Kent State

Kent State

Bibliography

Wiles, Deborah. Kent State. New York: Scholastic Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781338356281.

Plot Summary

This book is written in verse, but set up similar to a documentary to retell the events of May 4, 1970, when the Ohio National Guard fired on student protestors at Kent State University, the story is told through a group of conflicting voices that argue, interrupt, and correct one another. They all try to make sense of what has happened as well as the emotions of fear and anger, on top of the misinformation that surrounded it.

Critical Analysis

Deborah Wiles uses multiple competing narrators to show how messy, emotional, and devastating real history can be. Instead of hearing one perspective of the event, Wiles gives readers multiple to experience how all the conflicting stories existed at the time. All though in free verse, this style allows readers to access historical fiction through poetry, while still respecting the seriousness of the subject. The book encourages students to question where information comes from and how narratives can be shaped. It is an excellent example how historical fiction can push readers to think critically.

Review Excerpts

Starred Review from Children’s Literature: “Reading this book will bring goosebumps to all, those who remember the atrocity from living through it, and those to young. The events at Kent State did happen. Relive them here, and hope never to have a time as this take place again.”

Connections

This book can fit into units on protests movements, the Vietnam War era, and civic engagement. Students can look through primary sources and compare them to voices in the books to understand how different perspectives can shape historical memory. It can also be used to lessons about evaluating sources.

ISBN: 9781338356281


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