Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Silence of our Friends



THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS by Mark Long, Jim Demonakos, and Nate Powell (First Second 2012) is a graphic novel about the struggle for civil rights in Houston in the late 60s. Jack is a reporter for a local TV station in Houston and Larry is is a resident of one of the poor wards in the city. He and his neighbors are protesting the presence of the Klan and the lack of rights for Blacks. Somehow, Jack and Larry manage to overcome the intense hatred of racism become friends. However, Houston is not tolerant of interracial friends and this relationship places Jack and Larry and their families in harm's way. Nate Powell's powerful illustrations (Swallow Me Whole) and the terse narrative by Long and Demonakos propel readers into this epoch of American history. Hand this GN to your history teachers as a "text" that will bring to life the struggle for human and civil rights that continues here and abroad. <621>

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