A great book, it didn't disappoint. Entertaining and very informative all at the same time. Fun to read too!

A brilliant and educational read detailing the stories of little known African-American figures. The art was beautiful. I highly recommend this graphic novel.

I know very little about African-American history but this book has taught me quite a bit on the subject in a nifty fashion. (I'm Asian, living outside of the US.)

Athough I didn't love the illustration style there's something about it that just fits the narrative and subject it's trying to convey. It's not too polished but defined at the same time with an olive, brown and orange color scheme.

This is a brilliant way to teach history to all ages. Despite it being a graphic novel with its low count of words, as compared to a textbook or novel, it cuts through to the core of the message and deftly presents each story succinctly. Some of them were sorrowful and others uplifting but all of them featured admirable human beings. For all its worldly advancements I was a tad surprised that America was quite behind other countries when it came to matters like race.

I enjoyed Strange Fruit and will look out for the 1st book.

(Thanks goes to Fulcrum Publishing and Netgalley for providing a free e-copy in return for my honest review)

I loved learning about all those black figures of History and the illustrations were very well made !

This volume is a collection of short stories, in Graphic novel format, all about different Black Americans during different eras of American History. I really liked this book! I was fascinated learning about all of these different black Americans and the struggles they faced because of the color of their skin. My favorite story was the letter from Mr. Anderson but all of the stories were so interesting. I find these graphic novels very important because of the attention they bring to incredible people of history.

Absolutely loved this collection of stories on African American history. A title worth having in schools and libraries.

Chances are you've heard of Martin Luther King. Or Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X and similar African Americans. Not a year goes by when I don't hear or read about one of the above names. These names are popular in any civil right discourse around the world.

Chances are you don't hear much (or have never heard) of Stagecoach Mary Fields. Stagecoach Mary was a "gun-toting, cigar-smoking, saloon-dwelling mountain of a woman with larger-than-average-hands." At 6 feet tall, she towers above most women and many men. She outworked many strong men in a fashion that made her a supervisor on many jobs. Many resented her for this, not least because she was a black woman.

At a period when women were supposed to be frail and meek, Stagecoach Mary (then 60 years old) ran the star route - one of the most treacherous roads - for the US Mail. She did this even during winter periods. Also, she was the second ever woman to ever do this.

Chances are you have never heard much of Willie Kennard either. Willie Kennard was a man who, around the 1870s, wandered into a town terrorised by a criminal who had killed its marshall and raped a fifteen-year-old. Kennard got rid of the threat and became the town's new marshal. Though a few people tried to run him out of town, angry that a black man was the town's lawman, Kennard stayed on until the town's mining prospects declined.

The characters above experienced severe discrimination and hard lives, but their talents, tenacity, (with the help of a few kind people) made them shine in adversity as an example to all.

If you want to learn more about these fascinating souls and many more, check out Strange Fruit, Volume 2 (Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History) by Joel Christian Gill. It is well worth your time.

An absolutely beautiful and educational look into the history that America refuses to tell us. Once I picked up I couldn't put down. This is definitely a fast addition to my personal collection and to the libraries where I work.

The stories included in this book are very compelling and well told. This book (and the first volume as well) should be required reading for elementary and high school children. Too often, when we're taught Black history, we fall back on the few dozen really famous heroes and heroines, but there is so much more to draw from. In addition to the captivating storytelling, the biographies in this book are visually fascinating as well. Truly a must-read . #28daysarenotenough #NetGalley

Strange Fruit is an incredibly important and engaging graphic novel that details the lives of various Black American historical figures. I wasn't familiar with any of these incredible people before this book and it definitely took me down the Google rabbit hole to find out more about them. American or not, young or old, this is one I wholly recommend to everyone.

This little graphic novel is absolutely PHENOMENAL and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It covers eight stories of important black historical figures, and makes them perfectly readable for any age range. There is some creative censoring in place for young readers whose parents might not be comfortable with them seeing slurs in print, as well as older readers who don't want to be reminded of those hurtful phrases, but the point is never glossed over. That said, these stories do not focus on black pain—they focus on black pride and the amazing things these individuals have done.

The individuals highlighted in the collection are Jourdon Anderson, Stagecoach Mary Fields, Willie Kennard, Cathay Williams, Blind Tom Wiggins, Millie and Christine McCoy, Victor Green, and Eugene Bullard. All of the stories take place during the 1820s-1960s. While I was familiar with almost all of the stories, this collection made me realize I'd been fed whitewashed versions of many of them, so I'm very grateful to the author for putting together this work and showing me what really happened. It was eye-opening in a sense as it made me realize that I need to do better about ensuring that the historical information I'm reading is the truth and not yet another contribution to the systemic oppression and erasure of black history and culture.

Of course, this collection of stories would be a perfect one to recommend for Black History Month, but I want to echo what the author stated at the end of the collection: "28 days are not enough when it comes to Black History." Don't wait until BHM—pick this one up immediately, and you won't regret it!

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Fulcrum Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My Thoughts:
This graphic historical non-fiction highlights vignettes of black Americans living from the period of slavery to right before the civil rights movement. Because of this dark time in history, none of the stories are very uplifting except the story of Victor Green. The rest of them show different kinds of heroism but because these are real people's histories in an anti-black America, most of the lives in here are also about the effects of systemic racism in America.

The one "uplifting" story is about Victor Green, a postal worker who decided to publish the Green Book for the Negro Motorist. The first printing was in 1936. In it he identified safe gas stations, bathrooms, restaurants and resorts across America for the African American traveler. His goal was to eventually not need to publish this type of book anymore. Although it lasted a few years after the Civil Rights act, the last publishing of the Green Book was in 1967.

In truth, the rest of the stories are disheartening, however the references at the back, the artwork and the limited text are perfect for the middle school reader to do further research. We need more of these types of graphic works built on primary resources. It is time that our social studies curriculum told history from the point of view of the downtrodden too, and not just the victors.

I found this book of stories about African American history really interesting. I am ashamed to admit that I was ot familiar with any of these stories. iI enjoyed the comic book type format . I think it makes it very approachable to many readers, including kids. I would recommend this book for everyone, but especially younger readers.

I am not a teen, however, I love this book! This is a short read, which tells of stories from various African Americans. These are people who I have never heard about (though I am an avid reader of this genre.) I also like to express how I like the way the author illustrated the "bad words," excellent.

This was an absolutely amazing, engaging, informative, and beautiful piece of art and education. I fully plan on purchasing it and the first volume for my family so that I can share it with my daughters. I may even purchase copies for their classrooms - every one should have access to this. The stories are well told and should be widely known. I don't think I've felt this grateful for something I've read in a very long time. It is a gift.

#28daysarenotenough

<i><b>E pluribus unum</b>: out of many, one. That is the story of Black people in America. People from different tribes, languages, and cultures; people who were stolen from different societies, brought to this country and forced to build a new nation.</i>

All of these stories were great - but the story of Stagecoach Mary Fields was fascinating!

As I started to read the Sheriff of Yankee Hill, the art seemed so cinematic that it seemed like it should be immediately made into a movie!

I couldn’t believe the story of Contraband - that the Union army took slaves as spoils of war and keep them as slaves. I mean, I can believe it, and it shouldn’t come to be as a surprise, but it did.

I am truly sad that I can’t hear Tom Wiggins play. I’ll have to look up some performances of his work.

And Josephine Baker was a spy for the French Resistance?? I need to find and hear about that story. (It’s only mentioned in this book.)

I’ve decided that I need to get both volumes of this book for my home library. I would love to see some of these stories developed and given a bigger audience!

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Fulcrum Publishing for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

Powerful artwork, a sense of history, and important storytelling make this graphic novel a must-read. I would gladly use it in history, reading, and graphic novels courses. Highly recommended.

When I read Strange Fruit, Volume I back in 2015, I said that if it weren't for the glaring lack of inclusion of women of color, the book would easily have earned 5 stars.

Well, Mr. Gill, here are your full 5 stars. You listened, and you did well. So, so well.

Everything I loved about the first volume is here. The sharp, crisp stories, the clear illustrations that combine history with pitch perfect metaphor, such as the literal crows representing Jim Crow laws. These factors combine to create compelling, unforgettable, incredibly heart breaking stories of life for slaves, and free men and women before the civil rights movement.

The first story, of free man Jourdon Anderson, is my favorite. Mr. Anderson is contacted by his former "owner", politely (no really) requesting his return to his home, with promises of good treatment. The return letter is everything. You will want to jump up and shout for joy.

Title for most bad ass person featured, however, goes to Stagecoach Mary Fields. I hope to someday be half the badass she was.

Not every story is full of joy and kicking ass. These are stories born of pain, and loss. Families separated due to nastiness, people who had to come up with absolutely BRILLIANT ways to survive in an era where they were literally nothing more than property, worth less than even horses. The strength and bravery of the people featured in these books is enough to burst your heart.

Well done, Mr. Gill. Now, where's volume 3?

I was excited to see this title available on Net Galley after having read the first volume with my family. In this installment of Strange Fruit Gill continues his endeavor to bring to light the stories of unsung African-American heroes. As with the first edition, this volume had wonderful illustrations and catchy storylines that were able to draw in the entire family. The chapters in Strange Fruit. Vol. 2 seemed to be shorter and less comprehensive than those in the prior edition, but I was pleased that it was much more inclusive with "sheroes" represented in 3 out of 8 stories. Certainly another great edition to our family library.

I'm always looking for books that are engaging or educating or hopefully both for YA students. Call this one "both."