Together We March: 25 Protest Movements That Marched into History

by Leah Henderson, Tyler Feder (Illustrator)

March through history and discover twenty-five groundbreaking protest movements that have shaped the way we fight for equality and justice today in this stunningly illustrated and sweeping book!

For generations, marches have been an invaluable tool for bringing about social change. People have used their voices, the words on their signs, and the strength in their numbers to combat inequality, oppression, and discrimination. They march to call attention to these wrongs and demand change and action, from a local to a global scale.

Whether demanding protective laws or advocating for equal access to things like voting rights, public spaces, and jobs, the twenty-five marches in this book show us that even when a fight seems impossible, marching can be the push needed to tip the scales and create a movement. This gorgeous collection celebrates this rich and diverse history, the often-overlooked stories, and the courageous people who continue to teach us the importance of coming together to march today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, History, Picture Books, Historical, Childrens, Justice

64 pages, Hardcover

Published January 19, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Together We March tells about twenty-five of the most important protest movements around the world that changed history. The book opens with early protest provements, including the March of the Mill Children in 1903 to protect children from early labor, the Salt March in India in 1930 to secure India's independence from Britain, and the Mud March in England in 1907 for women's rights to vote. It moves to more recent protest movements including The March Against Death, against the Vietnam War in America in 1969, the Earth Day March in 1970 to encourage measures to save the planet, and the Capitol Crawl in 1990 to eliminate physical and mental barriers in people's lives.

It's an excellent first look at protest movements for upper elementary and middle grade students.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look at twenty-five protest marches that took place throughout the world that changed people's lives and forced the world to look and view humanity through the eyes and lives of others who were victims of injustices, and sought to seek change through civil protests. An informative work that should be read by all.

[Suezette Given · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overviews of marches to make the world a better plsce

[Matt Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book for middle school aged children.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suspect that one of the challenges of compiling these twenty-five accounts involved deciding among hundreds that occurred (and MATTERED) throughout history. The author introduction ends with a note that the final cut includes "overlooked stories, revered moments, and courageous people" whose work to change the world provides lessons for all of us across time. Some will be familiar, even to young readers, and others will be new introductions.
I respect that criteria and believe it has benefited the book and the young readers. Once those choices were made, a chronological approach was used, and that meant the first movement of this collection is the leadership of MOTHER JONES, marching in defense of childhood and in protest of child labor.

That is a sure fire way to hook kids into reading and becoming inspired by these brief profiles. This march through time (pardon that pun) allows for some causes to recur, particularly related to race, peace, and rights. Each is a two page spread with colorful spot illustrations that anchor events in the general awareness of historic eras through clothing and other cultural details, with effective small spots to support comprehension (maps, flags, icons, etc.). The causes and their leaders are diverse, including various ethnicities, skin colors, global identities, abilities/disabilities, lgbtqia/gender identities.

Many contemporary readers may be surprised to see concerns in current events reflected across continents and a century of marching: peace, voting, the environment/climate, immigration, labor, social justice, and more. The final entry accounts marches for social justice following the George Floyd murder, with a satisfying concluding note from the author. This is followed by a colorfully illustrated timeline, anchoring each of the twenty-five movements across the last century-plus. It's a helpful way to note patterns and similarities in causes, as well as diversity among those who choose to organize and march. The next page turn provides a selected bibliography that is also formatted with more kid-appeal than most- identifying each movement and citing the source of quotations.

This is a powerful and very accessible approach to bringing background and meaning to the current political and other public protests, marked with visible indicators of the overall theme, reinforced through illustrated protest sign slogans.

First and foremost is "TOGETHER WE MARCH", underscoring the power in unity and community. Also, and importantly, this theme rings true throughout each profile and as a summation of the book:

"NONE OF US IS FREE UNTIL ALL OF US ARE FREE"

[Ellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well done! And I learned so much! I usually tend to dislike really text heavy or long picture books because it ends up being such a hard sell for kids (the younger kids who like pictures books can't read /understand it and the older kids who can read and understand it, don't want to read a picture book). But this was done really well. I learned so much! Even some of the marches that I knew a lot about before reading this book, I learned more about. There were some marches that took place during modern times that I felt like I should have known about but didn't (the puppet one). The book inspired me to want to get out there the next time a big march is organized!

[Elizabeth Behrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was incredibly informative, full of passion and emotion, and well rounded. It discussed 25 different march protests from all over the world, covering different causes, starting at the turn of the 20th century to current day. They also did a great job tying more current marches with past marches that were similar in cause.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Together We March: 25 Protest Movements That Marched Into History, written by Leah Henderson and illustrated by Tyler Feder, a young reader’s introduction to famous activist movements from the early twentieth-century to current times.

Activism is a vital component of social change and, as history has shown, taking to the streets is a well-proven way for movements to make their messages heard. Exploring 25 different marches – from Mother Jones’s March of the Mill Children to the Birmingham Children’s Crusade to the Longest Walk to the 2020 BLM protests – young readers can learn about some of history’s most notable marches, the people who led them, and the causes they fought for.

Inspiring. With a two-page spread dedicated to a relatively thorough account of the background, key players/moments, and impact of each march, Henderson also deftly educates readers on the civil rights of women, Native Americans, black Americans, immigrants and migrant workers, the LGBTQ+ community, disabled Americans, and more. Readers also learn about Apartheid, child labor, the Holocaust, and other global issues through history. Many of the entries focus on the children and young people who led and/or participated in them, inspiring bookworms interested in activism to believe in the power of their voice. The illustrations pair perfectly with the entries, providing visual aides and emotional connection, without lessening the impact of the serious themes. This is definitely a title for middle-grade (and older) bookworms, both in subject and length, but JJ liked the illustrations, and I liked learning more about marches I had not been familiar with. This is a fantastic way to inform, educate, and inspire young activists, and we loved it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Madeline Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the stories of many marches. It informs the reader about what the goal(s) of these rallies were, when they took place, who participated in them, and much more. It looks like it is about to be a short children’s book gently written but don’t be mistaken. This book has a lot of information per page and is informative about the topics of the marches. It doesn’t baby down any topics at all. This book is definitely aimed at older elementary as students at that age or getting more curious about the world there living in and don’t need it to be baby downed any more. I would highly recommend this book.

[Natalie Tate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book, but I just don't love it. I learned about many protest movements that I was unaware of and the information provided was good. However, the format of this book threw me a little. I'm not sure why a middle-grade book with tons of information has been published in picture book format. I would have liked it better if it were presented in a slimmer, chapter-book format. I also thought the conclusions to some of the marches felt a little insubstantial. Still, I'm glad I read this.

[MaryAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful idea for a book. The format bothered me because it seems like a picture book, but it has so much text on each pages it really isn't a picture book. The other thing that bothered me was that some politicians are named for negative things they've done according to the author (e.g., Mitt Romney). Other politicians are not named but only alluded to (e.g., Donald Trump). It made me feel that the book was biased. Enjoyed the style of the illustrations.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the cute, colorful picture book I expected from the cover, but it is a well put together collection of protest movements through history. They span place and time and offer a diverse look at marches through history. The text is dense and this is definitely better for older children. My favorite part was the fun timeline at the back of the book.

[Reshamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review is part of Cybils Awards

Middle grade non fiction book chronicling 25 protest moments across the world. I really enjoyed reading how these protests started, the motivation and the consequences. Packed with tons of information, each double spread show cases one such moment.

[Katelynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid backmatter, could do with a table of contents. Good information but I wish it had been in a chapter book vs. picture book format. There's a LOT of text and a chapter book could have added even more nuance.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say, I was totally thrilled by the fact that Tangerine Mussolini's name was NEVER mentioned for the protests that happened during his reign of terror. 5 stars for never having to read his name!

[Melissa the Librarian]

A detailed overview of many different movements involving protests in modern history.

[Amy Roebuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchasing this for many families with children ages 6 or 7+, and recommending it to everyone else for the perspective and history, for the illustrations--for everything about it!

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

[J. Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Substantial, straightforward, and with an international approach. We need to hand children more books about history like this one.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very meaty. It covers a lot of ground and would be great in the classroom.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this children's book took me through history and gave concrete examples of standing up for your beliefs.

[Jennifer Kepesh]

A nice, digestible book for readers in upper elementary grades, with enough text for context, approachable stories, a good range of events, and several focused on children’s actions.

[Amelia Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated! Brings up important parts of history that typically get glossed over on history books and in discussion. Wonderful find!

[PK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Together We March (Henderson, Feder) beautifully, engagingly describes 25 protest marches over the last 100 years. For each march there are background on its context and issues, details that bring the events to life, and key quotations and images. I am particularly moved that the whole set normalizes protest marching. This book brings the method into the light.

This is an older reader's picture book, a browsable, as there are too many marches to be read in a sitting. I emphatically appreciate its beauty and content.

It's a compelling book. It will hook history and social justice readers. Beyond the marches you can name, you will find others you'd missed, and you will be delighted.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical look at the ways Marching has changed the course of history.