Voices of Justice: Poems about People Working for a Better World

by George Ella Lyon, Jennifer M. Potter (Illustrator)

Overview

A bold, lyrical collection of poems that highlight some of the most celebrated activists from around the world and throughout history.

In the face of injustice, the world has always looked to brave individuals to speak up and spark change. Nelson Mandela used his voice to bring down Apartheid. Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birutè Galdikas gave a voice to the primates who couldn’t speak for themselves. The Women of Greenham Common used their collective voice to fight against preparations for nuclear war. And today’s youth—like Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, the students of Stoneman Douglas High School, and Greta Thunberg—unite their voices to stop gun violence, save the planet, and so much more.

Through enlightening poems by award-winning poet and author George Ella Lyon and stunning portraits by artist Jennifer M. Potter, Voices of Justice introduces young readers to the groundbreaking work of people who fought—and continue to fight—to make the world a better place.

Featuring those mentioned above along with Virginia Woolf, Dolores Huerta, Shirley Chisholm, Jasilyn Charger, Jeannette Rankin, and more, each portrait offers a vision of action and love that gets up and does something, no matter the forces ranged against it, no matter the odds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250263209
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Series:	Who Did It First? , #6
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	1,153,229
Product dimensions:	9.32(w) x 11.34(h) x 0.43(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

George Ella Lyon is an award-winning poet and author. She has written more than 35 books for young readers, including the Schneider Family Book Award-winning picture book The Pirate of Kindergarten and the young adult novel Sonny's House of Spies, as well as numerous books for adults. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

georgeellalyon.com

Jennifer M. Potter is an illustrator who lives in San Francisco. When she's not busy drawing, she volunteers at the local animal shelter. She lives with her husband, several attention-starved plants, and a concerning number of watercolor palettes.

jennifermpotter.com

Editorial Reviews

A 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Books Selection

"A lyrical, inspiring call to action." —Booklist

"A motivating collection that celebrates past and present advocates." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2020

Gr 3–6—Lyon uses poetry to highlight the stories of historical and contemporary activists. Whether it involves writing, creating art, protesting, or running for office, there is something to inspire every reader. The featured poems showcase a variety of forms and are enhanced by Potter's artwork. Each spread explores a different type of poetry, such as golden shovel, free verse, and concrete poetry. Sometimes the poem is a part of the illustration. Expressive portraits of the advocates provide engaging details. Many of the names will be familiar to children (James Baldwin, Jane Goodall, Dolores Huerta, Nelson Mandela, Greta Thunberg). The title ends on a call to action: The reader is the future of activism. The back matter includes more information about the activists, a guide for parents and caregivers, a glossary, and selected sources. VERDICT A motivating collection that celebrates past and present advocates. An additional purchase for elementary school collections.—Molly Dettmann, Norman North H.S., OK

School Library Journal

2020-07-28
Portraits and poems celebrate change-makers.

Lyon mixes such stalwarts as Nelson Mandela, Dolores Huerta, Jeannette Rankin, and Shirley Chisholm with emerging heroes such as the Parkland shooting survivors and Greta Thunberg and less well-known people like Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese government official stationed in Lithuania who wrote transit visas for 6,000 Jews during World War II, and Brazilian transgender activist and pastor Alexya Salvador. The unrhymed poems vary in structure, frequently relying on line breaks and spaces within lines to govern reading pace while occasionally indulging in flashier visuals. The Jane Addams poem appropriately resembles a small home with an open door, successfully evoking Hull House, but the poem that celebrates primatologists Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas is too clever for its own good, lines arranged like the rays around a large, yellow sun and consequently very difficult to read. The language itself is often disappointingly flat, as in these first lines of the Julia Butterfly Hill poem: “Do you like to climb trees? / Would you live in one / for two years to save its life?” With the exception of a compelling James Baldwin, the portraits are too often likewise static. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 57.3% of actual size.)

Well-intended but undistinguished. (thumbnail biographies, guide for parents and caregivers, glossary, selected sources) (Picture book/poetry. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews