Perfect Solution for the February Blahs: Comics!

Chula Vista

For February, the Chula Vista group read March: Book 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March tells the story of John Lewis’ fight for civil rights in the 1960s, beginning with “Bloody Sunday” (March 7, 1965) at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The scene quickly shifts to January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama’s inauguration day.  Before the ceremonies, a mother and her two children visit John Lewis’ office to see “how far we’ve come.” As the children inspect his office, a simple question, “Why do you have so many chickens?” leads not to a simple answer, but a compelling story of the fight to end racial discrimination.

Monique led the discussion, and the group gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up. All agreed that John Lewis’ contribution to the civil rights movement needed to be told, and the graphic novel medium is one of the best ways to do it. One of the members felt that March invited dialogue and conversations about a tumultuous period in United States history. Members used the word “accessible” to describe the book; it was easy to read, the artwork was clean, and—as one member noted, “It was an attractive way to tell us a difficult subject.” A member likened herself to one of the children in the book, learning from John Lewis’ story. Younger readers found March compelling, too. Group member Eric’s 11-year-old daughter saw what her father was reading and started reading it on her own. March was more than just a history lesson; it’s a lesson to keep fighting for justice and what is right, even if told, “that’s enough.”

Chula Vista’s March pick will be Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran.