Revolution

The Sixties Trilogy #2

by Deborah Wiles

A 2014 National Book Award Finalist.

It's 1964, and Sunny's town is being invaded. Or at least that's what the adults of Greenwood, Mississippi, are saying. All Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote. They're calling it Freedom Summer.

Meanwhile, Sunny can't help but feel like her house is being invaded, too. She has a new stepmother, a new brother, and a new sister crowding her life, giving her little room to breathe. And things get even trickier when Sunny and her brother are caught sneaking into the local swimming pool—where they bump into a mystery boy whose life is going to become tangled up in theirs.

As she did in her groundbreaking documentary novel Countdown, award-winning author Deborah Wiles uses stories and images to tell the riveting story of a certain time and place—and of kids who, in a world where everyone is choosing sides, must figure out how to stand up for themselves and fight for what's right.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Family, Childrens

544 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2014

About the author

Deborah Wiles is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including the beloved Love, Ruby Lavender and two National Book Award finalists–Each Little Bird That Sings and Revolution. Her first picture book, Freedom Summer, received the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. She is also an NAACP Book Award finalist, E.B. White Award winner, Golden Kite Award winner, Jane Addams Peace Award Finalist, and recipient of a PEN Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. Her most recent novel is for young adults, Kent State. Her newest picture book, Simple Thanks, was published in 2024. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. You can visit her on the web at deborahwiles.com, write with her at Storybelly.com, and follow her on social media platforms at @deborahwilesbooks.

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolution is fiction because our plucky, strident narrator Sunny and her family are fictitious. The history shared; sadly, is not. A devastating, despicable, heart-wrenching, stomach-churning account of the incomprehensible influence of a few small-minded, hate-filled, yet surprisingly powerful, white men throwing their weight around to stop any and all strides towards race equality is all too true. Ms. Wiles unravels the tragedies with honesty, raw emotion and kindness and hope. She masterfully represents two dramatically different views while, most importantly, centering on the third view.

Having a twelve-year old girl, adjusting to life with her cherished father and new step-family, a rarity itself in Mississippi in 1964, Ms. Wiles simultaneously opens the reader’s mind. Sunny is smart, and like so many of us at that age, she has the world figured out. As the daughter of a store-keep that has always catered to both Negro and White clientele, she fancies herself as a modern-day thinker.

As her small town fills with volunteers to assist Black Voter Registration for Freedom Day, Sunny learns that there is much more to the individuals that make up her family and community. From her vantage point, being somewhat removed, she is able to see the whole picture and in doing so, is forced to reevaluate her own opinion. Further, she learns that she has the option to make a difference and possibly influence others. Few things move me more than passion for what is right, and this fiery little girl is filled.

Adding this engrossing, motivating read are pictures straight out of Mississippi. If Ms. Wiles’ prose doesn’t jar the reader, I assure you these photographs deliver the punch. History, accompanied by humanity, is so very important for growth and development and it is somewhat disappointing to me that so many of the facets of this time were glaringly omitted from my text-books. Muhammad Ali’s role in the Civil Rights Movement is a bit awe-inspiring and quite frankly, explanatory. If ever there was a tome to whole-heartedly support for required reading, it is Revolution. Being appropriate for Middle-Grade readers in no way excludes High School Students/Young Adults or Not-So-Young Adults like me. I genuinely believe that most readers will learn something new, and I’m confident that, regardless of the reader’s age, emotions will be stirred.

This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVOLUTION is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive books I've read this year. I was bowled over by the magic Deborah Wiles has accomplished in this book. She handles a multitude of complex relationships and situations deftly. Sunny is such a compelling character and the way she experiences the confusing and horrific events of Freedom Summer in Mississippi felt completely realistic. I had trouble putting this book down and was sorry when it ended.

[Monica Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

My educating alice review:

Deborah Wiles' Sixties Trilogy is set in the time of hers (and my) youth.  The first book,  Countdown , is a vivid, compelling, and moving view of the Cuban Missile Crisis seen through the eyes of  eleven-year-old Franny and was, I thought, splendid causing me to wait on tenterhooks for the next one.  When I saw that the second book was coming out this year I was both elated and nervous. Could Wiles pull it off again?

Here's my tweet after reading it:

Monica Edinger ‏@medinger  Mar 31 I spent most of the weekend reading @deborahwiles's Revolution and it is fabulous.

So, yes, Wiles pulled it off again. In spades.

Revolution is set during the civil right movement's Freedom Summer of 1964. Two smart young people are at the center of the novel, observing and wondering and questioning the vicious racism and segregation that has ruled their Mississippi community for so long. We meet our protagonist, white twelve-year-old Sunny as she and her slightly older step-brother take an illicit nighttime dip in the municipal pool. Relishing the cool water and thrill of doing something slightly dangerous, Sunny is mulling over the pleasures of the forthcoming lazy summer when she has an encounter that jerks her out of reverie and onto a path of profound knowledge and change. It is a path that Raymond also travels, a boy all too aware of what it means to be young and black in 1964 Greenwood, and who wants to do something about it.

Greenwood has been filled with "invaders" as Sunny calls them, young civil rights activists who have come to do voter registration, set up Freedom Schools, and otherwise support local blacks in gaining their rights. Wiles does a superb job weaving in the many threads of life for white and black Greenwood citizens at this time, powerfullyv and, sometimes brutally, evoking real life events. She also brings in wider pieces of the time, the Vietnam War, the Beatles, and Willie Mays among others.

Sunny and Raymond are beautifully drawn --- highly believable young people of their time and place. There isn't a false note.Those around them are nuanced too, from the young northern civil rights workers to those in both of the young people's families who are responding in different believable ways to the changing events. And Wiles excelles at sensory detail, giving readers the sounds of the young people's different neighborhoods, the feeling of summer heat, those fans and the occasional air conditioner, the shiny floors of the courthouse, and much more. Using present tense, she creates scenes of drama and action and others that are quiet and pensive, all moving and unforgettable.

Then there is the nonfiction material that, as in Countdown, is interspersed throughout. Photos, quotes, excerpts from documents and news articles, song lyrics, and more are evocatively presented, deepening and making even more real  what is going on around Sunny and Raymond.  The back matter offers more along with a solid bibliography. But for those who want to actually hear and see more I encourage them to explore Wile's pinterest page.

Revolution is one spectacular novel. I highly, highly recommend it.

[Maddie Smith]

I haven't read very much of this book yet, and I already have lots of questions. My main wondering is; who are the invaders and why aren't the adults concerned if the invaders are known as being very dangerous?

This book starts out with Sonia and her brother sneaking into the pool area at night, and Sonia is talking about the invaders and worrying about them but not fully knowing what they even are. This confuses me: If Sonia has heard about the invaders being in their town, and if their town is small, then why do her and her brother still make the choice to go to the pool late at night when they aren't supposed to? If you have heard about something being dangerous, wouldn't you want nothing to do with it if you had the choice? Also, why wouldn't the adults in their house (or even in the town) not do anything or tell the kids to at least be more aware?

[Benji Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many books am I allowed to think should be a Newbery contender before no one believes me anymore? I probably passed that mark many books ago, but anyways, I'm serious this time. We waited years for this book, and now we see why it took so long. It's a beautiful piece of work that Wiles worked her tail off creating. Instead of just telling us about the Freedom Summer like many authors would do, Wiles takes her time and SHOWS us the Freedom Summer.. We experience it with Summer and Ray, and see the whole summer from both sides of the tracks. It really is a beautiful book. If I have any complaints, it's the two or so chapters that switch from 1st person present tense, to third person past tense without any real reason why. It kind of disrupts the flow of the narrative, but that's just quibbling. I loved this book so much, I wanted it to be perfect.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me a while to get into it, but eventually it got to the "don't want to put it down" place.

I have mixed feelings about the documentary format. I liked a lot of what was included, but I think it's also why it took me a while to get into the book. I wish the opening segment of pictures and quotes had been shorter, so that I could get drawn into the story sooner.

And, wow, is this a hard read. It was sort of shocking to read the acknowledgements and see Wiles talk about how many people from Freedom Summer she talked to because it's so hard to accept this took place in living memory. (For this reason, I think the documentary format is very valuable. It really enforces that, yes, this happened. This isn't an exaggeration.)

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolution is beautiful and important and wonderful, and it, like Greenglass House, deserves a medal.

If I were emotionally detached, I might have more to say about the way the subject matter carries its own emotional heft - and I might debate as to whether the author should get credit for that. But the beauty of this novel's presentation is that it doesn't allow for emotional detachment. It's an amazing, living thing.

Read this book. Read it now.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars; this story set in Greenwood, Mississippi in the summer of 1964 is an important one.
Told through the eyes of eleven year-old Sunny, fifteen year-old Raymond and Sunny's (not much older) stepbrother Raymond; Freedom Fighters (COFO, SNCC, CORE) come to spend the summer to help register black voters. Even though it's national law, Mississippi is resisting change. As a black, registering to vote can mean losing your job, going to jail, or being threatened and attacked. All three children see things they don't quite understand. They find out that change is not easy and the cost for doing what is right may be quite high. Is it more important to do the right thing or to be safe for you and your family?
Rich for discussion, this would be a great book for a tweens and teens family read-aloud. Or listen to it as an audiobook on your next road trip. If not for it's length (538 pages) I would recommend it for a classroom read-aloud or middle school book clubs. Because of it's length, young readers could find it challenging on their own and teachers may find it hard to sustain momentum with scheduled school breaks.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the bulk of Revolution on a grueling, ten hour drive from southern Maine back to my home on Maryland's Eastern Shore. I finally crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge and turned onto Delaware Route 1 just as the sun was setting, and the loblolly pines and marsh grass were bathed in warm, amber light. Everything felt suddenly easier, and more beautiful. "Oh man," I told my daughter. "It is so good to be back on the Eastern Shore."

That feeling - that fierce pride in one's home - is a thread that runs throughout Wiles' novel, the second book in her Sixties Trilogy. It's a feeling that unites all of the stakeholders in the turbulent summer of 1964 in Greenwood, Mississippi - "Freedom Summer" - when "invaders" from outside Mississippi mount a massive black voter registration campaign throughout the state.

As in Countdown, the reader views this particular historical moment through the eyes of children. Sunny Fairchild is a twelve-year-old white girl with a fierce love for her town - its swimming pool, its movie theatre, its library, and even its dusty courthouse. She's resistant to change, both in the town and in her own family, which has recently been invaded by a stepmother and two step-siblings.

Raymond, as a "colored" boy is, of course, barred from all of Sunny's favorite experiences, and his keen awareness of this injustice sets the plot in motion. He sneaks into the swimming pool at night on the same night that Sunny and her stepbrother have decided to go for a forbidden late-night swim. The children literally collide, and from that point forward, their paths are intertwined with one another, along with the larger stories of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), the Ku Klux Klan, and everyone else with a stake in the racial integration of the town and the state.

In her "documentary novels," Deborah Wiles begins each chapter with primary sources from the time period, including speeches, song lyrics, political slogans, and pamphlets. In the print version of the book, these take the form of a sort of collage. In the audiobook, they are presented as a sound collage, performed by a full cast. The execution is magnificent and the effect is powerful. It does, however, make me hesitant to comment on the Newbery chances of this book, because so much of my reaction to it stems from having experienced it as an audiobook. I know that Revolution affected me more powerfully than Countdown, which I read in print, and I wonder how much of that can be traced to the format.

With that caveat, I can say, with confidence, that Wiles has achieved distinction in every category mentioned in the Newbery criteria. The setting is brilliantly realized, the characters (both major and minor) are complex and vivid, and the thematic elements are handled with deftness and subtlety. Prose style is always more difficult for me to discern when I'm listening to a book, but it seemed elegant and fluid. I would love to add it to our Mock Newbery roster this year, so I can read the print edition and form a more educated opinion.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Saturday night, June 20, 1964 in Greenwood MS and Sunny Fairchild, 12, and her older stepbrother Gillette, 14,, have just snuck into the municipal pool in Greenwood MS for a forbidden nighttime swim. But as Sunny backstrokes to the edge of the pool, her hand suddenly touches someone else and as she screams and screams, a young black boy, every bit as afraid of Sunny as she is of him, runs from the pool, grabbing his clothes and a pair of new white Converse hi-tops.

Raymond Bullis, 14, just wanted to know what it was like swimming in the cool, clean "white only" pool, especially since the "black" pool had been closed for a long while now and black kids could only swim in the muddy river.

This night begins a intertwined journey which will take Sunny and Raymond through a summer of change that will impact both of their lives as each comes of age in the time that will become known as Freedom Summer

Sunny has heard so much about the so-called "invaders", as the local media refers to those "Civil Righters" coming south to help register black voters and to set up Freedom Schools for their children, but she is also dealing with "invaders" at home. Sunny was perfectly happy living with just her father and an idealized idea of her mother, a person only known to her in a photo with Miranda, age 19 written on the back. Sunny has convinced herself that her mother loved her but she left her as a baby because she needed adventures. Now, Sunny's father has just remarried and everything's changed. He's brought a new family to live in the house, stepmother Annabelle, Gillette and his little sister Audrey, 5. And even though Annabelle wants nothing more than to be a mother for Sunny, Sunny is resistant to her every attempt, testing her over and over.

For Raymond and his friends, change can't come fast enough - in fact, even SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) are too slow. But when he takes things into his own hands, he brings down all the wrath and hatred of Deputy Davis, a little too quick with physical force when it come to the activists, both black and white, and the black residents in Greenwood.

The novel is told from three points of view - Sunny, Raymond and a narrator there to fill in some of the blanks about Sunny's mother and father, as well as Annabelle's first abusive husband, a cop friend of Deputy Davis. The narrative is interspersed with photos, song lyrics, speeches, political slogans, posters, pamphlets and four of what Wiles calls "opinionated biographies" of SNCC's Bob Moses, Lyndon Johnson, the Wednesday Women and Muhammad Ali, all important figures of the Civil Rights movement, so that the reader genuinely feels wrapped up in the events of that summer along with Sunny and Raymond.

Sunny and Raymond are both believable characters, well drawn as children of the time. Sunny has always accepted the way things are, believing that the blacks on the other side of the tracks were happy with their separate but definitely not equal lives, and so Freedom Summer is a real eye opener for her.
Raymond gives the reader a credible picture of what life was like on his side of the tracks, from the lack of electricity, indoor plumbing, proper schools and recreation for kids to the threat of job loss if one dared step out of line, all designed to keep blacks down.

If there is a flaw in this book, for me it is the thankfully-not-very-time-consuming substory of the young Civil Rights activist, Jo Ellen Chapman, who reminds Sunny of her mother. Sunny, even as she realizes Jo Ellen is not really her mother, becomes a little obsessed with her, and the whole thing comes to a quick but unsatisfactory resolution by the end of the book.

As a former history teacher, I loved reading Revolution. It is a truly wonderful book, and one you won't soon forget as it brings history to life and life to history. It is the second book of a planned trilogy. The first book, Countdown, takes place in Washington D.C. and is the story of Jo Ellen's younger sister Franny, 12, and covers time of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. It is also written in the same documentary style. I am really looking forward to the third book, which takes place in 1966. 1962, 1964 and 1966 were all important, pivotal years in our recent history.

Want to know more about Freedom Summer?

Deborah Wiles has Pinterest boards for both Revolution and Countdown that have more documentary resources for interested readers who might like to follow her boards. A particular favorite of mine is the 1962 and 1964 playlists of what kids were listening to back then. Be sure to check them out.

Scholastic offers a PDF discussion guide for the Civil Rights Movement, that includes Revolution and The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell, as well as suggestions for addition books on this important topic.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library

This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=6793

Whoa. Wiles's ability to mix nonfiction with a fascinating piece of historical fiction is just brilliant.

Revolution is a perfectly-crafted look at one of the toughest times in American history. What Wiles does is truly delve into the emotions felt during the Freedom Summer and some of the smaller actions that may not have made the history books. One of my favorite things about Wiles’s Sixties Trilogy books is that she includes historical resources throughout the book that truly puts the story in context. The primary sources/stories and other embedded pieces of history really show that the narrative she has created is not truly a work of fiction. It may include fictional characters, but the setting, the feelings, the conflict, the time period, the history–those are all fact.

Revolution couldn’t work without the Sunny and her cast of characters though. This book could have gone terribly wrong if the voice, thoughts, and feelings of our protagonist were not so believable since Wiles was having us learn about such a tumultuous time through the eyes of a child. However, no need to worry about that because Sunny is perfect. She is easy to connect to and seems true. My favorite characters are those around her that push her and help change her: Annabelle, Jo Ellen, and Ray. Annabelle is so patient, truly loves Sunny, and has some of the best lines in the book; Jo Ellen is so head-strong, forward-thinking, and intelligent; and Ray is just crazy but also overwhelmingly brave.

I am part of an informal Twitter book club, and our June read was Revolution. Deborah Wiles even stopped by to chat with us! If you are interested in reading it, I archived it here. Warning: There may be spoilers if you haven’t read the book. Some of my favorite quotes from the chat that truly show the impact of the book are:

“What a brilliant idea Deborah Wiles had with these books–to embed all of the history.” -Carrie Gelson

“Sunny’s story hit my heart.” -Michele Knott

“Countdown and Revolution are like…seeing beyond the headlines.” -Cheriee Weichel

“So hard to read how something you think people could do (register) but couldn’t because of effects (lose job, name in paper, etc.)” -Michele Knott

“It took Sunny witnessing the civil unrest to grow up and realize how to accept her own life.” -Kellee Moye

“There is so much about the Civil Rights Movement that seems like it should be easy, but ignorance stops it.” Kellee Moye

“Immerse as much as possible.” -Deborah Wiles, referencing part of her research process

Favorite quote from the book: “Everything is connected. Every choice matters.Every person is vital, valuable, and worthy of respect.” pg. 361

[Kim Clifton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof, this book was a struggle. I read it at every big-name-English teacher's recommendation, and by the end, I couldn't understand how anyone had made it that far. It gets exciting in the last 100 pages, but if you do the math, that means the first 430 are nothing to write home about. I'm not sure who is supposed to read this-- adults with an interest in history that surpasses their need for plot, maybe-- but the book isn't marketed to that audience. Teens wouldn't have the patience to get through the (unlabeled!) switching narrators, unnecessary family backstory, or slew of names. (It took me 50 pages to realize that George was a tree house, another 100 that Ruth was a dog, and I still don't know who Parnell is.) I did like the "documentary-novel" style, but it was sometimes unclear how all the song lyrics, newspaper clippings, and photos connected to the story because Sunny was a pretty oblivious narrator until the end. It would have been much more interesting to follow Raymond (an activist), but nope.

I'm guessing most of the praise for this book comes from its topic, Freedom Summer. I did learn more about the civil rights movement, which was barely touched on in my high school history classes. However, just because a book's topic is important, doesn't mean the book itself is important. I hope someone comes along and writes a better story because I can't candidly recommend this book to my students. Unfortunately, Revolution will just further their assumption that historical fiction books are boring.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want this one to end.

[Jasmine O'Connnor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book was great but it trailed along a little bit and if you read the this book before the other book in the series it is only slightly confusing.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny how historical fiction can feel awfully timely

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book of Wiles’ Sixties Trilogy, two years after “Countdown”, now takes us to Mississippi in 1964 during the civil rights movement. We follow Sunny as she struggles to adjust to her new stepmother and step siblings, but hits it off real well with her stepbrother. However, an unexpected moment at their local swimming pool drastically effects their bond and Sunny’s life.

Like the first book, we get a good story along with captivating historical photos of that time period. Sunny’s story is grabbing at time, but it’s storytelling does feel off track at times and gets lost occasionally. Its moments about the civil rights movement still keeps it all fascinating. B+ (83%/Very Good)

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read with likable characters and lots of history and personal accounts. Recommend Audio so you can hear the actual historical sound bites included. A fictional story parallels actual people and civil rights movements going on in Mississippi in the 1960’s. Good for adults and teens. Don’t need to read the books in order (this is the first one for me).

“Everything is connected, every choice matters, every person is vital and valuable and worthy of respect!”

“I want to live my life in such a way that, when I have been dead 100 years somebody will know I have lived on this earth..and done good. I want to be of service!”
-Lyndon B Johnson

[Rachel Polacek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Sunny is such a strong character, and listening to part of the audiobook helped to get a picture of this awesome 12 year old. She learns a lot and grows so much, and she does it with kindness and humor.

One of my favorite lines:
“You’re getting really weird, Sunny,” whispers Polly.
“I know” is all I can whisper back. I know.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

I read Countdown by Deborah Wiles when it came out and loved it. I loved the documentary style format (with some reservations) and the story. I highly anticipated the release of the companion novel, Revolution. It was well worth waiting for and is a powerful and moving story.

Revolution chronicles the events that took place in Mississippi 40 years ago when the "invaders" came, groups of students from all over the country for Freedom Summer. Their goal was to help register black voters and teach in Freedom schools. Many of them were arrested and, three ended up missing their burned car found making national news. In this crucial and tense time in Greenwood, lives a girl named Sunny who longs for adventure and is having difficulties adjusting to the new realities of her family life. Her mother left when she was a baby and her father recently married a divorced woman with two children of her own. Sunny is tired of being told what to do and how to do it. Her life is in enough turmoil as it is when the "invaders' come to town and start stirring things up even more. Sunny is petulant and spoiled through much of the novel. (I seriously thought her parents deserved sainthood for their patience with her.) It isn't hard to understand and feel for her hurt and pain over her mother, figuring out where she fits in her new family, and watching how her new family navigates the treacherous times occurring in her town. What is nice to see is how much she grows and how realistic that growth is. Sunny never before questioned the way of life in Mississippi before this summer, but the coming of these outsiders and a chance encounter with a black boy named Ray begin to change the way she thinks.

Ray is an amazing baseball player with a desire to have what the white kids have, a chance to spend his summer playing, swimming, and seeing movies in a safe nice environment. He sees the way his parents and neighbors work and still can't make ends meet. He saw how his sister died of appendix rupture because the white doctor refused to treat her. Ray is angry and fed up. When his family takes in Jo Ellen (Franny's sister from Countdown and one of the Freedom Summer workers) and he begins to spend more time with SNCC workers, he decides to become more involved in the movement. He does things that are brave and pays some significant consequences.

Together Sunny and Ray's stories (along with a couple chapters from Sunny's step-brother Gillete's point of view) paint a vivd and wrenching picture of what that summer in Mississippi was like for all the parties involved. The supporting cast that surrounds both of them are really well done too, particularly Sunny's parents and grandmothers. Through this lens you get a real feel for all sides and thoughts of the situation during the time. From the white adults too afraid to break the status quo but knew the status quo was wrong to the ones who were brave enough to the ones who thought the status quo was just fine to the ones willing to commit violence to make sure it stayed the way it was, every angle is fully explored.

As in Countdown Wiles uses a documentary style format placing in significant and strategic places pictures, quotes, song lyrics, and primary source documents from the time. It is clear that much thought went in to what would be included, how, and where it would be placed and most of it enriches and makes the story better. And here is the one quibble I have with this and it is similar to the same one I had with Countdown though for different reasons. The essays (reports?). I honestly don't think they add anything significant to what is being done here and just end up making what is already a very long novel even longer. I think most kids would skip them entirely and that they might even throw many readers out of the story completely, which would be tragic because the rest of it is so amazingly well done. The way Wiles writes her characters, setting, and plot combined with the power of the pictures, quotes, and documents tells the story wonderfully.

Some favorite quotes:
Believe me there are only so many times you can sing "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart" before you have no more joy at all, anywhere. None. Zero. It's already as hot as blue blazes in the sixth-grade Sunday School room, and all I can feel is the hot-hot-hot-hot down to my toes. I cannot believe I'm sitting here. I didn't have any joy to begin with.

He did the right thing. When you come clean, when you tell the truth, you lift a great weight off your shoulders. It's not that you don't ever do anything you shouldn't do ever again, of course not. You're human , an sometimes the vagaries of life are just too delicious to ignore. Sometimes you are impetuous. Sometimes you are impulsive. And sometimes that's okay. Sometimes it's not. It's just that, when you know you're caught and you've done something you shouldn't have done, you own up to it.

[Jean-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this trilogy with my firstborn 5 years ago. Now that the final book in the trilogy has released, I'm reading it again with my second child. My original review still holds true. My kids and I love this story set in Greenwood, Mississippi during the 1964 Freedom Summer told through the experiences of 12-year-old Sunny Fairchild, and we think other younger readers will too. Three thumbs up!

September 20, 2015
Wow! This is a fantastic read! I don't know how she does it, but Deborah Wiles seamlessly weaves together history with fiction in her stories. Clearly, she has done her research. I said it before in my review for Countdown, the first book in this trilogy, and I'll say it again. This should be required reading for all middle school/high school readers. There are so many parallels between the civil rights movement in 1964 and what is happening with civil rights 50 years later that we would be remiss if we didn't take a look at history to solve the problems and conflicts of today.

I can't get enough of this series. I wonder what it would take to get Wiles to write a trilogy for the last 9 decades. I would read them all. In the meantime, we will patiently await the final book in the 60s trilogy. It is expected to take place in the San Francisco Bay area during the turmoil of 1968 with the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the Democratic National Convention, the Vietnam War, the counterculture, rock and roll and the antiwar movement. Looking forward to it!

[Yapha · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this epic second book in her Sixties trilogy, Deborah Wiles looks at Freedom Summer in Greenwood, Mississippi. Told through multiple points of view, as well as photographs and news clippings from the time, this is a comprehensive look at the issues behind the voter registration drive during the summer of 1964. Twelve-year-old Sunny just wants to listen to the Beatles when the SNCC & COHO "invaders" come to town. Her step-brother Gillette has his own demons, but a love of baseball over all. Ray Bullis is tired of sitting around and watching the volunteers do all the work and protesting. Each of the three of them is sorting out these issues among others on the backdrop of this volatile summer in Mississippi history. This book is not for your casual reader. It is beautifully written, and absolutely full of details and historical background information. It will appeal to lovers of historical fiction and this time period in particular. Recommended for grades 5 & up.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical fiction book "Revolution" by Deborah Wiles is about what is happening to Sunny's family and the town with the invasion of the freedom groups, this book is great for anyone who would like to learn a little bit more about our history in an interesting way. First, it tells what is happening to Sunny's town. In the beginning it says "It's 1964, and Sunny's town is being invaded. Or at least that's what the adults of Greenwood, Mississippi are saying. All Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote." Revolution is also gives lots of old, informational, pictures and articles. In the beginning it shows an article advertising the worlds fair, "Welcome to the 1964 world's fair." Any reader that wants to learn more about our history, Revolution is the book for you.

[Naima F · Rating 5 out of 5]

☀️. Revolution was a historical fiction book about the events of Freedom Day in Mississippi. The main character (Sunny) a young teenage girl who not only has to get used to her new Step-mother, brother, and sister but also the "invaders". I enjoyed this book so much because the topic really interested me, and the way Sunny's personality and her point of view made sense. The only thing I have to say is that towards the late middle of the book it got a little slow, but turned itself around with a better ending. After reading the first book in this trilogy( Freedom) and liking it so much, Revolution definitely exceeded me expectations. Overall this was another great book that I really enjoy reading. 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[Joyce Yattoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this book as I was reading I was compelled to venture off the pages and into the bibliography of this fascinating time period. The narrative that is captured of not only family life in the 1960's, but the complex relationships of people grappling with extraordinary change in the way people relate to one another during Freedom Summer is very thorough. This is a must read for young adults who feel disengaged or apathetic about the communities in which they live or the world around them.

[Paul Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps my favorite YA read ever (although I haven't read that many). A strong improvement over "Countdown," the 60's trilogy moves ahead 2 years to a new character Sunny, who lives through Greenwood's Freedom Summer in 1964 and sees how the South deals with its civil rights revolution from a child's perspective. I'm a big sucker for coming of age stories and 1960's period pieces, so this was exceptionally to my liking (even features a random Lyndon Johnson biography in the middle!) Paul says check it out.

[Kelly Mclean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the historical quotes and information tied into the fictional account of a young girl's introduction to the injustice of racist South in the 60s. It would be a great tie-in for someone to read along with a To Kill a Mockingbird teaching unit.

[Angelina Sprague · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was very confusing and wasn't really a good book. There are some parts in this book that are very twisted and sad, but also even more confusing. I just wish that I could understand it a little more properly.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: The first thing we do, me and Gillette, is make sure everybody is asleep.

Premise/plot: Revolution is the second book in the 60s trilogy by Deborah Wiles. It is set in Greenwood, Mississippi in the summer of 1964. Sunny, our heroine, is still enthralled with another invasion—a British one—when rumors of another invasion spread through town. These invaders don’t harmonize but they do seek to spread peace and harmony. Their mission is to help black residents register to vote, to end segregation, to take a stand for equal rights. Sunny is coming of age at an interesting time in America’s history. She finds herself drawn to one of the freedom righters, Jo Ellen (a character first introduced in Countdown as Franny’s older sister). But the book isn’t all about racial tensions and strife. Her family has plenty of strife and tension. Her mother abandoned her as a baby, her father has recently remarried, she now has a stepmother and step siblings. And a new baby is on the way.

My thoughts: I love, love, love this one. I love the integral role faith plays in this one. It isn’t a preachy, flashy kind of religion. No, it’s more like the Christian Faith is the skeleton beneath fully fleshed characters.

I loved Sunny as a narrator. I loved getting to know her family and friends. I loved her obsession with the Beatles. That was a pleasant surprise. I myself love the Beatles (though Paul was never ever my favorite Beatle.)

Like Countdown it’s a documentary novel. It blends pure fiction with photographs, song lyrics, quotes from primary sources, and biographical sketches of real people from the era.

Sometimes you just need a book near you and you can’t explain why. (108)

What can I say to a girl who really believes Paul McCartney is going to show up on her doorstep? What’s wrong with me that I don’t believe it, too? (119)

Believe me, there are only so many times you can sing “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” before you have no joy at all, anywhere. None. Zero. (155)

Every choice matters. Every person is vital, and valuable, and worthy of respect. (361)

”You are one of the bravest people I know.” “I am?” “You are.” “But I’m afraid all the time.” “It’s okay to be afraid,” Annabelle assures me. “I’m afraid too.” “You are?” “Yes. I am. But I know something about being afraid that helps me.” “What is it?” “I know that you don’t have to be afraid by yourself. You don’t have to be alone with what scares you.”(429)

Each of us is small, all by ourselves, but we are big, when we stick together. (495)

[Sarah Krajewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the summer of 1964, and Sunny lives in Greenwood, Mississippi. Family, friends, and neighbors keep telling her "invaders" and "agitators" are coming from the North, and she's worried. What will this mean for her? Sunny already feels like her life is tough enough as it is. Her father remarried, and now his new wife Annabelle and her two children are living with them. Sunny does, however, connect with her new step-brother Gillette. One night, they even sneak into the local pool to go swimming, only to find they are not alone. Raymond Bullis, a young Black boy about their age, is there to swim too. Soon, Sunny, Gillette, and Raymond find themselves always running into one another. What follows are various events based on what really happened during Freedom Summer.

Just like in Countdown, real images are woven in, making the story that much more real for the reader. Revolution meant so much more to me though. I felt like I was right there with Sunny the whole time, and I was proud of Jo Ellen's participation in the movement. This book will give readers a small, but vivid, look into what many people went through during Freedom Summer in Mississippi. I look forward to incorporating excerpts and images from this book within my curriculum.

[Miranda Best]

What specifics did you like or not? I really enjoyed that it was in first person. I thought that it was great to see what was going on in the characters head and her thoughts.What do you wish the author would’ve done more or less of? I think that at the end was a little disappointing. I think that the rest of the book was really great. Who would  you recommend this book for? I would recommend this book to people who want to learn about another point of view to racism Why did you read this book? My tr es archer last year recommended this book to me. I am happy she did because this was a great and inspirational book. How does this book compare to other similar books? I think that most book of racism is normally the victim but this book is about the other way around and is a great look to the other side.