Kent State

Voices. Even fifty years after the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed students at Kent State University on May 4, 1970, there remain conflicting accounts of what happened then over the course of several days of protests. In her book titled, Kent State, Deborah Wiles allows multiple voices to relate different perspectives using free verse. We hear from white and black students, National Guard troops, and residents of Kent. As is the case with many books written for younger audiences, this book removes what’s unessential to the narrative. The result is a mining of multiple memories of the past that provide another context for discussing contemporary protests and violent responses to peaceful as well as disruptive activities. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Kent State from amazon.com.