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Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis
The story of a groundbreaking civil rights leader, John Lewis, comes to life in this compelling and beautifully told nonfiction picture book.
John Lewis left a cotton farm in Alabama to join the fight for civil rights when he was only a teenager. He soon became a leader of a movement that changed the nation. Walking at the side of his mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis was led by his belief in peaceful action and voting rights. Today and always his work and legacy live on.
John Lewis left a cotton farm in Alabama to join the fight for civil rights when he was only a teenager. He soon became a leader of a movement that changed the nation. Walking at the side of his mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis was led by his belief in peaceful action and voting rights. Today and always his work and legacy live on.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published January 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 7, 2024
Gosh my heart aches knowing that this world no longer has John Lewis. Such a beautiful story to honor an even more beautiful human.
January 31, 2024
Lovely and very well put together picture book biography of John Lewis. I feel like the next step after this, if you are interested in more, is March, where I learned a lot about Lewis, but this is a good first step for teaching about him to children. Really glad that this exists!
June 15, 2024
Lovely biography
May 20, 2024
Strong, colorful, collage and pen and ink illustrations combine with detailed and nuanced text to tell the story of John Lewis’s early life and his call to nonviolent, civil-rights activism. His family’s strong religious faith is centered. Backmatter includes an author’s note, extensive timeline, quote sources and selected bibliography.
January 8, 2024
Richie’s Picks: FIGHTING WITH LOVE: THE LEGACY OF JOHN LEWIS by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome, ill., Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, January 2024, 48p., ISBN: 978-1-5344-9662-0
“Think about it, there must be a higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above
Without it, life is wasted time
Look inside your heart, and I'll look inside mine
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk the line and try to see
Falling behind in what could be”
– Steve Winwood, “Higher Love” (1986)
“‘You can get hurt.’ his mother worried. ‘You can get killed.’
‘When you see something that’s not right…you have to do something,’ he told her.”
As a Black child raised in a large, loving family that farmed outside Troy, Alabama, future Civil Rights icon John Lewis experienced full-bore segregation and racism. As a teenager, listening to Dr. King on the radio, John Lewis was inspired to be like MLK. He soon enrolled in the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville. There, he washed dishes to pay for tuition, studied late into the night, and joined the local chapter of the NAACP.
“United by their love of human and civil rights, John and other college students gathered at the Highlander Folk School. They planned how to end segregation through nonviolent protest, just like students were already doing with their lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. For John, fighting with his heart was his most powerful tool. ‘Nonviolence is love in action,’ he said.
They took turns playing the part of the angry whites they would face, and acted out standing silently while being shouted and cursed at. They practiced how to curl in tight on the ground to protect themselves from kicks and punches that would beat down on them. They remembered to look into the eyes of their attackers, reminding them that a child of God was looking back.
After hearing the words and feeling the fists, some never finished their training at Highlander, leaving as fast as they’d come, asking what kind of love means you’ve got to be beaten up outside and in.
But John knew. ‘It is a love that accepts and embraces the hateful and the hurtful.’ And so, John stayed and practiced some more.
John and his group began their protest at Harvey’s Department Store in downtown Nashville. The first step was to make sure each store and movie theater in town was denying Negroes service. The next step was to make sure everyone in the country knew it. The last step would be to demand that it end.”
FIGHTING WITH LOVE recounts how John Lewis participated in successful nonviolent actions to desegregate Nashville and, in 1961, joined the Freedom Rides. Repeatedly preaching love and paying for his successes with his body, John Lewis went on to speak at the 1963 March on Washington, and was in attendance when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This engaging, illustrated tale of John Lewis concludes dramatically with a portrayal of Mr. Lewis and Hosea Williams leading six hundred protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, coming face to face with a wall of police officers, and Lewis pausing to pray before leading the marchers forward, nonviolently, into the fray.
The author’s note explains what happened next and summarizes the highlights of John Lewis’s work over the next half-century, both in the Civil Rights Movement, and as a longtime, beloved Georgia congressman.
Illustrator James E. Ransome’s wonderful illustrations take full advantage of the book’s relatively wide trim size to repeatedly depict lines of marchers and marching feet as thematic background to the narrative.
As a child of the Sixties who dutifully watched and read the news–as elementary school teachers instructed us to do–I was quite traumatized by seeing how John Lewis suffered in order to help fix America. He became a hero of mine back then, and his fingerprints are all over important changes for the better that have taken place in my lifetime. This picture book about his beginnings is seriously awesome.
But as a former early childhood educator, and as a champion of picture books for older readers, I do somewhat take issue with the suggested young age range. Given the length of the text, and the history and concepts involved, I recommend this one for grades two through six. There are so many ways for eight- and ten- and twelve-year-olds to thoroughly enjoy the story, mine the extensive, well-organized back matter, and utilize the library, Google, and YouTube, to better understand America’s checkered path and past. Hopefully, FIGHTING WITH LOVE will inspire some idealistic young people to one day take up the reins, keep up the pressure, and tend to America’s still-unfinished business.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“Think about it, there must be a higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above
Without it, life is wasted time
Look inside your heart, and I'll look inside mine
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk the line and try to see
Falling behind in what could be”
– Steve Winwood, “Higher Love” (1986)
“‘You can get hurt.’ his mother worried. ‘You can get killed.’
‘When you see something that’s not right…you have to do something,’ he told her.”
As a Black child raised in a large, loving family that farmed outside Troy, Alabama, future Civil Rights icon John Lewis experienced full-bore segregation and racism. As a teenager, listening to Dr. King on the radio, John Lewis was inspired to be like MLK. He soon enrolled in the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville. There, he washed dishes to pay for tuition, studied late into the night, and joined the local chapter of the NAACP.
“United by their love of human and civil rights, John and other college students gathered at the Highlander Folk School. They planned how to end segregation through nonviolent protest, just like students were already doing with their lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. For John, fighting with his heart was his most powerful tool. ‘Nonviolence is love in action,’ he said.
They took turns playing the part of the angry whites they would face, and acted out standing silently while being shouted and cursed at. They practiced how to curl in tight on the ground to protect themselves from kicks and punches that would beat down on them. They remembered to look into the eyes of their attackers, reminding them that a child of God was looking back.
After hearing the words and feeling the fists, some never finished their training at Highlander, leaving as fast as they’d come, asking what kind of love means you’ve got to be beaten up outside and in.
But John knew. ‘It is a love that accepts and embraces the hateful and the hurtful.’ And so, John stayed and practiced some more.
John and his group began their protest at Harvey’s Department Store in downtown Nashville. The first step was to make sure each store and movie theater in town was denying Negroes service. The next step was to make sure everyone in the country knew it. The last step would be to demand that it end.”
FIGHTING WITH LOVE recounts how John Lewis participated in successful nonviolent actions to desegregate Nashville and, in 1961, joined the Freedom Rides. Repeatedly preaching love and paying for his successes with his body, John Lewis went on to speak at the 1963 March on Washington, and was in attendance when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This engaging, illustrated tale of John Lewis concludes dramatically with a portrayal of Mr. Lewis and Hosea Williams leading six hundred protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, coming face to face with a wall of police officers, and Lewis pausing to pray before leading the marchers forward, nonviolently, into the fray.
The author’s note explains what happened next and summarizes the highlights of John Lewis’s work over the next half-century, both in the Civil Rights Movement, and as a longtime, beloved Georgia congressman.
Illustrator James E. Ransome’s wonderful illustrations take full advantage of the book’s relatively wide trim size to repeatedly depict lines of marchers and marching feet as thematic background to the narrative.
As a child of the Sixties who dutifully watched and read the news–as elementary school teachers instructed us to do–I was quite traumatized by seeing how John Lewis suffered in order to help fix America. He became a hero of mine back then, and his fingerprints are all over important changes for the better that have taken place in my lifetime. This picture book about his beginnings is seriously awesome.
But as a former early childhood educator, and as a champion of picture books for older readers, I do somewhat take issue with the suggested young age range. Given the length of the text, and the history and concepts involved, I recommend this one for grades two through six. There are so many ways for eight- and ten- and twelve-year-olds to thoroughly enjoy the story, mine the extensive, well-organized back matter, and utilize the library, Google, and YouTube, to better understand America’s checkered path and past. Hopefully, FIGHTING WITH LOVE will inspire some idealistic young people to one day take up the reins, keep up the pressure, and tend to America’s still-unfinished business.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
March 28, 2024
How often am I able to read a whole book in one sitting?! Well it helps when it's a children's book - 48 pages with illustrations! I'm more interested in reading about John Lewis since I participated in a Road Scholar trip in GA and AL - Civil Rights Movement. He was an amazing man. We visited Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Born on February 21, 1940, the third of ten children. His family planted and picked cotton. John picked cotton. He complained, "Working for nothing," is what John mumbled to his parents as he dragged his cotton sack behind him. "God's gonna take care of this children, " his momma told him and kept on, picking all day, praying all night.
In 1956, Lewis hears Martin Luther King Jr. sermon on the radio and is introduced to nonviolent religious protest. "From that moment on, I decided I wanted to be just like him." Lewis said.
1960-1961 - In 1960, Lewis is arrested for the first of over forty times during a sit-in at a lunch counter. His many arrests in the struggle for civil rights occur at sit-ins, mass meetings, and the landmark "Freedom Rides" of 1961 that test racial segregation of the South.
March 7, 1965 - Lewis is one of six hundred voting rights marchers who are met with Alabama State Troopers as they cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery in a violent confrontation now known as "Bloody Sunday." Lewis is hospitalized for two days because of the injuries he sustains. "Selma, the bridge, was a test of the belief that love was stronger than hate." Lewis said. "He made me who I am." (The march helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.)
Two weeks after "Bloody Sunday," Reverends Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy returned to the bridge and led another march under the protection of federal troops. The march from Selma to Montgomery on Route 80 is fifty-four miles. I think it took them 5 days. This is 1965, there are NO Starbucks on this road! Towards the end of the march, the crowd had swelled to 25,000.
November 4, 1986 After a heated primary, Lewis wins a congressional seat with support from fellow activist and Atlanta mayor Andrew Young. He is elected to Congress representing Georgia's fifth district, which includes much of Atlanta. He goes on to be re-elected sixteen times, only once receiving less than 70 percent of the vote.
July 17, 2020 - Lewis dies at the age of 80. In an essay sent to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution two days before his death, he writes, "Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Not it is your turn to let freedom ring."
At the back of the book, a Selected Bibliography" - Meacham, Jon. His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope. New York: Random House, 2020. I own this book and I started to read it on the Road Scholar trip. Need to read the WHOLE book.
Also, TED Legacy Project. "John Lewis and Bryan Stevenson: The Fight for Civil Rights and Freedom." TED video. November 19, 2019. Need to watch.
And in the New York Times Book Review, March 3, 2024, two new books:
John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community by Raymond Arsenault, Yale University Press, 552 pages - "in the deeply researched and accessible book."
Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America by Joy-Ann Reid. On June 12, 1963, just after midnight, a Klansman assassinated Medgar in the driveway of the couple's Jackson home. ... The FBI identified Byron De La Beckwith shortly after the murder, but he was not convicted until 1994. When the verdict was read, Myrlie broke into tears. Outside the courthouse, she locked arms with her children and looked toward the sky. "It's been a long journey," she said. "Medgar, I've gone the last mile."
Born on February 21, 1940, the third of ten children. His family planted and picked cotton. John picked cotton. He complained, "Working for nothing," is what John mumbled to his parents as he dragged his cotton sack behind him. "God's gonna take care of this children, " his momma told him and kept on, picking all day, praying all night.
In 1956, Lewis hears Martin Luther King Jr. sermon on the radio and is introduced to nonviolent religious protest. "From that moment on, I decided I wanted to be just like him." Lewis said.
1960-1961 - In 1960, Lewis is arrested for the first of over forty times during a sit-in at a lunch counter. His many arrests in the struggle for civil rights occur at sit-ins, mass meetings, and the landmark "Freedom Rides" of 1961 that test racial segregation of the South.
March 7, 1965 - Lewis is one of six hundred voting rights marchers who are met with Alabama State Troopers as they cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery in a violent confrontation now known as "Bloody Sunday." Lewis is hospitalized for two days because of the injuries he sustains. "Selma, the bridge, was a test of the belief that love was stronger than hate." Lewis said. "He made me who I am." (The march helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.)
Two weeks after "Bloody Sunday," Reverends Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy returned to the bridge and led another march under the protection of federal troops. The march from Selma to Montgomery on Route 80 is fifty-four miles. I think it took them 5 days. This is 1965, there are NO Starbucks on this road! Towards the end of the march, the crowd had swelled to 25,000.
November 4, 1986 After a heated primary, Lewis wins a congressional seat with support from fellow activist and Atlanta mayor Andrew Young. He is elected to Congress representing Georgia's fifth district, which includes much of Atlanta. He goes on to be re-elected sixteen times, only once receiving less than 70 percent of the vote.
July 17, 2020 - Lewis dies at the age of 80. In an essay sent to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution two days before his death, he writes, "Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Not it is your turn to let freedom ring."
At the back of the book, a Selected Bibliography" - Meacham, Jon. His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope. New York: Random House, 2020. I own this book and I started to read it on the Road Scholar trip. Need to read the WHOLE book.
Also, TED Legacy Project. "John Lewis and Bryan Stevenson: The Fight for Civil Rights and Freedom." TED video. November 19, 2019. Need to watch.
And in the New York Times Book Review, March 3, 2024, two new books:
John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community by Raymond Arsenault, Yale University Press, 552 pages - "in the deeply researched and accessible book."
Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America by Joy-Ann Reid. On June 12, 1963, just after midnight, a Klansman assassinated Medgar in the driveway of the couple's Jackson home. ... The FBI identified Byron De La Beckwith shortly after the murder, but he was not convicted until 1994. When the verdict was read, Myrlie broke into tears. Outside the courthouse, she locked arms with her children and looked toward the sky. "It's been a long journey," she said. "Medgar, I've gone the last mile."
April 7, 2024
F&G provided by Edelweiss Plus
Born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama, John Lewis grew up in a large family with supportive parents. There were many struggles, however, as the family tried to earn a living farming but was given trouble at every step of the way. Lewis was not able to get as much schooling as he wanted, but attended whenever he could. When he was 15, he heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak on the radio, and for the first time understood that things needed to change for Black people. He studied at the American Baptist Theological Seminary and began to get involved in the nonviolent protest movement. This movement spoke to him because he had the love of his family and church, and he felt that if he protested out of a place of love, it would be the most effective way to change things. He was arrested many times, and was hospitalized when he marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday. After the assassination of King, Lewis continued to work for Civil Rights causes, and was eventually elected to Congress in 1986. He never gave up fighting for racial equality, working up until his death in 2020 at the age of 80.
It's notable that both the author and illustrator were able to meet Lewis at an American Library Association conference in 2017. The focus on Lewis' nonviolent protests and his belief that the best place to start change is from a place of love is an excellent one. Lewis' religious background, belief in education, and dedication to his purpose are clear throughout the book.
While this would be good for a read aloud for elementary students, there is enough information in the book to make it valuable for research in middle school as well. The detailed time line, bibliography, and quotations, as well as a two page overview in an author's note at the end, give this title more substance than some picture books.
Ransome's collage style illustrations capture the different time periods well, and the facial expressions are very moving. The placement of the text alongside the pictures is well done.
It's great to see a growing number of picture books about ground breaking political leaders from a variety of backgrounds, and this is an excellent title to have on hand with biographies such as Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement by Russell-Brown and Holt, Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement by Wallace and Collier, Justice Ketanji
by Patrick and King and Tadgell's We Dream a World.
Born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama, John Lewis grew up in a large family with supportive parents. There were many struggles, however, as the family tried to earn a living farming but was given trouble at every step of the way. Lewis was not able to get as much schooling as he wanted, but attended whenever he could. When he was 15, he heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak on the radio, and for the first time understood that things needed to change for Black people. He studied at the American Baptist Theological Seminary and began to get involved in the nonviolent protest movement. This movement spoke to him because he had the love of his family and church, and he felt that if he protested out of a place of love, it would be the most effective way to change things. He was arrested many times, and was hospitalized when he marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday. After the assassination of King, Lewis continued to work for Civil Rights causes, and was eventually elected to Congress in 1986. He never gave up fighting for racial equality, working up until his death in 2020 at the age of 80.
It's notable that both the author and illustrator were able to meet Lewis at an American Library Association conference in 2017. The focus on Lewis' nonviolent protests and his belief that the best place to start change is from a place of love is an excellent one. Lewis' religious background, belief in education, and dedication to his purpose are clear throughout the book.
While this would be good for a read aloud for elementary students, there is enough information in the book to make it valuable for research in middle school as well. The detailed time line, bibliography, and quotations, as well as a two page overview in an author's note at the end, give this title more substance than some picture books.
Ransome's collage style illustrations capture the different time periods well, and the facial expressions are very moving. The placement of the text alongside the pictures is well done.
It's great to see a growing number of picture books about ground breaking political leaders from a variety of backgrounds, and this is an excellent title to have on hand with biographies such as Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement by Russell-Brown and Holt, Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement by Wallace and Collier, Justice Ketanji
by Patrick and King and Tadgell's We Dream a World.
February 16, 2024
Covering his childhood through to Bloody Sunday (the march to Selma), Fighting with Love, highlights the life of John Lewis. From a young age, Lewis hungered for greater fairness and better treatment for black people. As a child he spent much of his time helping on the family farm except when he attended church or could make it to school. Trips to town revealed to him the realities of segregation which bothered him a great deal. After hearing Martin Luther King, Jr. speak over the radio, John was inspired to get involved in the Civil Rights Movement when he left home to attend seminary. He marched, sat, rode, and spoke; he even went to jail over 40 times in defense of his beliefs. Cline-Ransome highlights the preparation that John experienced that lead him to become a leader of the movement. The book ends as he and the other marchers stepped forward onto the Edmund Pettus Bridge, moving toward the state troopers waiting on the other side of the bridge. As a picture book biography, the limited space made it impossible to cover Lewis's entire eighty year life. The author hits the most important moments that led him to become the leader he became.
The back matter includes a photograph of Lewis on the bridge years later, along with photos of Lewis with the author and illustrator. The author's note gives additional information about Lewis's life after the march. A timeline, quote sources, and selected bibliography round out the back matter. The inclusion of quotes from Lewis himself makes the book all the more powerful. The length of the text as well as some of the references to events surrounding Lewis's life make the book appropriate for an older audience than most picture books. The book provides a powerful overview not only of Lewis's life but of the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement. Fighting for Love also highlights Lewis's focus on using principles of nonviolence and love in his work despite the violence he and so many others experienced, making the book a powerful teaching tool. The author and illustrator don't shy away from the realities of the violence but don't provide graphic details either.
James E. Ransome's art is beautiful as I would expect from seeing some of his other work. Using pencil drawings along with cut paper makes for gorgeous artwork that honors its subject very well. The words and illustrations come together beautifully, making this not only an inspiring story but a work of art in and of itself.
The back matter includes a photograph of Lewis on the bridge years later, along with photos of Lewis with the author and illustrator. The author's note gives additional information about Lewis's life after the march. A timeline, quote sources, and selected bibliography round out the back matter. The inclusion of quotes from Lewis himself makes the book all the more powerful. The length of the text as well as some of the references to events surrounding Lewis's life make the book appropriate for an older audience than most picture books. The book provides a powerful overview not only of Lewis's life but of the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement. Fighting for Love also highlights Lewis's focus on using principles of nonviolence and love in his work despite the violence he and so many others experienced, making the book a powerful teaching tool. The author and illustrator don't shy away from the realities of the violence but don't provide graphic details either.
James E. Ransome's art is beautiful as I would expect from seeing some of his other work. Using pencil drawings along with cut paper makes for gorgeous artwork that honors its subject very well. The words and illustrations come together beautifully, making this not only an inspiring story but a work of art in and of itself.
January 17, 2025
The Ransomes have given us a slice of the essence that was John Lewis in this book...
Born and reared surrounded by love, John Lewis led others using this as his guiding emotion. Lewis noted the unfairness and segregation that was dealt to Black Americans, studied hard, and dug in to help implement change by means that were nonviolent. Active in Civil Rights activities of the late 1950's into the 1960's, he was incarcerated over 40 times, severely injured at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and supported the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He served the people of Atlanta on City Council and Georgia as its Congressman. Backmatter includes an author's note that puts Lewis' actions into historical perspective, a timeline for Lewis' life, quotation sources, and a selected bibliography of sources to use.
Cline-Ransome is one of my favorite authors to read. Her writing is filled with passion for her subject. Here, she framed Lewis' life with the love that surrounded, supported, and drove him. It is incredible that she was able to capture the essence that was John Lewis in 32 pages. Liberal use of quotations breathes life into the text.
Not to be outdone, James Ransome has captured Lewis visually in his collage and mixed meia illustrations. They offer support and validation to many of the snapshots that are alluded to in the text. Strong use of color in his illustrations mirror the inner strength that was Lewis. He does an admirable job of making all historical figures easy to identify - even in group settings.
Include this in units on Civil Rights, Black History, social justice, and American History change-makers.
Highly Recommended for grades 2-5.
Born and reared surrounded by love, John Lewis led others using this as his guiding emotion. Lewis noted the unfairness and segregation that was dealt to Black Americans, studied hard, and dug in to help implement change by means that were nonviolent. Active in Civil Rights activities of the late 1950's into the 1960's, he was incarcerated over 40 times, severely injured at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and supported the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He served the people of Atlanta on City Council and Georgia as its Congressman. Backmatter includes an author's note that puts Lewis' actions into historical perspective, a timeline for Lewis' life, quotation sources, and a selected bibliography of sources to use.
Cline-Ransome is one of my favorite authors to read. Her writing is filled with passion for her subject. Here, she framed Lewis' life with the love that surrounded, supported, and drove him. It is incredible that she was able to capture the essence that was John Lewis in 32 pages. Liberal use of quotations breathes life into the text.
Not to be outdone, James Ransome has captured Lewis visually in his collage and mixed meia illustrations. They offer support and validation to many of the snapshots that are alluded to in the text. Strong use of color in his illustrations mirror the inner strength that was Lewis. He does an admirable job of making all historical figures easy to identify - even in group settings.
Include this in units on Civil Rights, Black History, social justice, and American History change-makers.
Highly Recommended for grades 2-5.
January 14, 2024
From working hard to the desire to learn to fighting for his beliefs, the life of John Lewis comes to life with bright illustrations to accompany every step.
In these pages, readers learn about civil rights leader, John Lewis. Beginning with his childhood surrounding cotton fields and gliding through his teen life all the way to his historic march from Selma to Montgomery, readers discover where he came from and what he accomplished. The author brings him across with enough familiarity for readers to identify with and sympathize with, while introducing the injustices and problems of the time. The information comes across clearly and manages to still flow with story telling smoothness.
This is sold for ages 4 to 8, but due to the length and difficulty of the text, I'd recommend this to a slightly older group, ages 6 to 10. The situations are presented in a way the age group can understandh and stays appropriate even when heading through more violent, historical moments...this was done with exceptional care and stuck to the general meaning behind the situations and outcomes rather than the brutality. So, very age appropriate.
At the end of the book is a more detailed summary of John Lewis' life, which will assist parents, teachers, and caretakers in opening up a theme or discussion surrounding John Lewis. It's a nice edition to themes surrounding the Civil Rights Movement and brings across the gentleman's tale with heart
I received a DRC and enjoyed learning more about John Lewis.
In these pages, readers learn about civil rights leader, John Lewis. Beginning with his childhood surrounding cotton fields and gliding through his teen life all the way to his historic march from Selma to Montgomery, readers discover where he came from and what he accomplished. The author brings him across with enough familiarity for readers to identify with and sympathize with, while introducing the injustices and problems of the time. The information comes across clearly and manages to still flow with story telling smoothness.
This is sold for ages 4 to 8, but due to the length and difficulty of the text, I'd recommend this to a slightly older group, ages 6 to 10. The situations are presented in a way the age group can understandh and stays appropriate even when heading through more violent, historical moments...this was done with exceptional care and stuck to the general meaning behind the situations and outcomes rather than the brutality. So, very age appropriate.
At the end of the book is a more detailed summary of John Lewis' life, which will assist parents, teachers, and caretakers in opening up a theme or discussion surrounding John Lewis. It's a nice edition to themes surrounding the Civil Rights Movement and brings across the gentleman's tale with heart
I received a DRC and enjoyed learning more about John Lewis.
February 6, 2024
First sentence: Before John Robert Lewis was old enough to read the word "love" in his Bible, he could feel it all around him.
Premise/plot: Fighting with Love is a nonfiction picture book biography of civil rights activist [and politician], John Lewis.
My thoughts: There are a handful of picture book biographies of John Lewis. In fact, I think there are biographies of John Lewis for just about every age reader--children, middle grade, young adult, adult. I have read a few of these in the past. I wasn't expecting to learn something new. [Be reminded of previous facts, yes, yes, always yes. My memory doesn't hold onto all the details from every book.] What struck me with this picture book is the spread about how the activists [college students mainly] PRACTICED nonviolent protests.
Quote: They took turns playing the part of the angry whites they would face, and acted out standing silently while being shouted and cursed at. They practiced how to curl in tight on the ground to protect themselves from kicks and punches that would beat down on them. They remembered to look into the eyes of their attackers, reminding them that a child of God was looking back. After hearing the words and feeling the fists, some never finished their training at Highlander, leaving as fast as they'd come, asking what kind of love means you've got to be beaten up outside and in. But John knew. "It is love that accepts and embraces the hateful and the hurtful." And so, John stayed and practiced some more.
The illustrations are quite engaging--bright, bold, colorful,
Premise/plot: Fighting with Love is a nonfiction picture book biography of civil rights activist [and politician], John Lewis.
My thoughts: There are a handful of picture book biographies of John Lewis. In fact, I think there are biographies of John Lewis for just about every age reader--children, middle grade, young adult, adult. I have read a few of these in the past. I wasn't expecting to learn something new. [Be reminded of previous facts, yes, yes, always yes. My memory doesn't hold onto all the details from every book.] What struck me with this picture book is the spread about how the activists [college students mainly] PRACTICED nonviolent protests.
Quote: They took turns playing the part of the angry whites they would face, and acted out standing silently while being shouted and cursed at. They practiced how to curl in tight on the ground to protect themselves from kicks and punches that would beat down on them. They remembered to look into the eyes of their attackers, reminding them that a child of God was looking back. After hearing the words and feeling the fists, some never finished their training at Highlander, leaving as fast as they'd come, asking what kind of love means you've got to be beaten up outside and in. But John knew. "It is love that accepts and embraces the hateful and the hurtful." And so, John stayed and practiced some more.
The illustrations are quite engaging--bright, bold, colorful,
February 20, 2024
“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” — John Lewis
Considered one of the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement, John Lewis helped make powerful change. Fighting With Love tells Lewis’ story, beginning with his childhood and ending with the beginning of the “Bloody Sunday” march across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965.
Fighting With Love shares the events that led up to Lewis joining the civil rights movement, and the reason why he always fought with love.
Author Lesa Cline-Ransom celebrates Lewis’ legacy with warm and understanding prose and through thorough research. Illustrator James E. Ransome brings Lewis’ life and words to life through found, painted and purchased papers with pencil drawings. This collage style adds dimension and emotion throughout.
An excellent author’s note goes into further details of Lewis’ life, and a comprehensive timeline covers his important moments from birth to death. A section on quote sources places all of the inspiring things Lewis said from the book in one place.
Fighting With Love is an excellent biography, and historical and Black History Month resource.
Considered one of the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement, John Lewis helped make powerful change. Fighting With Love tells Lewis’ story, beginning with his childhood and ending with the beginning of the “Bloody Sunday” march across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965.
Fighting With Love shares the events that led up to Lewis joining the civil rights movement, and the reason why he always fought with love.
Author Lesa Cline-Ransom celebrates Lewis’ legacy with warm and understanding prose and through thorough research. Illustrator James E. Ransome brings Lewis’ life and words to life through found, painted and purchased papers with pencil drawings. This collage style adds dimension and emotion throughout.
An excellent author’s note goes into further details of Lewis’ life, and a comprehensive timeline covers his important moments from birth to death. A section on quote sources places all of the inspiring things Lewis said from the book in one place.
Fighting With Love is an excellent biography, and historical and Black History Month resource.
May 6, 2024
John Lewis is portrayed here as a member of a large family who valued love- and hard work and loyalty and awareness of justice... and injustice. This accounting of John's life and nits impact on our world gives full attention to the childhood patterns that eventually shaped the man who its now recognized as among the most important leaders of the Civil Rights movement, and beyond.
I found the main text to be "just right" in accessibility for young readers, inviting further questioning but carrying his life story forward in ways that felt both typical and extraordinary. Through the story of his leadership and lifelong commitments, details of Jim Crow patterns, eventual changes, and the cost of such leadership are provided in memorable ways.
The illustrations enhance and expand understanding of each aspect of Lewis's life, not only visually gorgeous and appealing, but evoking emotional connection, empathy, and admiration.
Back matter includes photography, a thorough author note, cited quotations that were brilliantly included in then full text, a significant timeline with brief explanations of each event, and a bibliography. Highly recommend.
I found the main text to be "just right" in accessibility for young readers, inviting further questioning but carrying his life story forward in ways that felt both typical and extraordinary. Through the story of his leadership and lifelong commitments, details of Jim Crow patterns, eventual changes, and the cost of such leadership are provided in memorable ways.
The illustrations enhance and expand understanding of each aspect of Lewis's life, not only visually gorgeous and appealing, but evoking emotional connection, empathy, and admiration.
Back matter includes photography, a thorough author note, cited quotations that were brilliantly included in then full text, a significant timeline with brief explanations of each event, and a bibliography. Highly recommend.
October 10, 2024
Before John Robert Lewis was old enough to read the word 'love' in his Bible, he could feel it all around him. Not in the sun-beaten, sweat-soaked, hunchbacked farming his family did day in and day out. But in the clucking of chickens in the coop out back of his home; in tending the garden bursting with butter beans, turnips, collards, and peppers; sitting in the pews at the Macedonia Baptist church; and surrounded by his momma, Willie Mae, his daddy, Eddie, and his nine brothers and sisters. p. 1
Beautifully written and illustrated bio about the late great John Lewis, an inspiring leader driven by the power of love.
Recommend for reading aloud in grades 2-5 or for a literature circle to discuss or as part of a text set for 4-8th grade doing research on the civil rights period.
Beautifully written and illustrated bio about the late great John Lewis, an inspiring leader driven by the power of love.
Recommend for reading aloud in grades 2-5 or for a literature circle to discuss or as part of a text set for 4-8th grade doing research on the civil rights period.
May 3, 2025
This heartfelt biography by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome is exquisitely done. There are lots of details of how John Lewis began to fight for an education, choose to believe in love over violence, and joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s walk across the bridge in Alabama where he was beaten by officers refusing to allow them to complete their march. The backmatter is my true love, though. All of the dates connecting historical information to John Lewis' life are incredible as well as the sources for the quotes. This book is quite the gift of love for an important politician in American History.
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January 10, 2024
John Lewis is such an inspirational man, but how did he become the man we all grew to admire? Fighting with Love: the Legacy of John Lewis by Lesa Cline-Ransome answers that question in a beautifully illustrated book that follows John Lewis as a boy through to his activism and eventually his career in Washington. Easy to understand and follow, this book does a stellar job at introducing young readers to who John Lewis was and why he is such a foundational person in history.
Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy.
Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy.
February 2, 2024
A beautifully written and illustrated biography of John Lewis. Rich and thorough, the book charts his path from beloved, observant, and justice-oriented child growing up in segregated and oppressive Troy, AL, to non-violent organizer and activist against racism and for civil rights for Black people. A lengthy biography, but each word earns its keep. This would be wonderful for classroom reading, or one on one reading at home.
Themes: Civil Rights, Social Justice, Black History, US History, Organizing/Activism
Age range: Elementary
Themes: Civil Rights, Social Justice, Black History, US History, Organizing/Activism
Age range: Elementary
March 6, 2024
Great for school-aged kids. The story ends with his March on the Edmund Pettus bridge, leaving it up to your discretion how much you want to discuss with your young reader of what follows. There is also a timeline of events at the end and author’s notes that discuss more detail, including mention of his inspiration that is mentioned in passing in the book (when you read it, IYKYK). Great tribute of a book to a great man, by someone who is truly a fan of John Lewis. Highly recommend.
March 24, 2024
I was already familiar with some of John Lewis' story via the graphic novel memoir/biography series he co-wrote about his life (first book here: March: Book One), but this added some new layers, and the collage-based illustrations are beautiful.
January 17, 2024
This picture book biography is very informative and places an appropriate emphasis on John Lewis's Christian faith as a driving force in his life and advocacy work. The ending feels abrupt, but I was very impressed with this overall, and it covers a lot of Civil Rights history through the events Lewis was involved with.
February 13, 2024
This is a good beginning book. The lesson about doing something about injustice is good. But I would have liked it to explain more why Lewis chose to follow nonviolence as a tactic, and stuck with it even after getting beaten black and blue. That is the essence of Lewis, and a useful lesson for young children navigating their way through growing up in our violent American society.
June 17, 2024
4 stars (I really liked it)
The illustrations in this book are just gorgeous! The writing is inspiring, even if it does get a bit wordy at times.
This mostly covers Lewis's early life. In fact, it ends somewhat abruptly at the Selma march. Backmatter tells about the rest of his life but it just seemed like a weird place to end the book.
The illustrations in this book are just gorgeous! The writing is inspiring, even if it does get a bit wordy at times.
This mostly covers Lewis's early life. In fact, it ends somewhat abruptly at the Selma march. Backmatter tells about the rest of his life but it just seemed like a weird place to end the book.
October 20, 2024
All kids should know who John Lewis was! And as a librarian, I was happy with the way they cited the quote sources. However, while I know that his faith was important to him, the mentions of God rankled. "God's gonna take care of his children" ... and let them get their skull cracked on a peaceful march?
September 25, 2023
I defy anyone to finish this book without a tear in their eye. It is clear that the author and illustrator know the senator's life story intimately, and they tell it with detail and passion. James Ransome has peaked yet again - this is his best work to date.
January 15, 2024
As educators and librarians are teaching about Martin Luther King Jr., this story of John Lewis is an important one to share with children and I think that this book does a beautiful job of sharing his life story and his impact on the Civil Rights Movement.
February 4, 2024
A stellar introduction to John Lewis, this picture book biography comes from two of the very best children's book creators, Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome. Incorporating quotes from John Lewis and collage-style visuals, this is a rich biography that doesn't shy from the truth.
March 22, 2025
Very focused on Lewis as motivated by/aiming for love in working for Civil Rights. The biography starts in childhood and continues through the Voting Rights Act. (Not fully linearly -- the end is Selma.) Pretty thorough backmatter.
The paper collage + pencil illustrations were interesting!
The paper collage + pencil illustrations were interesting!
February 11, 2026
A book with a high and valuable educational biographical story of John Lewis. "Get in good trouble necessary trouble." Well-illustrated, long texts for elementary ages and up. Includes a great chronology at the end.
February 18, 2026
Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome is a powerful, richly detailed picture book biography that honors John Lewis’s lifelong commitment to nonviolent activism, faith, and justice through stirring text and bold collage art.
May 12, 2026
This works as a picture book and as history. I’d read it to 3-7 year olds, or as old as we are enjoying picture books. Early readers would also like it. Real information, but only a few sentences per page and engaging illustrations.
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