Gonna Start a Revolution, Hey, Hey
Stitching together eclectic elements from several genres like 1960’s lyrics and photojournalism essays, biographies, news clippings, non-fiction, and adolescent historical fiction, Deborah Wiles has almost created a whole new genre with what I consider to be the best book of the year so far, Revolution. The second installment in her Sixties Trilogy which started with Countdown (which I haven’t yet read, but which uses the same format), Revolution takes us deep into the heart of Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964 and immerses us in the not only the sights and sounds of the decade, but more importantly into the passion, confusion and tension that ignited a generation.
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world “Gonna start a revolution, hey, hey, ya’ know
We all wanna change the world, ya’ know
--The Beatles, “Revolution”
Told from two different viewpoints, that of 12-year-old Sunny, a white girl of ordinary privilege and Raymond, a frustrated black teen with a talent for both baseball and trouble, Revolution explores the juxtaposition of two cultural agendas when a flood of volunteers comes to town to register black citizens to vote. Confused and resentful, Sunny’s animosity towards her new step-mother mirrors the white community’s antagonism towards the volunteers who they consider invaders. The story begins when Sunny and her step-brother, Gillette, are caught by the local sheriff sneaking into the city pool one night. They know they are in really big trouble, but both hide the fact that a black kid (who we soon discover is Raymond) was also on the premise. As the summer heats up, so does the trouble in town as negro residents are fired from their jobs for trying to register, stalked by members of the “Citizen’s Committee”, and harassed in their homes. Although she wants to be just a passive observer until the whole thing passes over, Sunny finds herself increasingly connected personally to the Civil Rights struggles in her town, until a final act of unimaginable brutality forces her to choose a side.
A Horn Book reviewer sums this amazing novel up best, Revolution is “an ambitious, heady endeavor that succeeds wonderfully in capturing the atmosphere of that pivotal and eventful summer, with the documents offering a broader context.” I was enthralled by this novel, but so disgusted by the bigotry that I had to keep putting it aside until I could calm down. Although the novel recounts both adolescent’s stories (Raymond’s told powerfully in 1st person Ebonics), Sunny’s experiences are explored more fully. However, both characters are masterfully dynamic and evolve throughout the story as they both try to determine not only what is right, but how to stand up for that belief. This book is probably the best example of how setting impacts plot and characters that I have ever seen. And the pathos of the novel is thick. By including primary source materials like the text from a KKK pamphlet and actual news articles from that summer, Wiles pumps up the reality factor and you can’t help but remember that these happened to real people. Because Sunny is hurting you can’t help but empathize with her, but then you are spun into the other side (the Negro side) of the story, and you get angry at Sunny’s selfishness, and lack of insight. In short the story gives readers a close up experience with conflict, not just because they characters are experiencing both internal and external conflicts, but because you, the reader, are conflicted. Your homeostasis becomes skewed and you are also faced with re-examining your own sense of right and justice. I’m a firm believer that great literature should invite a reader to explore a broader view of the world; to become reflective about their own values; and to move us towards a better understanding of how our own actions impact culture and values. Revolution is just such a book!
FIVE HUGE STARS: Recommended for teen readers in grades 7-12 or as a classroom book study or book club novel. Historical fiction fans, Beatle-ophiles, those interested in the Civil Rights Movement, or students of sociopolitical impacts will definitely want to read this book. Also recommended for those who enjoy coming of age stories, intense internal conflict, or tales about fitting in with a step-family. The literacy lessons in the book are legion, but the most powerful elements are characterization, how setting effects character development and theme, point of view, and comparing of non-fiction accounts to fictionalized accounts. (This is a fabulous example of what a Common Core mentor text should look like.) Teachers who are using Beers and Probst’s Note and Notice methods will find many obvious examples of all the signposts. Companion reading list: Countdown by Deborah Wiles; Bud Not Buddy, Watson’s Go to Birmingham and Elijah Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor ; The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell; The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine; Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood; Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson; Paper Boy by Vince Vawter; Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos; Wonder by R. J. Palacio; Wringer by Jerry Spinelli; Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor; Belle Prater’s Boy by Ruth White; Hoot by Carl Hiassen; and Lizzie Bright and the Buckmister Boys by Gary Schmidt.
A full sensory experience of the story compiled by the author from YouTube clips is available on the Pinterest board: http://ow.ly/vBGTc