(2) YA In the early 1980s—following a time of political galvanization in the 1960s around sexual liberation and efforts to destigmatize gay sexual health—gay men began, mysteriously, to get sick. At first it was a few people at a time. But once the numbers reached a critical mass and friends and lovers began dying en masse, the gay community marshaled its resources to protest, to advocate, and to demand humane treatment in the face of government indifference. This book tells the story of the protest movement over the next several decades, until combination therapy finally arrived and meant that AIDS was no longer a death sentence. Long introduces readers to a panoply of activists; some make brief cameos while others play major roles in the story. They rarely agree on the right approach, but all of them demand to be heard. Numerous photographs and artifacts (posters, pamphlets, and artwork) are reproduced in black and white throughout, and source notes and an index are appended. Readers may also be interested in Viral (rev. 5/19) by Ann Bausum, which covers the same subject, and her book Stonewall (rev. 7/15), whose topic is briefly covered in the first chapter of this one.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) YA Williams and Long provide readers with a complex narrative of the 1963 March on Washington that goes beyond Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech. They begin with the 1962 meeting between Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph, where the two decided the time had come for the march that Randolph had conceived more than twenty years earlier. By starting at this point, Williams and Long are able to highlight the many challenges (governmental resistance; disagreements among the organizers) and triumphs that took place before, during, and (briefly) after the march itself. Photos, newspaper clippings, and other primary-source images bring the history to life for young readers. Throughout the text, sidebars add important historical information and questions to consider. Back matter includes additional interesting facts ("Extra Steps"), discussion questions, extensive source notes, and an index (unseen); an opening note addresses word choice and the use of quotes containing racist language (including the n-word). Pair with Lewis and Aydin's March series (March: Book One, rev. 1/14; and sequels).

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023