Revolution (The Sixties Trilogy, #2) in ENGL 596 / EDCI 551

Mar 26, 2015 Hannah Alexander rated it really liked it

Revolution by Deborah Wiles is an amazingly constructed novel that allows readers to explore the Mississippi Freedom summer and parts of The Civil Rights Movement from all perspectives. If you are able to get past its outstanding length you will find this YA text to be rich with information and history.

One of my favorite aspects of this text is Wiles’ deliberate historical data and images that are inserted throughout the novel. The historical photos and research distinguish Wiles’ novel from hi ...more

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Mar 26, 2015 Jacob Mroczkiewicz rated it really liked it

Revolution is a comprehensive and imaginative depiction of a crucial juncture of American history. This novel follows the experience of 12-year-old Sunny Fairchild as "invaders" flood into Greenwood, Mississippi in the midst of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Sunny's life at home also feels as if it is being invaded, as her father's new wife, her children, and her stepmother's mother move into their house. At this point in Sunny's life, such as at this point in American history, is facin Revolution is a comprehensive and imaginative depiction of a crucial juncture of American history. This novel follows the experience of 12-year-old Sunny Fairchild as "invaders" flood into Greenwood, Mississippi in the midst of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Sunny's life at home also feels as if it is being invaded, as her father's new wife, her children, and her stepmother's mother move into their house. At this point in Sunny's life, such as at this point in American history, is facing a time of tumult and change, of resistance and acceptance, of the confusion that comes with the onset of revolution.

The images included in the novel supplement the narrative exceptionally well, I think. It promotes the notion to the reader that not only is the fictional narrative being expressed in the novel is true, but also that the entirety of the story is rooted in a phenomenon of which we are still feeling the repercussions, the vibrations of an ever-changing landscape. The images also reinforce that Sunny, Raymond, and the rest of the characters of the novel are firmly rooted in factual happenings. To stay true to YA novels striving to include characters who dare to disturb their universe, I don't think we've read another novel this semester that meets the criteria more than Revolution. Everything is changing, and not just for the protagonist but for the nation at large. I didn't envision myself enjoying a book that paints Presidents Kennedy and Johnson in such a positive light, but there's a first for everything.

If not for the length, this would be the perfect novel for the secondary classroom. As I type this, I am still leaning toward considering it as such. With the public documents and the supplementary pictures, along with the parallel narratives between Sunny and Raymond, this text offers so much in the form of literary and historical studies, in turn lending itself to be a prime candidate for interdisciplinary usage. Just a phenomenal text that could and should be used to broaden the scope of American history's place in the secondary English classroom. ...more

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Mar 26, 2015 Mykala rated it really liked it

Revolution by Deborah Wiles follows young Sunny who lives in Mississippi with her family during the Civil Rights Movement of 1964. It’s the start of summer and suddenly everything is different. People from the north are coming to help register African Americans to vote and her small town is in an uproar. President Johnson has authorized desegregation and change, good or bad, is coming. Sunny, in the middle of everything is trying to figure out where she belongs in the Freedom Summer and how it w Revolution by Deborah Wiles follows young Sunny who lives in Mississippi with her family during the Civil Rights Movement of 1964. It’s the start of summer and suddenly everything is different. People from the north are coming to help register African Americans to vote and her small town is in an uproar. President Johnson has authorized desegregation and change, good or bad, is coming. Sunny, in the middle of everything is trying to figure out where she belongs in the Freedom Summer and how it will impact life as she knows it.

Revolution is unique in that it alternates chapters of fictional characters with images and quotes of actual historical events. Wiles uses a combination of language constructs throughout the novel including poems, song lyrics, quotes, and interviews juxtaposed against the “typical” chapter format. These events are woven into Sunny’s story and give the reader an idea of the real struggles faced by many during the summer of 1964. On her road to self-discovery Sunny faces confusion, loss, love, and the ultimate struggles that come with standing up for what is right even if it involves risk.
What I enjoyed most about this novel was the way in which the material was presented to the reader. The use of images, different font types and sizes, and the varying shades of black and white on the pages truly brought the story to life. The interaction between text and imagery made the novel feel like a scrapbook that had been compiled of all the events surrounding the Freedom Summer. The way in which the reader got to experience the perspective of different characters spoke to the complexities that are inside everyone and the similarities that we all share.

I think this novel could be very impactful if taught to young adults in a school setting. The fictional story is one that it relatable and the historical additions could bring to light events that young readers are unaware of. This novel could be the platform for which teachers and students can have discussions about the Civil Rights movements of the past and ones that are still going on today. Especially with the events in Ferguson regarding Michael Brown, this novel demands to be read in today’s society by more than just young adults.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and its unique presentation on a historical event.
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Mar 26, 2015 Nancy C rated it it was amazing

Revolution by Deborah Wiles was such a great novel. It follows the life of Sunny, a 12 year old girl living in Greenwood, Mississippi who experiences and sees so much in one summer, Freedom Summer of 1964. Sunny starts off as a rather innocent girl who all she has to worry about are The Beatles, swimming and watching horror movies, but she completely transforms herself throughout the novel. Readers can see her thought process on situations and heightened awareness about what is taking place arou Revolution by Deborah Wiles was such a great novel. It follows the life of Sunny, a 12 year old girl living in Greenwood, Mississippi who experiences and sees so much in one summer, Freedom Summer of 1964. Sunny starts off as a rather innocent girl who all she has to worry about are The Beatles, swimming and watching horror movies, but she completely transforms herself throughout the novel. Readers can see her thought process on situations and heightened awareness about what is taking place around her, mature. Her priority on having the best summer ever changes—it becomes “how can I help people” or “what are others around me going through?”

I absolutely enjoyed this book. The added pictures and quotes really provided a better understanding on the sentiments and feelings of frustration of the time. Like many others said in their reviews, I too learned more about the civil rights movement in this book than I ever have in past American history courses I’ve taken. I liked that the added media was relevant and connected to the text. It could have been just random quotes taken from the time. The first 4 quotes definitely set the mood for the novel too. I was shocked when I read them, to see how split sides were.

This novel is still so relevant today. Especially on this day (March 26, 2015), in connection of the bill that has been signed in our own state of Indiana. This book’s message is very strong— accept others and treat them how you want to be treat, people aren't what they seem and change is generally a good thing. I had just finished reading the part in the novel where there is a poster of the Capitol building and next to it a quote from the Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (pg 289 for those of you who want to go back and see it) when I thought about the discussions taking place now and how things seem to want to go backward, and also how we have somewhat stalled in the Civil Rights movements. This book can be a good reminder to current and future generations of what people had to struggle through in the past and how much we have advanced since that time, and also how we can’t backtrack now or ever, but continue to fight for equality for all.
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Mar 26, 2015 Michelle Parsons rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-lit

Revolution by Deborah Wiles is definitely an enjoyable read for younger teens, though it shares good information and a good story for readers of all ages. I felt the characters were extremely realistic, from 12-year-old, self-centered Sunny to driven Raymond and lonely Gillette.

As an older reader, the emotional states and impacts of events upon the adult characters was more transparent, though Wiles has maintained Sunny's ignorant blindness to the wider world through most of the novel. In parti Revolution by Deborah Wiles is definitely an enjoyable read for younger teens, though it shares good information and a good story for readers of all ages. I felt the characters were extremely realistic, from 12-year-old, self-centered Sunny to driven Raymond and lonely Gillette.

As an older reader, the emotional states and impacts of events upon the adult characters was more transparent, though Wiles has maintained Sunny's ignorant blindness to the wider world through most of the novel. In particular, Sunny's stepmother and her involvement in the Wednesday Women, while seen only peripherally by Sunny, has impacts that Sunny is able to observe. The actual historical event is then shown through an informative historical summary.

My favorite part of the novel was the historical multimedia sections. Images, quotations, song lyrics, and documents were integrated into snapshots that captured particular moments in the story overall. I appreciated getting to see and hear from people who were in Greenwood, Mississippi during that time. The song lyrics pulled from spirituals and civil rights traditional songs tied together all of the images and documents in any given section into a cohesive whole.

I appreciated the visual cues that helped readers to separate the sections written from Sunny's point of view, Raymond's point of view, and the third person views from Gillette and Jamie. I thought the visual marking of the pages through coloration or bordering was more effective than merely placing a name at the top of any given chapter. I also thought the language and accent of each of the characters was clearly depicted as a separation between their given sections.

The actual story was really good in terms of addressing the events and effects of the Freedom Summer in Greenwood. However, I did have some issues with the story overall. While the Vietnam War was still fairly contained and peripheral, I felt that some additional context on the effects of the war would have been more helpful in explaining why Lyndon Johnson was pulled so completely out of his Civil Rights concerns. I thought the resemblance between Jo Ellen and Sunny's missing mother was just a little too convenient, and that Sunny's growth process, while fascinating, had some unsupported elements. How could accepting her mother didn't love her cause her whole world to get better practically overnight?

As far as Raymond and his story, I felt that it was realistic, sad, and also inspiring. I'm not sure it really broke any single-story stereotypes, but given the location and the time, I'm not sure it could have. ...more

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Mar 26, 2015 Lauren H. rated it really liked it

Deborah Wiles’ Revolution combines a riveting plot with striking imagery and text, all while questioning ideologies and creating a novel that is not the average historical fiction piece. It tells the story primarily through the eyes of a young white girl, Sunny, as she navigates the Freedom Summer in Greenwood, Mississippi.

I believe the most notable aspect of this book is the integration of pictures and historical phrases (from things like music and poetry) into the text. Instead of painstaking Deborah Wiles’ Revolution combines a riveting plot with striking imagery and text, all while questioning ideologies and creating a novel that is not the average historical fiction piece. It tells the story primarily through the eyes of a young white girl, Sunny, as she navigates the Freedom Summer in Greenwood, Mississippi.

I believe the most notable aspect of this book is the integration of pictures and historical phrases (from things like music and poetry) into the text. Instead of painstakingly depicting every detail and facial feature of those who lived through the Freedom Summer of 1964, readers are led to read the pictures (as well as the main novel) in order to experience the tumult of emotions and events surrounding the real-life stories, in addition to the fictional characters’ lives. Much like seeing pictures of the Titanic helps us understand the tale of Jack and Rose (from the movie), the pictures in this novel lead us to realize the intensity of this time period. I also appreciate how the picture sections demonstrate the wide scope of beliefs and situations of the time period, and I think this creates an excellent distortion of the single-story that can easily be bestowed on this time period.

This book does an absolutely fabulous job depicting how ideologies permeate our thoughts, and how when they are left unchecked, things that seem “normal” might not be “right.” For instance, Sunny states, “I have never thought about why colored kids don’t go to white churches. They just don’t” (159). Wiles creates characters who question their own beliefs, which makes this book so much more powerful to readers. It opens up space for readers to question the moments when they, too, think that something “just” doesn’t happen, whether it be in terms of race or other societal issues.

One thing I would have appreciated in this novel would have been even more of an emphasis on Raymond’s narrated parts. It feels as though his role takes the back-burner to Sunny’s narration, and I think the novel would have benefited from seeing more voice from person who is typically “othered.” On the other hand, though, I do appreciate the mystery created surrounding Raymond’s character due to the fact that Wiles does not give him an equal narrative role. This move allows readers to learn to appreciate and understand his identity and individuality through Sunny’s journey, which mirrors journeys that many young people have or will take with accepting other people who might seem “different.”

In the end, I think this would be a great text for young adults to read, and I think the pictures help make it both accessible and powerful. I would consider teaching this novel in a future class, and I will be recommending it to future students as well.
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Mar 22, 2015 Morgan rated it really liked it

Revolution is a novel that begins as life-changing and slowly becomes a chore.
The narration mainly follows Sunny Fairchild, 12-year-old white girl living in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. Readers experience forced desegregation through her eyes. There is also the perspective of Raymond Bullis, a 15-year-old African-American boy also experiencing forced desegregation through colored eyes. Included within the novel are images and articles that reflect historical accuracy (as far as Revolution is a novel that begins as life-changing and slowly becomes a chore.
The narration mainly follows Sunny Fairchild, 12-year-old white girl living in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. Readers experience forced desegregation through her eyes. There is also the perspective of Raymond Bullis, a 15-year-old African-American boy also experiencing forced desegregation through colored eyes. Included within the novel are images and articles that reflect historical accuracy (as far as I know) of the time in which Sunny and Ray lived.
Revolution had two major problems in my eyes: 1. Too long a text for the relevant (fictional) material I was receiving. 2. Sunny's "mommy issues" distracted from her interactions with Civil Righters.
Revolution was 544 pages long. Of course, not all of that was narration; there was a plethora of images and articles to help the reader understand the gravity of everything that took place in 1964. Honestly, I learned more from those images and articles than I learned in most of my social studies classes. The images and articles were a valuable addition to the novel. However, the story line was a little slow for my taste. I understand that Wiles wanted to cover the entire Freedom Summer. Yet I believe she could have chosen a more efficient way to deliver her narrative.
The second problem is one that troubled me throughout the novel. I understand the reasons for Sunny's obsession over her mother: she was abandoned; new stepmother is trying to fill that hole of the mother she never knew; Wiles needed an excuse for Sunny to chase the Civil Righters everywhere, so she had Sunny see Jo Ellen as her mother; Sunny needed character development--enter mommy issues. Yet I felt Sunny's obsession with sassing Annabelle and following Jo Ellen everywhere became a bit much over the course of 544 pages.

My personal feelings about the novel aside, it has a lot to offer a classroom of adolescents. The historical relevance to our current issues (or simply because it is historical fiction) is directly applicable to a middle school or high school classroom. The images and articles and live accounts offered in the text help students see the characters in a realistic light. It helps that Wiles kept many of the important founders deeply involved within her narration. Plus, the images and articles and live accounts beak up the monotony of reading a long novel. Due to its historical accuracy (to my knowledge) and the human rights issues it handles, Revolution would do well in either a middle school or high school classroom.
Teaching my students to read the images as more than just pictures is another topic that I would like to explore with a class. The images are historically relevant and directly correlate to what is happening in Sunny's story. In some cases, the images present graphic material in a silent way. The burnt-out car of three of the "agitators," for instance. These images need to be discussed in a way that enables students to grasp the gravity of what was happening to Mississippi in the 1960s. ...more

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Mar 13, 2015 Jung Han rated it it was amazing

Through this historical novel, Deborah Wiles sends messages of hope, love, human rights, and equality to readers. The author documents the tumultuous time of the Civil Rights Movement with historical contexts such as pictures, news reports, articles, and songs of the time, which depict 1960’s Civil Rights era vividly. With all the nonfiction elements including excerpts from documents and historical figures, readers can open themselves up to the time of upheaval with the real sense of the time pe ...more

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Mar 13, 2015 Logan rated it it was amazing

The 'Freedom Summer' of 1964, which saw civil rights advocates bussed in hundreds to Mississippi to register black voters, stands at the heart of Deborah Wiles' Revolution. The book follows an ensemble cast of characters as they negotiate their ways through the highs and lows of Freedom Summer, offering a series of narrow perspectives on the civil rights movements through the eyes of its characters. Revolution's true strength lies in its ability to set narrow stories alongside wider historical t The 'Freedom Summer' of 1964, which saw civil rights advocates bussed in hundreds to Mississippi to register black voters, stands at the heart of Deborah Wiles' Revolution. The book follows an ensemble cast of characters as they negotiate their ways through the highs and lows of Freedom Summer, offering a series of narrow perspectives on the civil rights movements through the eyes of its characters. Revolution's true strength lies in its ability to set narrow stories alongside wider historical trends, however; Wiles intersperses pamphlets, images from historical moments, newspaper articles, and other artifacts of the civil rights movement throughout the book, offering its readers perspective and the ability to understand the characters' narrow worlds through a wider cultural context.

Wiles' decision to compose in mixed media elevates her piece and informs it with a sense of purpose. A picture is worth a thousand words indeed -- the images of the civil rights advocates, the citizens of Mississippi, and the various acts of violence committed against the black Mississippi citizens during Freedom Summer make the novel's depiction of the need for the civil rights movement all the more salient. Readers are asked to re-evaluate the manner in which they read and understand, and through this, further immerse themselves in the world Wiles is relating. I spent a good deal of my time listening to the audio book as well, as the Kindle edition of this book is absolutely not worth purchasing (it's a very low-quality PDF scan, which leaves much of the text disconcertingly blurry and difficult to read). The audio recording of the novel makes use of various character voices, and describes the images depicted in the physical copy of the book. I recommend listening to this novel if at all possible -- the narrators are excellent, and your blood will boil when they describe the state of segregation in Mississippi.

I cannot recommend this novel enough. We cannot, as a nation, forget what is truly only 50 years behind us. I could not help but be struck by Wiles' novel's particular resonances with contemporary American culture, which sees certain states actually passing bills to legalize a person's right to refuse service to someone if they feel it would put them at odds with their religious beliefs. Revolution reminds us that such laws have indeed already been put to the test -- they were the foundation for Jim Crow, and must be pushed against if we are ever to aspire to the notion of national equality for all citizens. ...more

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Mar 26, 2015 Michelle rated it it was ok

Revolution is the tip of the iceberg of American history concerning issues of racial equality and, while it's narrative may have dragged for me in certain places, I found it to be an enjoyable and highly informative read. The story follows one Sunny Fairchild, a young girl of 1960s Mississippi, as she grows to identify the struggles of both family and society as awareness is slowly raised and encourages her to question the foundation of her beliefs for a majority of simple everyday life. Her lit Revolution is the tip of the iceberg of American history concerning issues of racial equality and, while it's narrative may have dragged for me in certain places, I found it to be an enjoyable and highly informative read. The story follows one Sunny Fairchild, a young girl of 1960s Mississippi, as she grows to identify the struggles of both family and society as awareness is slowly raised and encourages her to question the foundation of her beliefs for a majority of simple everyday life. Her little town is thrown into uproar with the Freedom Summer: the town pool closes, the movie theater is threatened, restaurant tables are removed, and downtown shops close, all before the backdrop of learning how to live with two newly conjoined families living under her roof. We the reader accompany Sunny as she decides for herself what she wants to belief and the actions she will take to stand for those beliefs.

I definitely believe that this book would be great to use in a classroom setting to introduce students, particularly younger adolescents around Sunny's age, not only to racial issues that America has, and still does in some communities, face, but also about the importance of history. I myself only had a foggy, half-formed understanding about events of racial discrimination that have occurred in the Southern states, and it would be simply unacceptable to let these events fall into the forgotten blue of history. This story isn't just about Sunny. It's about the change that was finally brought about in Mississippi after the conclusion of the novel. I found myself more interested in the various groups and racial happenings than I was in the story of Sunny's family struggles. However, I did appreciate how they tied in nicely together at the end with Jo Ellen giving Sunny her locket in a moment of need, and then Sunny returning it to her later (huzzah character growth!).

The multimedia usage of the novel was also very informative and a simple, quick way to get historical information across. It worked very well with the written portion of the novel, and was a technique that I don't really recall ever seeing before but very much so enjoyed. Overall, I think this is a wonderful introductory piece, the first building block in a pyramid, to the broad and often confusing (to youths especially) topic of racial tension and equality. ...more

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Jan 23, 2015 Jawaria rated it really liked it

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved the multimodal format. The author has not just thrown in various relevant images, instead she has very carefully crafted a story through the images and quotes she selected. She takes the reader on an important journey deeply embedded in in the historical context and its moral teachings. Deborah Wiles pieces together unique imagery in clever ways that leap out of every page. Then she fills intervals in the book with the textual narrative. I saw t I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved the multimodal format. The author has not just thrown in various relevant images, instead she has very carefully crafted a story through the images and quotes she selected. She takes the reader on an important journey deeply embedded in in the historical context and its moral teachings. Deborah Wiles pieces together unique imagery in clever ways that leap out of every page. Then she fills intervals in the book with the textual narrative. I saw the characters' stories as examples on individual people and their experiences in that era and the socio-political struggles that they were living amidst. Sunny and Ray are role players in the book re-telling the reality of many many people. Through this, Wiles makes her book and the story within it so very Real, alive and hitting home. The content is loaded with Realism - touching the reader with the importance of those historical events, decisions and morals, stolid perspectives, and further implications for viewing current affairs. She enlightens the reader, with fact, story, and a strong yet implicit message to take home. I particularly appreciated how she deftly wove the several differing perspectives together, presenting the reader with a well-designed piece that gives a wholesome, rounded picture of the history she re-tells and the story she tells. With the narrative she achieves common ground with young adult readers, enabling them to relate, understand, learn and think constructively about a crucial matter and time period.

Although a thick book, it is actually an engrossing and fast read. The images and text contain many a disturbing detail, which again translates the reality in full force. Sunny and Ray go through an array of mature and unsettling experiences despite starting with a chance encounter in a swimming pool - at very similar base points. The way they make sense and grapple with their surroundings and events explores the cognitive and emotional complexity of the experiences. The distorted 'fear' of the Whites and their prejudices are much apparent in the notion of opposition to norm and fear of the Blacks becoming powerful. To them, anything different is threatening, and if that threat obtains power (voting rights in this case) then it is an abhorrent dilemma. Prejudice at its most explicit. Meemaw even sees anyone associated as sinners - even though they are a part of churches / religious institutions all over. They call the white freedom mediators as invaders, though they are of the same race. They see it as an invasion, a massive destruction, "a racial revolution" (pg.100).

I found some quotes very powerful - very relevant to equality and struggle, a recurring issue. If one were to just stop and notice the significne of some of the words and images, any defiance of black civil rights or equal treatment, looks simply absurd and defying of basic logic.
"Today, Americans of all races stand side by side in Berlin and in Vietnam. They died side by side in Korea. Surely they can work and eat and travel side by side in their own country." (pg. 23)

My favourite line was: "Once in a while, you find yourself in an odd situation." [Kon-Tiki] (pg.108) - it puts life into perspective!

'Revolution' was an amazing read and I eagerly look forward to reading the other two books in this trilogy. ...more

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