Bibliographic Information:
Title: Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio
Author: Derf Backderf
ISBN: 978-1419734847
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Copyright Date: September 2020
Reading Level / Interest Level: Grades 8+ (School Library Journal).
Genre / Format: Historical, Graphic Novel Non-Fiction, Book
Themes: Abuse of Power, Toxic Masculinity, War, Campus Protest, Shooting
Awards or Honors: Alex Award (2021); Eisner Awards: Best Reality-Based Work (2021)
Plot Summary: On May 4 1970, Kent State students protest the Vietnam war. Twenty-eight National Guard soldiers open fire on a group of students. Sixty-seven bullets fly everywhere, nine students are shot and injured, four people die. Best-selling author Derf Backderf examines a dark part of our American history when fear, politics, and abuse of power resulted in four dead innocent people. This incredibly well-researched graphic novel examines the four days leading up to the Kent State shooting. It focuses on the victims and their normal day to day college experience, before they are suddenly and without warning, shot dead by National Guard soldiers.
Author Background: Backderf is well known for his other nonfiction graphic novel, My Friend Dahmer. He worked as a political cartoonist for a number of years and his art style is influenced by Robert Crumb and underground comics of the seventies. Given the nature of his work, Backderf has mostly kept his work limited to independent publishing and mature satire (Elsa Charretier, 2021). He is an American cartoonist and journalist who does extensive research for his projects so that he can take a multidimensional approach to a story and offer multiple perspectives (Backderf, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items: The book won the Alex award. A group of individuals who value this form of art have agreed that this particular item was worth mentioning as one of the best adult nonfiction titles of the year with crossover appeal. Overall, the book is incredibly well-paced and delivers information in a visually interesting way. It being a nonfiction titles, there are multiple pages that are mostly text as they are providing key context. These pages are strategically placed throughout the book so the reader can more fully appreciate the impact of people's actions at Kent State. Even these text-heavy sections have interesting illustration that help build the atmosphere of those times, emphasizing the divide between young people against the war in Vietnam and older conservative Americans.
This is an example of why awards matter as it creates a conversation around a topic that people may not have been talking about. Or it reminds society of our history and brings in a whole new generation into the conversation. The graphic novel format itself was enough to get me interested in the book, but I would not have picked up this nonfiction title if it didn't have an award. Does this make me a snobby reader? I would say no; there are simply too many books to read and I need somewhere to start; the awards we have may not always get it right, but it gives us readers a starting point.
Creative Use for a Library Program: In the (1970s) News
Teens will utilize the various databases available to them through the library in order to search for newspapers talking about the Kent State shootings. This activity will serve to inform teens on how to locate newspapers in a data base in order to get an idea of how the Bay Area was talking about this dark day in American history.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
Jeff Miller, age 20.
Allison Krause, age 19.
Sandy Scheuer, age 20.
Bill Schroeder, age 20.
Four innocent, unarmed students were shot dead on May 4, 1970. Shot dead by the very men who were supposed to protect them. Backderf does a great job of presenting the four students to us, their goals, their dreams, their personalities, and all their potential. We follow their lives at Kent State, four days leading to their untimely, tragic end. How did this happen? How did this ticking time bomb come to be and what set it off?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: I don't think you have to worry about running into anyone who would talk positively about the Kent State shootings. Then again, the graphic novel ends with a disturbing prologue highlighting a conversation between Nixon and his Chief of Staff HR Haldeman. In response to a briefing on the Attica Prison riots that had been stopped earlier that day, Nixon states:
"Y'now they talk all they want about the radicals...you know what stops them? Kill a few. Remember Kent State?"
There may be some adults that object to the way in which the National Guard soldiers were represented. I would argue that that's the reader's interpretation but that in my opinion, the author does a great job of presenting facts and multiple perspectives. He treated all characters with respect.
Parents may not like their children reading books that depict violence and death as a part of our American history. This book being a graphic novel, it is more likely to appeal to a younger audience; this book may be the most accessible way that a young reader can learn about this important chapter in American history. It may be dark, but it did in fact happen and to not include it in the collection because of the (very real) violence depicted would be acting like the event did not happen, which would be disrespectful not only to the victims, but to the young readers trying to learn more about their country.
Reason for Inclusion: Based on reviews online, the graphic novel does a good job of capturing the atmosphere, the culture, and the tension of that era. Nonfiction graphic novels are a great way to learn about American history, especially for reluctant readers. I have to admit, I knew very little about the Kent State shootings; I don't gravitate towards historical nonfiction but love graphic novels. This book was engaging, informative and relevant as many teens are headed to college and this is an important part of American history that is directly related to their futures. As teens get closer to voting age, they should know about the consequences of electing a power-hungry politician to office. While the draft may be gone, toxic masculinity, abuse of power, and gun culture still thrive in America and American politics. Teen activists that participate in protests should understand the history of how protesters have been treated in this country.
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