Rachel C. Katz is the author of the new children's picture book Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History. Also an educator, she lives in Massachusetts.
Q: What inspired you to write Rise Up!, and how did you choose the protests you highlight in the book?
A: When I was approached to write this book, the concept was broader - just "revolutions throughout American history." Well, I thought, what kind of revolutions made sense to highlight - should it be scientific or technological revolutions? Should it be the first people to do something?
My editor and I landed on rights revolutions, because the quest to make the founding promises of America apply to a broader circle of Americans is an aspect of American history that is worth highlighting and celebrating for young people.
The historian Jill Lepore wrote "It’s a paradox of democracy that the best way to defend it is to attack it, to ask more of it, by way of criticism, protest, and dissent." Throughout history, Americans have asked for, and worked for, more.
We strove to make the book as inclusive as possible - of different people, geographical locations, and historical eras. Where possible, we wanted to include stories that included children as protagonists, like Ruby Bridges and Jennifer Keelan in the Capitol Crawl. We also wanted to highlight moments of joy, of showing up proudly, which is why we chose the first Pride parades.
Q: What do you think Sophie Bass’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Sophie's illustrations are just spectacular. They are meticulously researched, with careful details - like the way the Sons of Liberty darkened their faces - that will lead children to ask thoughtful questions.
Her illustrations have a beautiful flow that emphasizes the way acts of protest can blossom outward - her depiction of Rachel Carson and Upton Sinclair flow into the conditions they described, or Marian Anderson's voice carries off the page and over the National Mall.
I love the pages where young people are working together, or gazing at art, which is yet another way of bringing in young readers and making them feel close to the events in the story. Sophie's work is so vibrant, and kids can't stop looking!
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “A moving historical protest primer that invites even the youngest readers to rise up and fight for what’s right.” What do you think of that description, and what do you hope kids take away from Rise Up!?
A: I was so grateful for these kind words! My favorite piece of this quote is the word invite. I think as a society we tend to underestimate young readers and their ability to grapple with tough concepts and with nuanced history.
By having rhymes, informational text boxes, and then longer paragraphs in the back matter, I hope we are inviting kids of a wide variety of ages - and their parents, too! - to use our book as a starting place to learn more about inspiring events and people.
We also organized the book by method of protest, because I hope that kids finish this book and feel that there are many, many ways to use your voice to make a difference, whether through art, or marching, or writing, or singing. Take your strengths and use them to help others!
Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I taught middle school American History and Civics for many years, so most of the events in the book were already known to me.
When I take this book on school visits, I show students how I start with trusted sources - for example, the Jewish Women's Archive to learn more about Clara Lemlich - and how I move from websites to books and make sure that I have done the best job I can finding reliable sources.
I am also extremely lucky and grateful that Barefoot Books has relationships with many trusted subject matter experts who could read what I wrote and provide useful feedback and suggestions.
One of those reviewers introduced me to the Undam the Klamath protests, which I did not know about! I soon read many articles and watched YouTube videos where Native activists explained their protests, and I think the book was enhanced by having such a recent event, so that kids can learn that protest is an ongoing process.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm working on a nonfiction book for older readers about Reconstruction. I'm writing about radical activists who saw the end of the Civil War as an opportunity for transformational change, as an opportunity for equal rights and justice for Black people and for voting rights for women.
Much as Rise Up! says "Sometimes protests are steps in a long bending arc/we might not be finished, but we light a spark," the sparks lit by those activists in 1865 continue to impact Americans today.
I'm also working on something completely different and silly - some very funny, very short middle grade mysteries! I'm enjoying both projects tremendously.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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