M is for Movement

by Innosanto Nagara

From the author of A is for Activist , here is the story of a child born at the dawn of a social movement. 

At first the protests were in small villages and at universities. But then they spread. People drew sustenance from other social movements in other countries. And then the unthinkable happened.

The protagonist in this fictionalized children's memoir by Innosanto Nagara is a witness and a participant, fearful sometimes, brave sometimes too, and when things change, this child who is now an adult is as surprised as anyone.

Genres: Picture Books, Activism, Social Issues, Politics, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Childrens

96 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2019

About the author

Innosanto Nagara is originally from Indonesia, but moved to the US in 1988 to study zoology and philosophy at UC Davis. Upon graduation, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he worked as a graphic designer for a range of social change organizations, before founding the Design Action Collective, a worker-owned cooperative design studio in Oakland, California, that is dedicated to "serving the Movement." Inno lives in a cohousing community in Oakland where his child is the youngest of eight children to be born into the household, so he has "studied" a lot of children's books over the past twelve years. A is for Activist was Inno's first book. It has now been adapted into Spanish by Martha Gonzalez, and translated into Swedish. Following the success of A is for Activist, Inno wrote and illustrated a follow-up board book, Counting on Community (2015). His third book, My Night in the Planetarium, is a picture book about "the art of resistance".

Reviews

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the best book ever for every SDG, for contemporary history for diverse voices for understanding how people can make a difference- positive and negative and how everyone and everything is linked. Beautiful writing fantastic illustrations and so well put together
A must have for every middle school library.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't review children's books, but this one, I had to. After I read it, I wrote the 5th grade teachers at my school, elaborating on the title, and telling the teachers the different ways they could teach it. Basically, it's a true story of Nagara's life and activism and it's honest and it's painful and it's beautiful and it's horrifying and it's inspiring. He shows the very power of activism but also, the power of corruption, the power of bullying, the power of groups, and how to shift things for the greater good. Love this one!

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an awesome conversation starter for families. There is a lot to talk about and think about after reading it. I would say for kids a bit older elementary to middle grade depending on the child and the family. The artwork is beautiful. I enjoyed it even as an adult.

[Katy Jean Vance · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting first hand account of the popular student uprisings and revolution in Indonesia in the 1979s. The narrator is unnamed and lives the life of a third culture kid, with a father who is a journalist and parents who are both activists. It’s very international in scope, with its main focus being Indonesia but framing those events with other protest movements around the world in places like the states and South Africa.

The artwork is beautiful and the story is detailed.

[Andréa]

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read & reviewed for The Bookbag http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...

[Sam Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring fictionalized memoir in which Nagara adeptly connects his personal experiences growing up in Indonesia to larger themes of social justice and political activism.

[are we there yet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent. I'm younger than the author but I have forgotten so much, although I didn't know a lot to begin with. I will now have this book mailed out to everyone I know even if they didn't ask for it.