March books one, two, and three

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (illustrator)
Scott County Library paperbacks, 121, 179, and 246 pages
genre: graphic novel non-fiction history

These are incredible. For John Lewis to share his story in this powerful way is such a gift. As he says of some of the leaders of the civil rights movement - "I am the only one left." It stuns me that one hundred years after the Civil War was over, people were fighting for basic human rights. (And here we are, sixty years after that, still struggling with racial inequality.) These are wonderfully written and illustrated books, telling a story that should not be forgotten. I hadn't realized John Lewis had lived in the midst of so many important moments! I love that his story starts in early childhood, with him preaching to the chickens. I also like how Obama's inauguration is a framework for Lewis' story. These are powerful and should definitely be read together. (I'm kind of glad I hadn't gotten around to reading books one and two when they first were on my radar. All three books definitely tell one big story.)