book list: Voting

Have you realized that young people turning 18 this year have only known this as a contentious, polarized country where we don’t talk to each other? I’ve known a very different country over my lifetime, but I still know I can consider it easier to put my head in the sand and ignore all this still. I can’t imagine what it feels like to young people who feel so ignored. But, the last thing we need to do is to give up. We cannot afford to do that. Not now, not ever.

Elections are continually happening across the country. There are state and local elections that don’t happen every four years in November and are probably more important because their impact is so immediate.

Our votes count now more than ever. I’ve thought of three things our libraries can do to encourage our young people to vote, if you have other ideas please add them in the comments. They may be too young to vote in government elections, but we build the foundation for their participation way before then.

• Allow opportunities for your library users to participate in your library by voting. They might vote for who’s on your young people’s board, what themes to use for your displays, which programs to plan, or which books to add to the collection. Let them realize how their voting makes a difference. These opportunities keep them connected to our libraries.
• Provide voter registration information for students who are turning 18, or for adults who have moved.
• Be sure the following books are among those in your library to educate young readers about why and how groups have fought for the right to vote in the US.

One Person No Vote: How Not All Voters are Treated Equally (YA edition) by Carol Anderson with Tonya Bolden.

This young adult adaptation brings to light the shocking truth about how not every voter is treated equally. After the election of Barack Obama, a rollback of voting rights occurred, punctuated by a 2013 Supreme Court decision that undid the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Known as the Shelby ruling, this decision allowed districts with a history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice. This book follows the stunning aftermath of that ruling and explains how voter suppression works, from photo ID requirements to gerrymandering to poll closures. It also explores the resistance: the organizing, activism, and court battles to restore the basic right to vote to all Americans.

Registered #1 and Registered #2 by Andrew Aydin, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, and Matt Fraction. Good Trouble Productions.

With a mission to teach American history in a fun and accessible way through comics, this first issue offers a crash-course in the rich and extensive history of voting rights in the United States, with special focus on the 15th and 26th amendments. Told through engaging narratives that weave the modern day with the past, Register! #1 and #2 allows readers of all ages to interact with history in a memorable and impactful way.

Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists by Mikki Kendall and A. Damico. Ten Speed Graphic, 2019.

The ongoing struggle for women’s rights has spanned human history, and touched nearly every culture on Earth. Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists, written by Mikki Kendall and illustrated by A. D’Amico, is a fun and fascinating graphic novel-style primer of key figures and events advancing women’s rights, from antiquity to the modern era, and illuminates notable women –queens, freedom fighters, warriors, spies–and progressive movements including abolition, suffrage, labor, civil rights, LGBTQ liberation, reproductive rights, and more. Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists is an indispensable resource for readers interested in the fight for a more liberated future.

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