Parkland
Parkland: Birth of a Movement, by Dave Cullen 
Blurb:The New York Times bestselling author of Columbine offers a deeply moving account of the extraordinary teenage survivors of the Parkland shooting who pushed back against the NRA and Congressional leaders and launched the singular grassroots March for Our Lives movement. Emma Gonzalez called BS. David Hogg called out Adult America. The uprising had begun. Cameron Kasky immediately recruited a colorful band of theatre kids and rising activists and brought them together in his living room to map out a movement. Four days after escaping Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, two dozen extraordinary kids announced the audacious March for Our Lives. A month later, it was the fourth largest protest in American history.My ReviewI picked this book up because I wanted to find out more about the issues, having obviously heard about these students and what they were doing in the wake of the tragic shooting. I’m from the UK, so gun laws and the fear many students in America feel has never touched my life, but it’s impossible not to know about the issues and the politics that are going on across the sea at the moment. I think what this group is doing is absolutely amazing and it makes me feel hopeful not only for change in politics in America, but also throughout the worlds as younger votes begin to get in on it and decide they want a change. Honestly, this book is both amazing, that these young adults have the courage to do this, and horrifying that they have to; it’s like a YA dystopian novel, where a bunch of teenagers save the world while the adults, who’s responsibility it really is to fix things, either stand by uselessly or oppose their efforts. It is awful that the world has come to this, but also gives us hope for future generations. Also, for more info there are lots of references to articles and other things in this book that I will be checking out to learn more. 
My favourite quotes from ‘Parkland’: ‘… what we see today is worse: unsurprised survivors who expected a shooter … There were no vacant stares from the Parkland survivors. This generation had grown up on lockdown drills…’ ‘There are strains of sadness woven into this story, but this is not an account of grief. These kids chose a story of hope.’ ‘Nothing ever changed, except the body count, which kept rising … ‘No way to prevent this,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.’ ‘We’re children. You guys are the adults. You need to take some action. … David Hogg called out Adult America for letting our kids die. The uprising had begun.’ ‘Please don’t pray for me. Your prayers mean nothing. Show me you care in the polls.’ ‘… all I hear is, ‘My right to own a gun outweighs your student’s right to live.’ ‘…protect kids, not gun; and children should die for your hobby…’ ‘… suburban kids feared violence inside their schools — once in a lifetime, but horrific — and the Chicago kids feared violence getting there.’ ‘It wasn’t a lack of caring, more a lack of hope.’ ‘Emma was galvanising a country like no man or woman, pope or president. And this well-wisher was just snatching it away. Adult reactions — maybe adults were the problem. I pictured Emma’s friends overhearing that. They were so sick of hearing that stuff. David Hogg said it one day: If adults had stepped up, they wouldn’t have to. And their friends would still be alive.’
Blurb:The New York Times bestselling author of Columbine offers a deeply moving account of the extraordinary teenage survivors of the Parkland shooting who pushed back against the NRA and Congressional leaders and launched the singular grassroots March for Our Lives movement. Emma Gonzalez called BS. David Hogg called out Adult America. The uprising had begun. Cameron Kasky immediately recruited a colorful band of theatre kids and rising activists and brought them together in his living room to map out a movement. Four days after escaping Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, two dozen extraordinary kids announced the audacious March for Our Lives. A month later, it was the fourth largest protest in American history.My ReviewI picked this book up because I wanted to find out more about the issues, having obviously heard about these students and what they were doing in the wake of the tragic shooting. I’m from the UK, so gun laws and the fear many students in America feel has never touched my life, but it’s impossible not to know about the issues and the politics that are going on across the sea at the moment. I think what this group is doing is absolutely amazing and it makes me feel hopeful not only for change in politics in America, but also throughout the worlds as younger votes begin to get in on it and decide they want a change. Honestly, this book is both amazing, that these young adults have the courage to do this, and horrifying that they have to; it’s like a YA dystopian novel, where a bunch of teenagers save the world while the adults, who’s responsibility it really is to fix things, either stand by uselessly or oppose their efforts. It is awful that the world has come to this, but also gives us hope for future generations. Also, for more info there are lots of references to articles and other things in this book that I will be checking out to learn more. My favourite quotes from ‘Parkland’: ‘… what we see today is worse: unsurprised survivors who expected a shooter … There were no vacant stares from the Parkland survivors. This generation had grown up on lockdown drills…’ ‘There are strains of sadness woven into this story, but this is not an account of grief. These kids chose a story of hope.’ ‘Nothing ever changed, except the body count, which kept rising … ‘No way to prevent this,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.’ ‘We’re children. You guys are the adults. You need to take some action. … David Hogg called out Adult America for letting our kids die. The uprising had begun.’ ‘Please don’t pray for me. Your prayers mean nothing. Show me you care in the polls.’ ‘… all I hear is, ‘My right to own a gun outweighs your student’s right to live.’ ‘…protect kids, not gun; and children should die for your hobby…’ ‘… suburban kids feared violence inside their schools — once in a lifetime, but horrific — and the Chicago kids feared violence getting there.’ ‘It wasn’t a lack of caring, more a lack of hope.’ ‘Emma was galvanising a country like no man or woman, pope or president. And this well-wisher was just snatching it away. Adult reactions — maybe adults were the problem. I pictured Emma’s friends overhearing that. They were so sick of hearing that stuff. David Hogg said it one day: If adults had stepped up, they wouldn’t have to. And their friends would still be alive.’
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