
Want to know more about Freedom Summer?
Deborah Wiles has Pinterest boards for both Revolution and Countdown that have more documentary resources for interested readers who might like to follow her boards. A particular favorite of mine is the 1962 and 1964 playlists of what kids were listening to back then. Be sure to check them out.
Scholastic offers a PDF discussion guide for the Civil Rights Movement, that includes Revolution and The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell, as well as suggestions for addition books on this important topic.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading