I don’t normally like poetry books, but this one was very well written in my opinion! Very powerful and moving

I'm always grateful to authors who make me feel and think in new and interesting ways. Who bring the past to life and each of us just a little bit more towards understanding each other. These poems tell a story that sticks with you.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I wish I would have been able to see the pictures on my kindle. I only read the poems.

This quick read novel in verse about the Civil Rights Movement doesn’t quickly leave the reader. Erica Martin beautifully tells the stories that America’s history fails to always tell or admit. Long after reading this book the reader will consider our sorted past and the idea that history doesn’t always include the stories that need to be told. The inclusion of primary source photos will help students put faces to the pieces of history that should not be forgotten. This book gives an accessibility to non-fiction that will appeal to young readers.

And We Rise is a journey through the Civil Rights Movement told in poetry. It covers the 1950s-60s and includes historical photos. I read about things I knew about as well as things I hadn't realized or learned about before. The book demonstrates how time passed by use of repeated stanzas indicating when Black people marched for their rights. It was powerfully done. I think this could be placed in middle school classrooms, although it does contain instances of the N word, as it was used at the time.

Thank you Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an ebook of AND WE RISE by Erica Martin. This history-in-verse debut poetry collection comes out on February 1 ✊🏻

AND WE RISE is a wonderful companion to other history books for young adult readers learning about the Civil Rights Movement—and honestly, having history presented in this format would have been a lot more engaging than the dense textbooks I read in high school history classes. Erica Martin has done a wonderful thing here: she has given a thorough timeline of the Civil Rights Movement, from Jim Crow to Brown v. Board of Education to the Freedom Riders. Not only that, but there are parts of this history included that I never knew about, such as how fifteen-year old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat long before Rosa Parks did the same, or how the killing of an unarmed Black teenager, Matthew Johnson, sparked the Hunters Point Uprising. Martin provides a variety of visual aids to more thoroughly demonstrate frustration and resilience, such as listing out each of the 381 days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

I can think of one more thing that would have made this book even more exceptional. Martin writes: “the Civil Rights Movement / was more than just / Dr. King / marching, / Rosa Parks / sitting, / Malcolm X / fighting. / it was / your mom / your grandma / your best friend’s great-aunt.” I would’ve loved to see more of these moments or memories from everyday people throughout the book, such as pulled from interviews or oral histories.

Note: my review is based on uncorrected text. Quoted text may change upon publication.

This was such an imformtive read. I was choked up at times. I’d highly recommend this if you’re interested in this kind of thing.

Martin uses the poetic form to retell historical moments from the Civil Rights Era, making this point in history more accessible for young people to learn on their own. Excellent title to include on poetry displays this April.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for an early read!

4/5 stars, this was a powerful little collection of poems detailing the civil rights movement

"There's no difference / between you / and i / except that you get to live / and i get to die / trying" (85)

Poetry can be a great way to express lots of emotions and paint an important image, and this book is no exception. This collection was about the civil rights movement, but especially the things you don't really learn in school. Such as different people and actions we never learned about, but they are represented within this collection.

It was really gut-wrenching to think about what these people had to go through just to live, to live with their own conviction and happiness. I really enjoyed how poetry was utilized in this collection, and there were a few different ways. This was definitely more modern poetry as the way it was written was not like old poetry. I really enjoyed this as I can usually connect with modern poetry better than older style poetry. Some of it was a bit repetitive but it really drove home the point of what black people went through, which is so important to understand.

Overall, a really fast read and a great poetry collection. Everyone should give it a try to learn more about the civil rights movement, including people and history you might not know about. It was very interesting and heartbreaking but super important.

[TW: murder, racism, segregation, death of family, bullets, and guns, violent protests]

I'm not usually a reader of poetry but this book was so impactful. I learned some civil rights facts (the Wrightsville fire, among them) and really enjoyed the word placement and imagery it provided. This is a great title in general.

This poetry collection is a vivid, powerful look back at the Civil Rights movement and those who led it. This book is a quick read, but one that will haunt readers long after the final page.