Aberg-Riger, Ariel. America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History. Balzer + Bray, 05/2023. 304pp. Non-Fiction. Trade $24.99. 978-0-06-305753-1. GRADES 9–12. OUTSTANDING.
An engaging narrative of America’s dirty history, highlighting how white minorities used various means of control—notably violence, law, and media—to suppress, remove, or nullify the rights of majority populations, and the efforts of those populations to resist their oppressors. The book uses shock tactics to great effect, undermining preexisting historical narratives through riveting storytelling, archival primary source materials, and expertly-timed factual data. Alternating between the narrative, a plethora of graphics, and visual representation of many of the individuals and places mentioned within, the book is more accessible for teachers and those wishing to dig deeper while inviting readers to take a break to process the information, and dive back in for more. The selected bibliography includes podcasts and newspaper articles alongside the traditional academic titles. This book is perfect for introducing reluctant middle school students to history and connecting the past to the present by showing the continuity of various civil rights movements throughout the decades.
Tyler Livy—San Francisco Public Library