A walk-the-walk, talk-the-talk, hands-on, say-it-loud handbook for activist kids who want to change the world!
Inspired by Abbie Hoffman's radical classic, Steal This Book, author Alexandra Styron's stirring call for resistance and citizen activism will be clearly heard by young people who don't accept "it is what it is," who want to make sure everybody gets an equal piece of the American pie, and who know that the future of the planet is now.
Styron's irreverent and informative primer on how to make a difference is organized into three sections: The Why, The What, and The How. The book opens with a personal essay and a historic look at civil disobedience and teenage activism in America. That's followed by a deep dive into several key issues: climate change, racial justice, women's rights, LGBTQIA rights, immigration, religious understanding, and intersectionality. Each chapter is introduced by an original full page comic and includes a summary of key questions, interviews with movers and shakers--from celebrities to youth activists--and spotlights on progressive organizations. The book's final section is packed with how-to advice on ways to engage, from group activities such as organizing, marching, rallying, and petitioning to individual actions like voting with your wallet, volunteering, talking with relatives with different viewpoints, and using social activism to get out a progressive message.
This is a perfect book for older middle-schoolers and teens who care about the planet, the people with whom they share it, and the future for us all.
“I've been waiting for this book since I was a socially active and angry teen as I looked upon a world I wanted to change but didn't know how to do it. I wanted resources that explain the movements of this country and I wanted to know how I could be an active and meaningful part of them. Thank you thank you, Alexandra Styron, for the book I plan to give to all of the young people I know starting with my sons. Steal This Country will inspire you to invoke in yourself the passion of youth and ultimately, it can restore all of our faith in the possibility for change.”
—MAYIM BIALIK, PhD, is the author of Girling Up: How to Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular, and Boying Up: How to Be Brave, Bold and Brilliant, and the award-winning star of The Big Bang Theory.
“Precisely what we need most right now, Steal This Country equips concerned, questioning readers with a tangible sense of continuity and tools to better understand intersecting movements—past and present—as interrelated components of a larger, ongoing struggle.”
—Nate Powell, illustrator of March, winner of the National Book Award and the Coretta Scott King and Michael L. Printz Awards and of the New York Times bestseller, The Silence of Our Friends. “Steal This Country is a real-world action plan for young citizens with a conscience—and a much-needed reminder to the rest of us what well-aimed protest and resistance can accomplish. Democracy suffocates without it.”
—Carl Hiaasen, nationally bestselling adult author whose popular middle-grade novels include the Newbery Honor book Hoot, as well as Chomp, Flush, Scat, and Skink.
“Steal This Country turns America’s best moments—the Boston Tea Party, Seneca Falls, the Birmingham Childrens’ Crusade—into living history. Alexandra Styron has written a stunning call to action for every young American to read—and to rally behind.”
—Linda Fairstein, New York Times bestselling crime novelist and the author of The Devlin Quick Mysteries for children.
"Particularly valuable is Styron’s discussion of practical techniques for conducting walkouts and sit-ins, talking to elected representatives, protecting privacy when blogging, and boycotting. This highly topical, inspiring volume informs readers how to be creative and persistent."
