Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice

by Veronica Chambers, Cory Booker (Contributor), Almarie Guerra (Narrator)

A perfect tool for young readers as they grow into the leaders of tomorrow, Veronica Chambers's inspiring collection of profiles-along with Senator Cory Booker's stirring foreword-will inspire readers of all ages to stand up for what's right.

You may only be one person, but you have the power to change the world.

Before they were activists, they were just like you and me. From Frederick Douglass to Malala Yousafzai, Joan of Arc to John Lewis, Susan B. Anthony to Janet Mock-these remarkable figures show us what it means to take a stand and say no to injustice, even when it would be far easier to stay quiet.

Resist profiles men and women who resisted tyranny, fought the odds, and stood up to bullies that threatened to harm their communities. Along with their portraits and most memorable quotes, their stories will inspire you to speak out and rise up-every single day.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, History, Social Justice, Biography, Politics, Feminism

4 pages, Audio CD

First published September 25, 2018

About the author

Veronica Chambers is a prolific author, best known for her critically acclaimed memoir, Mama’s Girl, which has been course adopted by hundreds of high schools and colleges throughout the country. The New Yorker called Mama’s Girl “a troubling testament to grit and mother love… one of the finest and most evenhanded in the genre in recent years.” Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, Ms. Chambers' work often reflects her Afro-Latina heritage.

Her most recent non-fiction book was Kickboxing Geishas: How Japanese Women are Changing their Nation. Her other non-fiction books include The Joy of Doing Things Badly: A Girl’s Guide to Love, Life, and Foolish Bravery. She has also written more than a dozen books for children, most recently Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa and the body confidence Y/A novel, Plus. Her teen series, Amigas, is a collaboration between Chambers, producer Jane Startz, and Jennifer Lopez.

Veronica spent two seasons as an executive story editor for CW’s hit series Girlfriends, and earned a BET Comedy Award for her script work on that series. She has also written and developed projects for Fox and the N.

Veronica has contributed to several anthologies, including the best-selling Bitch in the House, edited by Cathi Hanuaer, and Mommy Wars, edited by Leslie Morgan Steiner.

A graduate of Simon’s Rock College at Bard, she and her husband have endowed three scholarships at the college in the fields of music and literature. She has been the recipient of several awards including the Hodder fellowship for emerging novelists at Princeton University and a National Endowment for the Arts fiction award. She speaks, reads and writes Spanish, but she is truly fluent in Spanglish. She lives with her husband and daughter in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of 35 biographical profiles introduces young readers to a diverse range of heroes who stood up against injustice. Sometimes, I found this book profoundly moving, but I cannot recommend it, because the author omitted and misrepresented facts in some of the chapters. Biographical sketches that span three to five pages can only contain so much information; however, if you undertake the project of educating children about history's heroes, you have a responsibility to include and fact-check the most important elements of their lives and legacies.

This book spans from 1429 to the present. Each chapter begins with a beautiful portrait of its subject, and a quote that sums up their ideology or approach to justice. At the end, the author synthesizes that person's legacy into a "Resist Lesson," and even though some of these are cheesy and trite, others are thought-provoking. For example, the one that celebrates Samuel Adams’s labor for American independence states, "The steadiness of commitment can do more in the long term than unsustainable sparks." One of the positive aspects of this book was how thoroughly it covered different forms of resistance, showing that our actions are worthwhile even when they don’t seem glamorous.

This book contains a lot of important lessons, and its chapters cover people of different sexes, races, nationalities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, ages, and personal causes. This diverse approach to the topic of resistance serves as a primer on a vast number of different social issues, but because of this, many people will read and recommend this title without realizing how limited the material actually is. Even though this book seems thorough, many of its chapters leave out important information.


Exhibit A: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This chapter begins with the famous quote, “The church… must not simply bandage the victims under the wheel of oppression, but put a spoke in the wheel itself.” Great line! However, according to this book, when Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and got involved in the resistance there, all he did was work against the Gestapo by helping evacuate Jewish refugees. That was a wonderful, brave, humanitarian thing, but do you know what ELSE Bonhoeffer did? This man joined a conspiracy to try to ASSASSINATE HITLER.

That fact is JUST SLIGHTLY IMPORTANT. That quote about putting “a spoke in the wheel itself” isn’t just an observation. It crystallizes the reasoning behind Bonhoeffer’s soul-searching decision to put aside his pacifistic convictions and actively engage in efforts to end Hitler’s life. Unfortunately, he and his co-conspirators failed in their repeated efforts, and Bonhoeffer went to prison. The Nazis executed him on April 9, 1945, just shortly before the end of the war. THIS MATTERS.

Bonhoeffer is one of my personal heroes, and when you rip out the most important elements of his story, you disrespect his sacrifices. This gentle, studious pastor was willing to take drastic measures to resist the epitome of evil, and he paid for this resistance with his life. Telling his story without these details does injustice to his legacy, misleads readers, and forfeits an opportunity to deeply inspire.


Exhibit B: Sitting Bull

This chapter ends on a triumphant note, with Sitting Bull and his tribe defeating US General Custer and his troops. That’s nice, but white Americans killed Sitting Bull in a later confrontation, and you can’t just ignore this. Telling a story of resistance requires context, and if you’re asking children to rise up and resist tyranny in their day, you should be honest about the fact that a lot of these people died while doing so.

(Note: This was the one thing I had to research after reading the book. I wasn’t 100% sure that he died because of the US government, but all it took was a Google search to learn that he died in an encounter with police.)


Exhibit C: Harvey Milk

The chapter on this gay-rights advocate and politician fails to mention that he designed the Gay Pride flag. That seemed odd, but then the chapter ended like this: “Harvey had a lot of fun that first year in office. He became known as an effective lawmaker who also loved to pull pranks. Having fun and doing good, that was the Harvey Milk way.”

AND THEN SOMEONE ASSASSINATED HIM.

Facts matter, folks. You can’t just cut off your chapter at a high point! You have to be honest about what life was actually like for Harvey Milk, and how his advocacy for himself and people like him ultimately cost him his life. This book is an absolute joke. “He had a lot of fun! He liked to play pranks! Pay no attention to the fact-checker behind the curtain!”

I just hope no kid ever uses this book as a source for a school assignment, because it's so selective in which facts it thinks young readers should know. Does this woman just have something against death? Does she think that middle grade readers are old enough to start resisting injustice, but too young to grapple with the potential costs?


Exhibit D: Martin Luther

Now we get to MY FAVORITE! Complete misrepresentation of key facts!

Up to this point, I’ve only written about omissions, but in the chapter about Martin Luther, the author sums up his split with the Catholic Church like this: “He dreamed of a simpler way – a church where people could pray in their own language, where men and women could take their prayers directly to their god. He believed forgiveness should be not bought, but earned.”

That last sentence is a LIE.

Luther believed in grace. He knew that people could never earn forgiveness, because after years of long, painful struggle, trying to attain holiness and atone for his sins through religious obligations, he learned that he didn’t have to go through church ritual or his own good works to meet God. Instead, Jesus serves as the mediator between God and man. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not, and in his death on the cross, he bore the punishment for human sin. When someone accepts Jesus's sacrifice in faith, believing that it is enough to make them right with God, Jesus’s righteousness is credited to their account. They are forgiven, and they have God's approval without having to earn it. As Luther famously claimed, salvation is through Christ alone, through grace alone, through faith alone, for the glory of God alone.

This is the gospel that Luther believed and spent the rest of his life propagating. As soon as he understood that salvation came through grace, not works, he experienced tremendous relief, no longer spending his life plagued with doubt and fear. The reason he split with the Catholic Church, and the reason that he had the courage to do so, was because he knew they were peddling a false gospel. He couldn’t stand for that. He wasn’t just concerned about religious freedom in the abstract, or greater equity for common people, although these were important. He believed that the Catholic Church had abandoned the fundamentals of true faith.

I don’t expect a short biographical sketch to delve into all those details and implications, but the least it can do is avoid OUTRIGHT FALSEHOOD. It’s understandable that someone would think, “Well, if he didn’t think people should buy forgiveness, he must have thought they should earn it,” but a quick glance at the Wikipedia entry about Martin Luther would show otherwise.

Even though it appears that this woman's research didn't even reach Wikipedia-levels of accuracy, she does list recommended resources in the back pages of this book. These include a documentary and graphic novel about Martin Luther, but she must not have paid close attention to either, because how could she miss this key detail? I know nothing about her religious beliefs, but even if Protestant Christianity seems irrelevant to her, she still has a responsibility to present facts accurately, and Martin Luther did NOT think that anyone should earn forgiveness. He knew that no one could.

This book is such a disappointment. It has a great concept, beautiful pictures, inspiring quotes, and some great stories, but because I had the historical knowledge to tear apart some of its chapters, I felt no confidence in the rest. Whenever I read a chapter about someone I wasn’t familiar with, I had to keep telling myself, “You don’t know how accurate this is. You don’t know what she’s leaving out, or what she’s misrepresenting.” That’s not a very inspiring experience.

Although some chapters in this book are just fine the way they are, this book as a whole does not pass the fact check muster. I wish that I had an alternate title to recommend, but unfortunately, I don’t know of another book that accomplishes the same goal with the same scope and diversity. I hope that other people will write similar projects in the future, because this book is not enough. Kids may read it and feel inspired, and I hope they go on to do great things, but this book is too weighed down with egregious omissions and even outright lies to fill the gap it seeks to address in juvenile literature.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific introduction to themes of social justice for YA readers (or middle-grade listeners), spanning centuries of resistance ranging from Joan of Arc and Martin Luther to the women's marchers and students of Parkland, Fla.

Each biography is no more than two or three pages, which is both the book's strength and weakness. On the one hand, this allows children – and adults! – to easily grasp the life and importance of figures they might not learn about in school such as Ida B. Wells or Oscar Romero. On the other hand, for those of us who know the fuller story, it's easy to see where certain aspects are brushed over or ignored. (In what must have been an intentional decision with which I disagree, the martyrdom of several of these subjects – e.g., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harvey Milk and Romero – are not mentioned.) There's also a bit of a recency bias at play; surely, more than four people could be found from before the mid-19th century, and I'm not sure we needed six people or groups from the 21st.

But any project like this is going to be subject to that sort of criticism, which is part of the fun and I'd argue a sign for hope and further inspiration (and, who knows, maybe an opportunity for a sequel?). The bios themselves are well written for young readers and relentlessly encourage them to find a way of resisting that works for them – whether that's writing, protesting, entering politics or organizing – and to persist despite the inevitable opposition that will face them.

As a Christian, I also appreciated that although approaching justice from a secular perspective, it resists painting religion as necessarily opposing justice, including Christians like Bonhoeffer, Romero and William Barber who resisted (or continue to resist) right-wing oppression and violence.

Fair warning: If you're opposed to movements for social justice, you will not enjoy this book. And, frankly, if you are, you probably need to spend some time figuring out why you oppose equal treatment for all people anyway.

But if you want to introduce your children – or yourself – to a host of characters, some familiar some not, who resisted the forces of oppression in their time and serve as inspiration in our own time, this is a great resource.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a digital review copy through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.

This brief, collected biography includes not only common, household names from history, but lesser-known people as well (a few I had not heard of before). While it's always nice to read about the usual important people, it is refreshing to read about other courageous people I probably never would have otherwise. Overall, a decent collection of biographies of tenacious people.
Something important I feel is missing are the dates/years the subjects lived, and their locations. This information would have been nice to have at the beginning of the subject's section along with their name. The hashtag #Resist and one date is included with each subject's name, though, which does add a bit of reference. The phrase #ResistLesson at the end of each section was also a little much, partially because hashtags are over-used and partially due to the very overt attempt at edification.

[David Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t recall where I came across this book. Each chapter is very short (no more than 3 pages) and highlights the stories of ordinary people who have stood up against various forms of oppression and injustice. The people featured in the book come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and countries, and their stories cover a wide range of issues such as racism, sexism, environmental degradation, political oppression, and more.

One of the strengths of this book is the diversity of the individuals featured. The author has done an excellent job of selecting people from different parts of the world and with different backgrounds. This makes the book an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about social justice movements beyond their immediate circle of experience.

However, the profiles are relatively short, and as a result, some of the stories feel somewhat superficial. While the author does provide enough information to give readers a sense of each person's motivations and actions, it would have been nice to have a more in-depth exploration of each individual's life and work. Likewise, some of the profiles feel a bit repetitive. While each person's story is unique, there are certain themes that come up repeatedly, such as the power of community organizing and the importance of persistence in the face of adversity. While these themes are undoubtedly important, the repetitive nature of some of the profiles can make the book feel a bit monotonous at times.

The book would be a great gift for children who don’t know much about these historic and individuals that are profiled. I plan on giving it to my grandkids. But for a well-read student of history it is too brief. I have read book length biographies on most of the subjects. I commend Chambers for trying to summarize the lives of some truly great and courageous individuals, but for a mature reader it is not enough.

[LeeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful introduction to many historical figures and their contributions to society. The author chose a diverse group of people to highlight, with beautiful portraits of them before each chapter. At the end of each chapter, I wanted just a little bit more information about the heroes, and I’m happy that the author provided additional information at the end of the book - books, movies, and podcasts are included. I realize this is a book for middle grade/young adult, but I think there could have been a bit more information in each of the chapters.

My favorite stories were about Chiune Sugihara, a Japanes ambassador to Lithuania during WWII who granted thousands of visas to Jewish people, saving thousands of lives, and Hedy Lamarr, a beautiful Hollywood actress who invented a device during WWII that jammed radio signals by frequency hopping. She gave this invention to the Navy and it soon became standard in military communications. She said, “Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.”

I loved the format of the book - moving in chronological order, a quote from each hero, and their “Resist” lesson at the end. It is an inspiring book that will make you shake your head in not understanding some actions by oppressors and cheering for those that refuse to be oppressed. I could see this being used in Lit Circles and broken up into pieces for different groups to concentrate on. This would make a good addition to the Texas Lone Star List.

[Lartemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In addition to the Covid 19 pandemic, my country is now rocked by the horrendous killing of George Floyd, the most recent death of too many deaths of young black people killed by racists, both police and civilian. In support of the protests, several news sites have published lists of books that parents, teachers, and grandmothers like me, can use with children to help them understand. This book, Resist, was on one of those lists.

The author has picked 35 people, predominately but not exclusively American, who over the last 600 years have stood up to tyranny and injustice. The people range from Joan of Arc to Malala, from Galileo to Gandhi. Designed primarily for 4th-8th graders, the author uses #Resist as a catch-phrase. At the end of each profile she writes: #Resist Lesson: followed by what the student can learn from that person. Some of my favorites are: It is just one word, but these 6 letters are enough to start a revolution: Enough!; We must speak for the voiceless; Sometimes you have to break the rules to do what's right; and You are not too young (and I might add: You are not too old).

If I were still teaching, especially upper elementary and middle school kids, I could see using one essay a week as a starting off place for a classroom discussion. I would not use all the essays, but some are excellent. It might be prudent to clear it with the principal first as some of the essays deal with subject which might make some parents uncomfortable: gay rights and gender reassignment to name two. I see that these essays about people, some very famous, and some less so, could be a starting place for discussions of bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia, and other issues that are people of all ages are facing.

I listened to the audiobook on my Hoopla account. I'm glad I spent the day with this book. Do read some of the other reviews, especially Panda Incognito, who speaks out against the book. That reviewer makes valid points that I also agree with. My review reflects my feelings today and at this time.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It has a variety of diverse biographies about people who have resisted injustice throughout history. I like how it included people I had not heard of before and included more recent people. A perfect book for the classroom :)

[aarifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always great to learn about these amazing and inspiring people again and again!

[Brennan Boucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great selection of resistance leaders! Thoroughly enjoyed learning about these men and women who have worked for change around our world.

[Carys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe would work better reading it rather than as an audiobook as it‘s quite short!

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never wanted to get a book removed from a library before, but because this book is supposed to be historical and is also geared for middle grades, and was also featured at my local branch, I’m actually concerned that it’s misinformation. How can you even talk about Black Lives Matter without mentioning police violence or white supremacy? And also erase Trayvon’s murder? And then have a whole paragraph about All Lives Matter and “reverse racism.”

How do you feature Janet Mock but not explain what being transgender means or that transphobia exists? These biographies are so sanitized that they are without context & often just … inaccurate. There’s features of people who helped Jews escape, but no mention of the Holocaust. Or Hitler.

And no one’s assassination is ever included. That feels disrespectful to people who risked death to resist oppression.

Also erases queerness, only features one disabled person, and as a supercrip, with an actual “so people don’t see her disability but her abilities” line. This book is so weird. I don’t get it. And it’s offensive that it’s called Resist.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a nice overview of people throughout history and from several different cultures who fought against various forms of oppression. Several of these stories have rather sad, even tragic endings that the author tends to gloss over or skip altogether in pursuit of the greater thesis on the power of resistance. This book is definitely middle reader, and not YA. This is a 5th-6th grade level book. As such, it is a great introduction to its concept, and does a good job of being inclusive of different races, genders, and causes. There is probably not a lot for older readers, except perhaps to introduce them to a few less famous, but still important and interesting figures from recent history.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I wanted, still a good dip-of-the-toe I imagine for young teenagers. A lot of detail left out or glazed over. Missing dates or some needed contextual facts, and they forget to mention substantial things, like figures that were killed soon after the brief chapter in question ends. Like Harvey Milk's chapter with him not dead. Kinda can't leave that reality out. This is essentially an "Amuse-bouche" intended to lead the reader through a sampler, hoping they'll explore other, deeper readings and histories elsewhere. Generally, while well-intended, I'd call this a pass. I'd recommend instead "Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls" or "Into the streets : a young person's visual history of protest in the United States" instead.

[MrsB · Rating 3 out of 5]

35 entries, each with a date from their lifetime (though I couldn’t pinpoint what made each date so important), their name, a quote, a brief description of their achievements/life, and a lesson or question to be taken from it.

Although it was interesting, the brevity doesn’t do it many favours, and it’s very American centric. It is an interesting way of introducing people and events, but I felt like it glossed over key parts in some of the histories, and the lessons felt like reiterations of the same point, summed up by the introductory quote:

‘Never let your inability to do everything, undermine your determination to do something’

Here are the ‘dates’, people and lessons:
- 1429 - Joan of Arc. Q. What was I born to do?
- 1517 - Martin Luther. Lesson: one voice can shake the earth
- 1609 - Galileo Galilei. Lesson: ask questions. There is no end to what is waiting to be discovered
- 1773 - Samuel Adams. Lesson: the steadiness of commitment can do more in the long term than unsustainable sparks
- 1841 - Frederick Douglass. Lesson: it is just one word, but these six letters are enough to start a revolution: enough!
- 1850 - Sojourner Truth. Lesson: we all have the power to speak up and speak out
- 1853 - Susan B Anthony. Lesson: sisterhood can fuel a revolution
- 1860 - Lozen the Apache warrior. Lesson: your most powerful weapon is you mind
- 1865 - Sitting Bull. Lesson: the first step is to stand your ground)
- 1881 - Queen Liliuokalani. Lesson: do not let fear of failure prevent you from trying
- 1883 - Lucretia Mott. Lesson: the books we read can change our lives, and the world
- 1892 - Ida B Wells. Lesson: injustice thrives in silence. When we speak and write our truth, things change
- 1906 - Mohandas Gandhi. Lesson: you don’t have to use your fists)
- 1911 - Emiliano Zapata. Lesson: we must speak for the voiceless)
- 1933 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Lesson: the instinct to run away is natural. It’s how we respond to that instinct which defines our courage
- 1940 - Chiune Sugihara. Lesson: sometimes you must break the rules to do what’s right
- 1942 - Hedy Lamarr. Lesson: every solution begins with a question ‘what if?’
- 1944 - Nelson Mandela. Lesson: we do not need to see ourselves as heroes to change the world
- 1945 - Oskar Schindler. Lesson: whoever saves one life saves the world entire
- 1959 - The 14th Dalaï Lama. Lesson: the people who want to do good are the real majority, troublemakers make up just a handful of all the people in the world
- 1962 - Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez. Lesson: honour the hands that harvest your crops
- 1962 - Fannie Lou Hamer. Lesson: our vote is one of the most valuable things we own
- 1962 - Rachel Carson. Lesson: Earth is our home. When we fight for nature, we fight for ourselves
- 1963 - John Lewis. Lesson: find a way to get in the way
- 1965 - Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. Lesson: in our differences we can spur each other to a common cause
- 1969 - Miriam Makeba. Lesson: he people who make art, the people who sing songs, they give hope and sustenance to the resistance
- 1972 - Harvey Milk. Lesson: oppression isolates us, resistance unites us
- 1977 - Wangari Maathai. Lesson: in forestry, as in life, there are too many people cutting, and not enough people planting
- 1980 - Archbishop Oscar Romero. Lesson: our silence does not protect us
- 2009 - Malala Yousafzai. Lesson: you are not too young
- 2011 - Janet Mock. Lesson: freedom must be inclusive
- 2013 - Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. Lesson: we can’t take for granted the rights we cherish, they need continual protecting
- 2013 - Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. Lesson: injustice need not render you powerless
- 2016 - Anastasia Somoza. Lesson: the world may look at you and say you can’t, you must know in your heart that you can
- 2017 - The million women of The Women’s March. Lesson: always be ready to March again

[C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book presented historical figures and resistance movements in a very uneven, limited, and truncated manner, often leaving out major, key factual details about their lives—and deaths (!)—that are crucial to understanding them in a larger political and historical context. The book was also riddled with factual errors that could’ve been easily avoided had the authors and their editors done their due diligence regarding their respective research and editing responsibilities. Previous reviewers have already covered/pointed out several specific examples, so I won’t retread them here. Given that this book was written as an educational resource for young readers, one would expect the author to take more care in representing these featured historical figures in the most responsible and factually accurate manner possible. At times, this book could be incredibly inspiring and profound, while at others, it could be eye-rollingly cheesy and trite. All in all, it was a very mixed reading experience; I suppose one could “take the meat and leave the bones,” but for younger readers who may not be familiar with the factual details behind the movements and historical figures mentioned in this book, I’d suggest skipping this book and looking elsewhere for better and more complete information.

[Lollie George · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Many students, however, will be turned off at the idea of reading about 35 different people who aren't pop stars. I love the main theme of "resistance" and the way Veronica Chambers ties together people whose lives span almost 600 years, and dozens of countries of the world. The 35 lives are presented in chronological order. Each biographical sketch is 2-3 pages in length. Beautiful charcoal-like portraits begin each persons chapter, but Paul Ryding the illustrator isn't given visible credit. The design and font graphics will speak to my middle school students because it is easy to decipher the main point Chambers is making with each person's entry. I found it very helpful in reminding me of important people I have learned about, but forgotten and it introduced me to important people that were previously unknown to me. I think a fun project for a group of kids would be to find a web site on each of these people and create a QR code to put on a sticky note and include in each chapter of the book.
Chambers includes many resources for more information on each person in the back.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, timely nonfiction! Each chapter chronologicals revolutionaries from Joan of Arc (one of my faves) to the women in the Women's March, other standout chapters included Galileo, Lozen the Apache Warrior, Queen Liliuokalani, Malala Yousafzai, and Mariam Makeba. I especially liked the resist lessons at the end of each chapter, like "The people who want to do good are the real majority. Troublemakers make up just a handful of all the people in the world," from The Dalai Lama chapter and "In forestry, as in life, there are too many people cutting and not enough people planting," from the Wangari Maathai chapter. I think if this book was published later, Greta Thunberg and Ruth Bader might be included too. Overall, a valuable, inspiring, and empowering read -- the message of fear being natural and using it as fuel especially resonated with me, as all of these revolutionaries experienced anger and fear and were "human" unlike the fearless, tempered superheroes we sometimes think we have to be in order to make a difference.

[Dan Allbery · Rating 4 out of 5]

One voice can shake the earth.

The books we read can change our lives--and the world.

You are not too young.

Resist is such a fitting text for the time we are living in. There are so many things I appreciate about this book. It is an opportunity to help young minds get their feet wet. A dip into what is resistance and why it is invaluable, both historically and today. These short profile pieces are great entry points for young people to get a snapshot of "good trouble[makers]" that could possibly build interest and launch further research and reading. From a teachers perspective, these are great mentor texts and could easily be used for jigsaw activities and writing launches. I particularly liked the profiles of Sitting Bull, Ida B. Wells, Emiliano Zapata, the Dalai Lama, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the Million Women of the Women's March. A great text to have in young readers' hands. Recommended GR 5-7.

[Makaila C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time reading this because it’s such a quick and easy read with a lot of valuable quotes.

“Never let your inability to do everything undermine your determination to do something.”

“We may never know the full impact of the choices we make and the things we do to stand up for one another and fight for one another. But we must remember that even one action in the cause of justice and righteousness has the power to leap time and space and change the course of history.”

“The steadiness of commitment can do more in the long term than unsustainable sparks.”

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

“You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail.”

“Injustice is weakened the minute you bear witness to it by writing it down… the way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them. Injustice thrives in silence.”

“Honor the hands that harvest your crops.”

[CMC · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I appreciate most about this collection is its balance. It features the profiles of well-known historical figures such as Susan B. Anthony, Mohandas Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr., but also lesser-known figures such as Lozen the Apache Warrior, Chiune Sugihara, and Wangari Maathai. Resisters are fighting against discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, as well as fighting for the right to be educated, the right to vote, or the right to fair representation. It also includes six profiles of individuals, or groups, whose resistance made a great impact on society over the past decade. This book serves as a great primer for young people beginning to explore social activism and is probably best-suited for middle grade readers.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Resist by Veronica Chambers offers 35 short summaries of ways that ordinary people stood up to injustice. Chambers organizes her book chronologically and usually spends 2-4 pages per resister.

Although reading short biographical pieces on different people isn't in my reading wheelhouse, I really appreciated all of the parallels that Chambers was able to highlight in resistors from Samuel Adams to Sitting Bull to Ghandi to Chavez to Garza, Cullors, and Tometi. She highlighted the idea that anyone, no matter their age, gender, social class, or background, can cause change.

I think this book has a great place in a classroom library, and I could see it being used as a reference, especially at the beginning of a unit of study on groundbreakers or change-makers.

[Angela King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grades 3-6
Biography
This book includes powerful short biographies of some of the most inspiring people this Earth has known... from Joan of Arc, to Fredrick Douglas, to Lozan the Apache Warrior. Each of the bio's are paired with a quote, a moral, and a # if students want to connect with others that were inspired by the same person over the internet.

This book could be a great jumping off place for students to become inspired by, research, and learn more about these brave men and women. Following student's individual explorations, they can create a final project to share with the class. During sharing time, student's should have an opportunity to discuss why they were inspired by the particular person.

[Crystal]

I wish I could recommend this, but it is difficult to do that when there are no citations for the information presented. In addition, it is a very rose-colored glasses book. With Joan of Arc, readers find out that she was burned at the stake, but multiple other people were assassinated and that is never mentioned. I know that would take a bit of the shine off for those thinking about resisting, but it just really seemed that should be part of the stories. There are some amazing people highlighted and some of them seldom get to be seen on the pages of a book, but readers walk away with very incomplete information even beyond the deaths. There were other omissions too. It was a rose-colored glasses type of view.

[Mary T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I logged in, anticipating giving a 5 star review because of how much I enjoyed this book, and then I read a review about some of the misrepresentations and falsehoods in the book. Eek. Well, I'm still giving it five stars because I liked the varied selection of people well-known and obscure, from all walks of life. I'd like to have my sons listen to some if not all of these to give them a quick snapshot into heroic people's lives. We could also pick some to research or read about more in depth. I will say that the two main ones that deal with LGBTQ issues are Harvey Milk and Janet Mock. The one on the women's march also touches briefly on it. So, 5 stars not because the book is perfect but because I enjoyed it and learned from it.

[Ju · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy this book as an introduction to these people and I did find it inspiring, I wasn't a fan of how some of the profiles were written. A few had a "happy ever after" feel to them, and some just didn't seem to make a lot of sense as to why that person was resisting...like, they were just written so vaguely and it made me wonder why the author even chose those people if she wasn't going to add a bit more about why they resisted.
I do plan on reading more about the people featured in this book by reading other books about them (either a memoir, autobiography, or biography)

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is good for an introduction, but it does feel lacking. I kept waiting for Marsha P Johnson to be mentioned, and for IdleNoMore. The mention of the the Million Women March and history of women marches... but no mention of #MMIW... I know the history of resisting is large and you can't include everything or everyone but... to open with Joan of Arc and exclude the more timely and relevent... It feels off. Would still recommend for students, but with the added recommendation to look into these people and movements more. Because it def doesn't end with this book.

[RaeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

We used this book to study men and women of influence for our homeschool. I loved introducing our son to so many new faces of leadership. We kept a notebook of all the Resist Lessons and the Resist quotes. Each mini chapter took just minutes to read and sparked good questions and discussion. We then used the internet to look up more information about each person and watched videos or listened to music or read additional articles. It was a great way to get introduced to parts of history that sometimes have not been taught. I highly recommend it.!

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring book with a good choice of subjects. The forward by Cory Booker was excellent. Each profile provided just enough information to make the reader want to learn more. I really enjoyed the quotes at the end of each section, particularly Fannie Lou Hamer's p. 132 "Our vote is one of the most valuable things we own." I was a little surprised that the entries for Harvey Milk, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X did not mention their deaths by assassination.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook with my kids in the car. I loved the 35 stories of courageous humans from all over the world. It’s kid friendly, really, it’s written for late elementary schoolers. Of the characters I knew, I really appreciated the message. I have read that some folks would have appreciated more details on certain characters. Either way, I think it’s a great introduction to the Resistors for kids!! As always, I learned something new as an adult reading with my kid!!

[Artemis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, since it is a really great read about social justice for those who want to know more about it. However, this serves more as a general introduction, because the chapters are only a few pages. This is a good and a bad thing, as people can generally understand historical and current activists, but doesn't give a comprehensive view of any of them and leaves out important details.