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Kent State
An exploration of one of the darkest moments in our history, when American troops killed four American students protesting the Vietnam War.
May 4, 1970.
Kent State University.
As protestors roil the campus, National Guardsmen are called in. In the chaos of what happens next, shots are fired and four students are killed. To this day, there is still argument of what happened and why.
Told in multiple voices from a number of vantage points -- protestor, Guardsman, townie, student.
May 4, 1970.
Kent State University.
As protestors roil the campus, National Guardsmen are called in. In the chaos of what happens next, shots are fired and four students are killed. To this day, there is still argument of what happened and why.
Told in multiple voices from a number of vantage points -- protestor, Guardsman, townie, student.
132 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2020
96 people are currently reading
5158 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Wiles
20 books430 followersDeborah 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,070 reviews
January 14, 2025
Upday, January 2025: As the incoming 2025 Presidential administration promises to use the military to counter (anti-administration) protests, I encourage you to learn or remember that this country killed demonstrators for peacefully protesting American policies regarding the Viet Nam War.
Original review: Ohio, sung live in 1971 by Neil Young, solo acoustic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVMG...
Survivors from Kent State speak, 50 years later, in May, 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I26iW...
On May 4, 1970 (just about fifty years ago today!!! omg!!) I was a 17-year-old junior in a parochial (Christian, Dutch Reformed) high school. A young man raised in a conservative Dutch church, I was radicalized by my growing opposition to the Viet Nam War and had by then already traveled a couple times from Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor to attend meetings of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) and even one meeting of the Black Panthers. I had helped organize sit-ins and walk-outs over the war and the riots/killings of the Kennedys and MLK, but I have to say I still joined with hundreds of thousands of (especially young) Americans in being shocked and outraged at the speech by Richard Nixon admitting that for some time he had secretly and illegally authorized the bombing of Cambodia (what he called an “incursion” instead of an “invasion”).
The majority of the country (and most of the world) were by 1970 against the war, which had been “justified” by the lies of JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Robert McNamara (see The Pentagon Papers) and others who had known the loss of 58,000 American BOYS--including my cousin Dan Vanden Berg--and millions of dollars used to destroy Vietnam with its bombs in order to beat them into submission would not lead to victory or even be justified in any sense. (Vietnam in 1995 released its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides, including some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war).
So, in a small midwestern and very much politically middle-American town of Kent, Ohio, wherein lies Kent State University (hardly a bastion of radicalism), students someties angrily and mostly peacefully protested this movement in the war that would most affect them and not their elders. At this point in the war (that lasted twenty eight years, give or take a year), if you did poorly in school at the time you--if you were male--could be drafted to die in a war no one by this time saw was in any sense patriotic to serve.
So things got a bit out of hand, as Wiles shows in her book that tries to be fair to all perspectives in what she nevertheless correctly identifies as the “murders” of four young people (children, really, as were our soldiers in Nam) and the injuring (including one permanently paralyzed) of nine others within thirteen minutes and with 67 shots by the Ohio National Guard. 13 other young students were killed by police and National Guard units in the coming weeks of May 1970 all around the country. Many, many more were shot and shot at. People were enraged at the killings and some of us still are! What I like in the book is that the killed students are briefly brought to life. We get to know about them and their largely tame, non-violent and scholarly backgrounds. One was late to Speech class. None of them were ever established as "radicals."
Polls showed that a majority of Americans felt the shootings were justified at the time. Kent residents had heard that “outside agitators” had infiltrated and radicalized the campus, but students were also enraged to have the National Guard suddenly occupy their campus. Some folks had set the (old, to be demolished, but still property, I admit it!) KSU ROTC building on fire, and at one point several windows were broken. But let me tell you: The murders of those children were abominable and in no way justified, even though a letter to the editor of the local paper said he wished many more students had been killed and some people living there still feel this way. They were unarmed and engaging in largely peaceful civil disobedience, their right as Americans. The university President was AWOL, the mayor of the town was new and over-reacted, and the National Guard command was underprepared and stupid to give the “lock and load” order to shoot unarmed students (though some of them were throwing sticks and stones at the soldiers to try and chase them off campus).
I did not particularly like the short production I heard on audiotape of this book. I didn't like the set-up of the older couple fighting over details of the times throughout. It is not a great book and too short but is targeted to middle grades kids who need to know about student activism, and it is fueled by great passion and a desire to hear all sides of the story, which I appreciate, so I was for those reasons tempted to give this four stars, but hey, by three stars I mean I liked it, it was good, over all. I loved her great and personal appendix narrative where I got more resources to look into. If you are interested, go yourself to the Kent State University special collections; everything is there. And much of it is digitized.
One short book I ordered that she says was invaluable:
This We Know: A Chronology of the Shootings at Kent State, May 1970, Carole Barbato and Laura Davis
Here’s some more music she cites from the period:
Marvin Gaye got letters from Nam from his brother and heard things that disturbed him about it all, and wrote this wonderful song, “What’s Goin’ On”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kA3...
“War” by Edwin Starr:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQHUA...
Country Joe and “The Fish “Fixin’ to Die Rag”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dATyZ...
Original review: Ohio, sung live in 1971 by Neil Young, solo acoustic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVMG...
Survivors from Kent State speak, 50 years later, in May, 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I26iW...
On May 4, 1970 (just about fifty years ago today!!! omg!!) I was a 17-year-old junior in a parochial (Christian, Dutch Reformed) high school. A young man raised in a conservative Dutch church, I was radicalized by my growing opposition to the Viet Nam War and had by then already traveled a couple times from Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor to attend meetings of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) and even one meeting of the Black Panthers. I had helped organize sit-ins and walk-outs over the war and the riots/killings of the Kennedys and MLK, but I have to say I still joined with hundreds of thousands of (especially young) Americans in being shocked and outraged at the speech by Richard Nixon admitting that for some time he had secretly and illegally authorized the bombing of Cambodia (what he called an “incursion” instead of an “invasion”).
The majority of the country (and most of the world) were by 1970 against the war, which had been “justified” by the lies of JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Robert McNamara (see The Pentagon Papers) and others who had known the loss of 58,000 American BOYS--including my cousin Dan Vanden Berg--and millions of dollars used to destroy Vietnam with its bombs in order to beat them into submission would not lead to victory or even be justified in any sense. (Vietnam in 1995 released its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides, including some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war).
So, in a small midwestern and very much politically middle-American town of Kent, Ohio, wherein lies Kent State University (hardly a bastion of radicalism), students someties angrily and mostly peacefully protested this movement in the war that would most affect them and not their elders. At this point in the war (that lasted twenty eight years, give or take a year), if you did poorly in school at the time you--if you were male--could be drafted to die in a war no one by this time saw was in any sense patriotic to serve.
So things got a bit out of hand, as Wiles shows in her book that tries to be fair to all perspectives in what she nevertheless correctly identifies as the “murders” of four young people (children, really, as were our soldiers in Nam) and the injuring (including one permanently paralyzed) of nine others within thirteen minutes and with 67 shots by the Ohio National Guard. 13 other young students were killed by police and National Guard units in the coming weeks of May 1970 all around the country. Many, many more were shot and shot at. People were enraged at the killings and some of us still are! What I like in the book is that the killed students are briefly brought to life. We get to know about them and their largely tame, non-violent and scholarly backgrounds. One was late to Speech class. None of them were ever established as "radicals."
Polls showed that a majority of Americans felt the shootings were justified at the time. Kent residents had heard that “outside agitators” had infiltrated and radicalized the campus, but students were also enraged to have the National Guard suddenly occupy their campus. Some folks had set the (old, to be demolished, but still property, I admit it!) KSU ROTC building on fire, and at one point several windows were broken. But let me tell you: The murders of those children were abominable and in no way justified, even though a letter to the editor of the local paper said he wished many more students had been killed and some people living there still feel this way. They were unarmed and engaging in largely peaceful civil disobedience, their right as Americans. The university President was AWOL, the mayor of the town was new and over-reacted, and the National Guard command was underprepared and stupid to give the “lock and load” order to shoot unarmed students (though some of them were throwing sticks and stones at the soldiers to try and chase them off campus).
I did not particularly like the short production I heard on audiotape of this book. I didn't like the set-up of the older couple fighting over details of the times throughout. It is not a great book and too short but is targeted to middle grades kids who need to know about student activism, and it is fueled by great passion and a desire to hear all sides of the story, which I appreciate, so I was for those reasons tempted to give this four stars, but hey, by three stars I mean I liked it, it was good, over all. I loved her great and personal appendix narrative where I got more resources to look into. If you are interested, go yourself to the Kent State University special collections; everything is there. And much of it is digitized.
One short book I ordered that she says was invaluable:
This We Know: A Chronology of the Shootings at Kent State, May 1970, Carole Barbato and Laura Davis
Here’s some more music she cites from the period:
Marvin Gaye got letters from Nam from his brother and heard things that disturbed him about it all, and wrote this wonderful song, “What’s Goin’ On”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kA3...
“War” by Edwin Starr:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQHUA...
Country Joe and “The Fish “Fixin’ to Die Rag”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dATyZ...
April 29, 2020
Powerful, well-researched, and brilliantly written.
April 8, 2020
Dissent & Death
In this book, the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970 by the Ohio National Guard is narrated in a poetical form. This shooting during an antiwar demonstration resulted in the killing four students and wounding nine others. This historical event shook the conscious of people around the globe. The author uses her poetical skills to describe the history as a series of images, feelings, sounds, and experiences. Adopting a lyrical style helps the reader enter this moving and powerful genre and puts into a different focus on a story that has been widely published.
Author Deborah Wiles is known to write on children, community, historical events and social justice in her literary work. Recreating a story as powerful as John Filo's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling over the body of Jeffrey Miller is certainly challenging. This is powerfully illustrated by narratives that is well researched. This experience moves your heart to tears for lives cut short, lives damaged, and the nation forever scarred. The author hopes that her work will articulate the devastating moment in the history, understand the landscape of the events that led to the tragedy.
Several singers and song-writers narrated the shootings, one notable song was written by Neil Young, and sung by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Music and artistic presentations narrate a story more powerfully than written prose. This compact sized book of 132 pages makes an interesting read.
In this book, the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970 by the Ohio National Guard is narrated in a poetical form. This shooting during an antiwar demonstration resulted in the killing four students and wounding nine others. This historical event shook the conscious of people around the globe. The author uses her poetical skills to describe the history as a series of images, feelings, sounds, and experiences. Adopting a lyrical style helps the reader enter this moving and powerful genre and puts into a different focus on a story that has been widely published.
Author Deborah Wiles is known to write on children, community, historical events and social justice in her literary work. Recreating a story as powerful as John Filo's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling over the body of Jeffrey Miller is certainly challenging. This is powerfully illustrated by narratives that is well researched. This experience moves your heart to tears for lives cut short, lives damaged, and the nation forever scarred. The author hopes that her work will articulate the devastating moment in the history, understand the landscape of the events that led to the tragedy.
Several singers and song-writers narrated the shootings, one notable song was written by Neil Young, and sung by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Music and artistic presentations narrate a story more powerfully than written prose. This compact sized book of 132 pages makes an interesting read.
October 15, 2020
CW: Shooting of protestors with some descriptions of victims
Well I have to say that the author chose an incredible format to deliver this informative account of a tragic historical event.
I didn't know anything about the Kent State protests so I found the introduction and notes at the end to be really helpful.
The format was genius. Not so much in that it was a verse novel as, if I am being honest, the writing itself wasn't particularly noteworthy. It was the fact that the author essentially wrote a conversation (or should I say heated debate) between people who represented different points of view on the Kent State murders. I found the voices to be quite distinct in their tone but it did help immensely that different fonts were used for the different points of view. I liked that the fonts themselves were carefully considered and reflected the characters perfectly. For example, a small sized 'soft' font was used for the scared members of the community and a bold capitilised font was used for the angry community members. Very clever. I was quite moved by the personal details included about the four slain students. It is amazing because as a Reader I knew in my heart what side I felt was right but at the same time I definitely think the author respectfully captured all sides of this terrible event. Definitely worth reading if you like historical verse novels.
Well I have to say that the author chose an incredible format to deliver this informative account of a tragic historical event.
I didn't know anything about the Kent State protests so I found the introduction and notes at the end to be really helpful.
The format was genius. Not so much in that it was a verse novel as, if I am being honest, the writing itself wasn't particularly noteworthy. It was the fact that the author essentially wrote a conversation (or should I say heated debate) between people who represented different points of view on the Kent State murders. I found the voices to be quite distinct in their tone but it did help immensely that different fonts were used for the different points of view. I liked that the fonts themselves were carefully considered and reflected the characters perfectly. For example, a small sized 'soft' font was used for the scared members of the community and a bold capitilised font was used for the angry community members. Very clever. I was quite moved by the personal details included about the four slain students. It is amazing because as a Reader I knew in my heart what side I felt was right but at the same time I definitely think the author respectfully captured all sides of this terrible event. Definitely worth reading if you like historical verse novels.
February 7, 2020
I loved the concept— all of the voices tumbling over each other. But I found the strength to also be the weakness: all those tumbling voices accurately reflect the chaos of those few days in May, 1970, but make the whole narrative difficult to navigate, especially for teens who have limited background knowledge.
June 29, 2020
This one is so hard for me to review.
I'm a KSU alumni myself. I participated in 5 years of May 4th Memorials. I've seen Blanket Hill covered in beautiful flowers every spring; I went sledding down Blanket Hill in the winter, also. I put my finger through the bullet hole in the sculpture. I had many classes in Taylor Hall. And yet, this is still hard for me to review. I'm torn.
Especially when I read this book. I support the protests, but then I don't. I support peaceful protests. But the minute rocks are thrown at police (or the National Guard), they're no longer peaceful. The minute students (or American citizens) start burning the ROTC building on campus (or American businesses), it is NO LONGER PEACEFUL. American rights are being violated. People are in danger.
This book, especially in light of what is happening now in America, has me even more torn. The riots. The demands to defund the police. I am afraid. I am terrified. I want the government to control the situation. I do not want to become an innocent bystander, harmed because a protestor thinks he/she has the right to do whatever they want because they're "upset." We're all upset, trust me. But violence, tearing up your own country is not accomplishing anything. It's dividing us. Like Kent was (and still is) divided.
I liked this book, but then I didn't. I liked how the author mentions how we will never know the exact truth of this situation, but we must tell both sides of the story. Share the stories, what we know, dialogue, facts, opinions, everything. And then we (the reader) think for ourselves. Ask our own questions, do our own research. Find a way to use our voices, and I want this, but I want it peaceful. How can you criticize the National Guard, when you yourelf are out there burning, shooting, and terrorizing people in the streets? How are you any different???
Side note: my biggest problem with this book is stating it's "white privilege" to assume a gun pointed at me has blanks. Ummm, what? That would be a hard no. I have always been taught that any gun pointed at me, or otherwise, is assumed to be loaded. Isn't that just cautious common sense...?
Yet, this was very well written, and I really liked the way the author presented the research she found. It was a conversation, so similar to the way people of different opinions have a conversation. We interrupt. Talk over each other. Get mad. Raise our voices. Call each other names. Oppress those who think differently. Try to silence the other side.
And THAT right there will get us nowhere. It must stop. We must hear each other. And talk. Have a conversation.
I'm a KSU alumni myself. I participated in 5 years of May 4th Memorials. I've seen Blanket Hill covered in beautiful flowers every spring; I went sledding down Blanket Hill in the winter, also. I put my finger through the bullet hole in the sculpture. I had many classes in Taylor Hall. And yet, this is still hard for me to review. I'm torn.
Especially when I read this book. I support the protests, but then I don't. I support peaceful protests. But the minute rocks are thrown at police (or the National Guard), they're no longer peaceful. The minute students (or American citizens) start burning the ROTC building on campus (or American businesses), it is NO LONGER PEACEFUL. American rights are being violated. People are in danger.
This book, especially in light of what is happening now in America, has me even more torn. The riots. The demands to defund the police. I am afraid. I am terrified. I want the government to control the situation. I do not want to become an innocent bystander, harmed because a protestor thinks he/she has the right to do whatever they want because they're "upset." We're all upset, trust me. But violence, tearing up your own country is not accomplishing anything. It's dividing us. Like Kent was (and still is) divided.
I liked this book, but then I didn't. I liked how the author mentions how we will never know the exact truth of this situation, but we must tell both sides of the story. Share the stories, what we know, dialogue, facts, opinions, everything. And then we (the reader) think for ourselves. Ask our own questions, do our own research. Find a way to use our voices, and I want this, but I want it peaceful. How can you criticize the National Guard, when you yourelf are out there burning, shooting, and terrorizing people in the streets? How are you any different???
Side note: my biggest problem with this book is stating it's "white privilege" to assume a gun pointed at me has blanks. Ummm, what? That would be a hard no. I have always been taught that any gun pointed at me, or otherwise, is assumed to be loaded. Isn't that just cautious common sense...?
Yet, this was very well written, and I really liked the way the author presented the research she found. It was a conversation, so similar to the way people of different opinions have a conversation. We interrupt. Talk over each other. Get mad. Raise our voices. Call each other names. Oppress those who think differently. Try to silence the other side.
And THAT right there will get us nowhere. It must stop. We must hear each other. And talk. Have a conversation.
January 14, 2025
I was looking for a book about the killing of the Kent State students, and found this short audiobook directed toward young adults. While I’d still like to read a longer version, I was impressed with the breadth of information and emotion shared in these two hours.
In 1970 protests began on the Kent State campus. President Nixon had just announced the extension of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. For many, who were already upset about the war and the draft that was sending their generation to fight… this was the tipping point.
This audiobook production is told from several viewpoints - students, townspeople, activists, and members of the National Guard. Their narration conveys the fear, anger, astonishment, etc. that was felt. While I understand the townspeople feeling anxious about what was happening in their town… it’s just unimaginable to me how this escalated to the Guard openly shooting over a prolonged period at these students… killing four and injuring many others. Some that were shot were not even protesting, but walking to/from class.
I’d still like to read more in-depth accounts of these terrible days. Some property was damaged in the protests… but should that prompt the execution of random people in the area? I can’t help but compare this to January 6th, with rioters yelling about killing the VP and others. I don’t even know what else to say about events such as these… I’d like to think it’s possible to learn from the past, but often I don’t see evidence of that.
In 1970 protests began on the Kent State campus. President Nixon had just announced the extension of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. For many, who were already upset about the war and the draft that was sending their generation to fight… this was the tipping point.
This audiobook production is told from several viewpoints - students, townspeople, activists, and members of the National Guard. Their narration conveys the fear, anger, astonishment, etc. that was felt. While I understand the townspeople feeling anxious about what was happening in their town… it’s just unimaginable to me how this escalated to the Guard openly shooting over a prolonged period at these students… killing four and injuring many others. Some that were shot were not even protesting, but walking to/from class.
I’d still like to read more in-depth accounts of these terrible days. Some property was damaged in the protests… but should that prompt the execution of random people in the area? I can’t help but compare this to January 6th, with rioters yelling about killing the VP and others. I don’t even know what else to say about events such as these… I’d like to think it’s possible to learn from the past, but often I don’t see evidence of that.
April 9, 2020
This is a story in verse with multiple viewpoints contributing to the conversation. It will be well worth revisiting in audio and could win some awards if the end product is as good as this title deserves. The cover is specatular, btw. In just a few weeks we will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of this polarizing event. I was in preschool when it occurred and I can remember hearing the song "Ohio" by CSNY on the radio:
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio"
In her author notes, Deborah Wiles quotes Jeffrey Andrew Barash from his book "Collective Memory and the Historical Past":". . .we honor great tragedies by never forgetting, that our social cohesion as a human society depends on our storytelling. It depends on our remembering, passing on what we remember, saving it, and honoring it."
Thank you to Deborah Wiles for bringing this story to our attention and sharing it with a new generation. Thank you to Scholastic, Inc. and Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. I am honored to have gotten an early look at this new release.
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio"
In her author notes, Deborah Wiles quotes Jeffrey Andrew Barash from his book "Collective Memory and the Historical Past":". . .we honor great tragedies by never forgetting, that our social cohesion as a human society depends on our storytelling. It depends on our remembering, passing on what we remember, saving it, and honoring it."
Thank you to Deborah Wiles for bringing this story to our attention and sharing it with a new generation. Thank you to Scholastic, Inc. and Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. I am honored to have gotten an early look at this new release.
May 2, 2021
It was as hard to listen to this as it was to see it on the TV on May 4th, 1970. I was a freshman in high school and Vietnam was a raging conflict in this country. Hard to believe that the National Guard would open fire on students on an educational institution.. where freedom rings!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
December 24, 2021
Picked this up randomly after seeing it at my library. This is sort of a mix between poetry and a dialogue. I knew a little bit about the Kent State shooting but this is definitely an interesting way to present this historical event through the eyes of different people's perspectives of a certain event. This is written for a younger audience but it definitely could have an impact on anyone.
June 20, 2020
Kent State by Deborah Wiles, 132 pages. Scholastic Press, 2020. $18.
Content: Language: R (13 swears; 2 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence; PG-13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
An anti-war demonstration at Kent State during the first week of May, 1970 escalated, so the National Guard was brought into Kent to restore order. After four days of tension and little acts of violence, the National Guard opened fire over the campus and killed four students. This true event and the many people who witnessed or were involved are represented in this historical prose told by Deborah Wiles. Five different voices discuss the events building up to the morning of the shooting and they share their opinion and perspective.
I liked the idea of this historical fiction, but there is too much going on with the format and the dramatic arguing among unnamed voices. It just came across jumbled and confusing. The author’s notes could have been helpful but there was a lot of opinion and not enough historical set-up. The reader would have to have a lot of prior knowledge about the time period and the Vietnam War to fully understand the conflict. The content includes graphic shootings of innocent students.
Reviewer, C. Peterson
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
Content: Language: R (13 swears; 2 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence; PG-13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
An anti-war demonstration at Kent State during the first week of May, 1970 escalated, so the National Guard was brought into Kent to restore order. After four days of tension and little acts of violence, the National Guard opened fire over the campus and killed four students. This true event and the many people who witnessed or were involved are represented in this historical prose told by Deborah Wiles. Five different voices discuss the events building up to the morning of the shooting and they share their opinion and perspective.
I liked the idea of this historical fiction, but there is too much going on with the format and the dramatic arguing among unnamed voices. It just came across jumbled and confusing. The author’s notes could have been helpful but there was a lot of opinion and not enough historical set-up. The reader would have to have a lot of prior knowledge about the time period and the Vietnam War to fully understand the conflict. The content includes graphic shootings of innocent students.
Reviewer, C. Peterson
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
April 25, 2020
In this slim but powerful volume, author Deborah Wiles has issued an invitation to us all to not only remember the events at Kent State, but to have a dialogue on power, perception and protest.
Told in free verse in multiple voices (students, activists, townspeople, guardsmen), the author presents the collective thoughts, feelings and attitudes of those who were involved in the events on the campus of Kent State at the height of the Vietnam War. The confusion, the anxiety, the anger, the sadness of those involved is captured in the fictional "characters" narrating the volume. Although slightly confusing at the beginning, as the dialogue continues, we hear the emotions and concerns that drive each of the viewpoints of the different groups involved in this horrific event that still shapes our collective memories.
For young readers whose collective memories are shaped by Parkland, Pulse, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Dakota Pipeline Access, Global Climate Strike and so many more events, this reflection on the past will give them a deeper understanding of and reinforce the commitment of what they are fighting to change.
Highly recommended for all readers, regardless of age or viewpoint.
Thank you to Edelweiss for the advance E copy.
Told in free verse in multiple voices (students, activists, townspeople, guardsmen), the author presents the collective thoughts, feelings and attitudes of those who were involved in the events on the campus of Kent State at the height of the Vietnam War. The confusion, the anxiety, the anger, the sadness of those involved is captured in the fictional "characters" narrating the volume. Although slightly confusing at the beginning, as the dialogue continues, we hear the emotions and concerns that drive each of the viewpoints of the different groups involved in this horrific event that still shapes our collective memories.
For young readers whose collective memories are shaped by Parkland, Pulse, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Dakota Pipeline Access, Global Climate Strike and so many more events, this reflection on the past will give them a deeper understanding of and reinforce the commitment of what they are fighting to change.
Highly recommended for all readers, regardless of age or viewpoint.
Thank you to Edelweiss for the advance E copy.
Read
April 6, 2020There are a lot of voices in this slim verse novel, and though the purpose of them is to exploit the chaos around the Kent State massacre, as a reader I found it extremely hard to tell who was who until deep into the final section. I think it effectively highlights the power of protest and youth protest in particular, but it never *quite* worked for me. It felt a little too superficial, especially as the author's note probably had as many words as the text itself. I wanted more.
July 7, 2020
What the heck did I just read?
Brilliant concept, extremely confusing execution. May pick up a physical copy to see if that has better formatting that would make this book make sense.
Concept// 6/10
Arc of Characters// 1/10
Writing Style// 3/10
Plot & Pacing// 2/10
Intrigue// 1/10
Logic & Lore// 1/10
Enjoyment// 1/10
Total: ★
Brilliant concept, extremely confusing execution. May pick up a physical copy to see if that has better formatting that would make this book make sense.
Concept// 6/10
Arc of Characters// 1/10
Writing Style// 3/10
Plot & Pacing// 2/10
Intrigue// 1/10
Logic & Lore// 1/10
Enjoyment// 1/10
Total: ★
September 6, 2021
This book takes a historic event and introduces it to a generation who are probably not even aware of it.
In May of each year, former students and others who were affected by the Kent State massacre (1970) gather together to honor those killed and wounded by the Ohio National Guard.
The format of this book is unlike any other that I can remember reading. Multiple voices are speaking because of how everyone has gathered for the memorial.
I feel this would be an awesome class read because each voice could be assigned to a student. Plus it gives young readers some insight into the Vietnam War, lawful protests, and the subsequent murder of four college students.
“They did not have to die.”
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#kentstate #deborahwiles #scholasticpress #scholasticbooks #iloveya #yabooks #youngreaders #summerreading #summerreadingassignment #scbookawards #scbookawardnominee #readmorebooks #historicalfiction #readmorebooks
In May of each year, former students and others who were affected by the Kent State massacre (1970) gather together to honor those killed and wounded by the Ohio National Guard.
The format of this book is unlike any other that I can remember reading. Multiple voices are speaking because of how everyone has gathered for the memorial.
I feel this would be an awesome class read because each voice could be assigned to a student. Plus it gives young readers some insight into the Vietnam War, lawful protests, and the subsequent murder of four college students.
“They did not have to die.”
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#kentstate #deborahwiles #scholasticpress #scholasticbooks #iloveya #yabooks #youngreaders #summerreading #summerreadingassignment #scbookawards #scbookawardnominee #readmorebooks #historicalfiction #readmorebooks
June 16, 2020
Short, but POWERFUL! This narrative in verse is told in the form of a conversation between multiple unidentified perspectives. I wasn't sure if I would like that or be distracted by the different fonts used for each "character" but the voices are strong and it was not an issue at all. This makes me want to read more about Kent State especially with current events in mind.
August 24, 2020
This is a short, quick introduction to this horrific part of American history that I only just recently learned about. I highly recommend the audiobook - it's under 2 hours long and spectacularly produced. Multiple narrators, music, sound effects, the works. It does a great job explaining what led to the event and what happened. Most importantly it highlights the victims and the senselessness of their loss of life at the hands of our government. It's beautifully told from the point of view of young people that were there and arguing with adults who view the narrative differently: a brilliant way of showcasing how one event has so many lies to sift through to get to the truth, and how one group of people can view acts of civil disobedience differently. It also ties the events of Kent State to what is happening in our world now. It all just seems very timely and neccessary.
February 9, 2020
This is an amazing book that belongs in every high school library, every high school US History course, every HS American Lit course, every high school student's hands.
It's greatest power is that it is told from multiple points of view represented by different fonts (not quite verse novel, not quite script). There can never be one single accounting of a moment in history and that was never more true than this one. This was an important, galvanizing moment for young people of that time to work together and make changes. We can only hope this book will help this generation to do the same. This history of youth activism is one we definitely want to be repeated.
It's greatest power is that it is told from multiple points of view represented by different fonts (not quite verse novel, not quite script). There can never be one single accounting of a moment in history and that was never more true than this one. This was an important, galvanizing moment for young people of that time to work together and make changes. We can only hope this book will help this generation to do the same. This history of youth activism is one we definitely want to be repeated.
November 30, 2019
Kent State is structured like a novel in verse but it’s so much more than that. The varying perspectives are of collective voices and points of view, showing the reader just how difficult it was to get a consensus on what happened on that campus back in May of 1970. But even more important than that, Deborah Wiles circles it back around and points to how this moment in history still matters today and compels you, the reader, to be a vocal and participating citizen in our democracy. Put this book at the top of your TBR pile. I promise you won’t be able to put it down.
May 14, 2020
3.5 stars, a well written novel in verse chronicling the days leading up to the Kent State shootings in May 1970. Even though tbe story is short, younger readers readers without background knowledge of the events will find it challenging. The story is told from multiple voices (points of views) and there are no breaks between voices (it's only four chapters and less than 150 pages, one for each day) which can make it hard to follow.
Bottom line - those who lived through the events are the ones who will most love and appreciate this.
Bottom line - those who lived through the events are the ones who will most love and appreciate this.
August 3, 2020
conflicted once again about giving just 3 stars to a book with such a sad and important subject matter. but the “multiple narrators” thing made it a bit hard to understand; it is one author but written like you are witnessing a conversation/debate amongst a group of people. there was also some “humor” that felt out of place. I will say that the book achieved what I hoped it would which was helping me learn me what actually happened at Kent State in 1970. I also appreciated that the author took the time to research and incorporate the unique struggles of black students.
July 13, 2020
There are better ways of telling this story than narrators arguing and name calling each other. This book does nothing to enhance the narrative or help preserve the memories and legacies of May 4, 1970 and the impact on Kent State and the nation.
September 25, 2020
Reading this book now felt surreal. It feels like our society has learned nothing, like the present is just one more page in a story that hasn't progressed very much. We're still having the same arguments.
March 18, 2021
I highly recommend listening to the audio version to comprehend the tremendous impact this massacre had on Kent State, Ohio citizens, and the entire nation on May 4th, 1970.
October 4, 2020
My knowledge of the Kent State shooting in 1970 is slim. I’m probably like a lot of people who know the 2 paragraphs of information mentioned in their high school history textbook and that’s it. This book was short but powerful, and I learned a lot. It was really crazy to see all the parallels between the narratives of the Vietnam protests and the narratives of the current racial protest movement. I think having the nice written in verse with multiple voices and perspectives really drove home that point. On the one hand, it was comforting to realize our current culture is not uniquely terrible; on the other hand it was discouraging to realize how little has actually changed. Even though I liked the verse format, the problem is that it made the book go by really fast. I finished about a month ago, and even though I remember feeling it was very powerful while reading it, now I don’t actually remember why. I think if I had had a chance to sit in it for longer I would remember more.
January 25, 2021
In one word: fantastic. This book is best read in audiobook format because the voice performances really make the difference. Full disclosure, I have a ton of background knowledge for this topic because my masters thesis was on Vietnam antiwar protest and have read a ton about the events before, during, and after. While I think the book would be better suited for older teenagers, given the graphic violence and political complexity, it is done in such a way that it will appeal to young readers. The author ties the killings to the modern day without it feeling like a stretch or name-dropping. She also does a great job of specifically including the POV of protestors of color, so often underrepresented in these narratives. The research is well-done, the writing is unique, the performances are captivating. A perfect example of how excellent historical fiction can be when it is handled expertly.
Read
October 25, 2020On May 4, 1970, National Guard soldiers shot thirteen students at Kent State University in otherwise sleepy Kent, Ohio. Four of the students were killed, and nine were wounded, including one who was permanently paralyzed. In her book-length poem Kent State, Deborah Wiles explores the events of that day and those leading up to it from the perspectives of students, faculty, townspeople, and National Guardsmen.
The book begins by directly addressing readers: “You are new here, / and we don’t want to scare you away, / but we want you to know the truth …” But the truth is somewhat elusive, at least at first, as different people frame the events and their causes based on their own biases and experiences. They all agree on one thing: “They did not have to die.”
In the fifty years since the Kent State Massacre, as it has come to be known, a symbolism and mythology has grown up around the tragedy, but Wiles makes the events personal as she gives voice to the people involved on all sides. Her narrators shout at each other in verse to illustrate the conflicting perspectives that persist to this day. They also mourn their losses, whether those are friends, a previously peaceful college town, or trust in the American government. From time to time, the narrators turn back to readers to be sure their points are being absorbed as readers are encouraged to decide for themselves one key question: Was Kent State a tragic mistake or calculated murders?
In addition to covering the specifics of the shootings, Wiles shares important cultural touchpoints, such as a rare emphasis on the role of Black students and Black townspeople in the Kent State context, as well as the protest music permeating the atmosphere of that time.
Today’s young adult readers are likely to have useful background knowledge about campus life, political protests, and presidential lying that will serve them well as they first listen to the voices of Kent State and then consider their relevance for our current moment.
Kent State is an excellent companion to Wiles’s Sixties Trilogy (Countdown, Revolution, Anthem). Readers who admire any of these captivating books will be inclined to appreciate the others.
Note: Because of my work with the 2020 Cybils Awards in young adult literature, for the next couple of months I will review but not rate works of young adult literature in an attempt to keep the judging process as opaque as possible.
The book begins by directly addressing readers: “You are new here, / and we don’t want to scare you away, / but we want you to know the truth …” But the truth is somewhat elusive, at least at first, as different people frame the events and their causes based on their own biases and experiences. They all agree on one thing: “They did not have to die.”
In the fifty years since the Kent State Massacre, as it has come to be known, a symbolism and mythology has grown up around the tragedy, but Wiles makes the events personal as she gives voice to the people involved on all sides. Her narrators shout at each other in verse to illustrate the conflicting perspectives that persist to this day. They also mourn their losses, whether those are friends, a previously peaceful college town, or trust in the American government. From time to time, the narrators turn back to readers to be sure their points are being absorbed as readers are encouraged to decide for themselves one key question: Was Kent State a tragic mistake or calculated murders?
In addition to covering the specifics of the shootings, Wiles shares important cultural touchpoints, such as a rare emphasis on the role of Black students and Black townspeople in the Kent State context, as well as the protest music permeating the atmosphere of that time.
Today’s young adult readers are likely to have useful background knowledge about campus life, political protests, and presidential lying that will serve them well as they first listen to the voices of Kent State and then consider their relevance for our current moment.
Kent State is an excellent companion to Wiles’s Sixties Trilogy (Countdown, Revolution, Anthem). Readers who admire any of these captivating books will be inclined to appreciate the others.
Note: Because of my work with the 2020 Cybils Awards in young adult literature, for the next couple of months I will review but not rate works of young adult literature in an attempt to keep the judging process as opaque as possible.
October 27, 2020
I read Kent State while also listening to the audiobook (something I never do), and I can't recommend both formats enough. The audiobook is done with a full cast and is especially powerful, but the words on the page and the way the book is written are equally important. If this book stopped before the closing elegy, I think it would be my favorite book of the year; I have really mixed feelings about the elegy, though--in short, I think that it tries to put too neat of an ending on the story, which does a disservice to the book as a whole.
July 7, 2020
Short but important read! I loved hearing the multiple perspectives; we all need to be listening to each other right now. Good research background info in the author's note.
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