This thoughtfully arranged examination of a century of nonviolent resistance is an essential tool for teaching and discovery. More than a timeline of noteworthy efforts, this volume weaves together people and places with ideas and impacts, creating a rich yet uncomplicated tapestry. Beginning with an account of Gandhi’s early work in South Africa resisting the injustices imposed on Indian workers, the storyline crisscrosses continents to identify influential episodes throughout the decades. Thich Nhat Hanh and the Vietnam War, Charles Perkins and the Aboriginal Rights Movement, Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams and “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, the Mothers of the Disappeared in Argentina, and Vaclav Havel and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia are a few of the global examples in addition to four stories from the United States. Each chapter opens with an intimate impression of the scene of the conflict, followed by a profile of the passive response measures, and ending with a brief biography of the resistance leaders. Important quotations are set apart in red boxes, while black-and-white chalk images portray critical scenes and people. (Ages 10–15)

In 1908 Mohandas Gandhi spoke to a crowd of 3,000. Together they protested against an unjust law without guns or rioting. Peacefully they made a difference. Gandhi’s words and deeds influenced countless others to work toward the goals of freedom and justice through peaceful methods. Mother and son team, Anne Sibley O’Brien and Perry Edmond O’Brien, highlight some of the people and events that Gandhi’s actions inspired. From Rosa Parks to the students at Tiananmen Square to Wangari Maathai, these people have made the world sit up and take notice. The provocative graphics and beautiful portraits accompanying these stories stir the emotions and inspire a sense of civic responsibility.