Today Marshmallow reviews Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You, the 2018 book by Marley Dias. Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.
Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, tell us about this book.
Marshmallow: Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You! is an inspirational book that encourages the readers to be active and to make a difference in the world. The author is a teenager who was 14 when this book came out. She started a campaign called #1000BlackGirlBooks when she was a sixth grader because she noticed that not many books had protagonists who were black girls like herself. Maybe we can put the publisher’s video here for our readers?
S: Sure. Here it is:
M: I think readers might find it interesting to see the author and it gives a sneak peek into the book.
S: It seems like a pretty colorful book.
M: Yes it is. There are many pictures, a lot of photos of Marley Dias herself, and her family, and a lot of other people doing good things to improve the world. The pictures make the book a lot more engaging and much easier to read.
S: So does she talk about how she started her campaign?
M: Yes. She talks about that in the first couple chapters. The first chapter is called Herstory: Who I Am, How This All Began. The first few chapters of the book are about what she has done with the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. Then she talks about how to properly use social media and other internet resources to make a difference in the world. The last few chapters are about how to make a difference more generally. She talks about how important it is to read a lot and learn about the world. She uses the phrase “woke” in the sense of “politically aware”, and writes about how the readers can become that way.
S: That term has been used and abused a lot in a lot of different ways in the intervening years (Wikipedia tells a bit about the evolution of the word.) But you are right, she uses it in the meaning you point out, and it would be a good thing for young bunnies to be politically aware and think about what is happening in the world.
S: You said this was an inspiring book. Can you open that up a bit?
M: It’s inspiring because it shows that children can make a difference. It also gives you ways to make such change, and Marley Dias herself is an example of doing this. So you see her example and she explains all that went into how she was able to make a difference, and you can think about your own context, your own community, your own resources, and your own passions. What you care about, what you wish were different, and so on.
S: That sounds really inspiring. Did you think about something you would like to work towards changing?
M: I am worried about climate change, and I would like to be able to do something about helping the world’s many species that are going extinct.
S: This reminds me of the last book Caramel reviewed: The Aquanaut.
M: Yes, I think I might need to read that one some day. I also would like to help children around the world who do not have access to fresh and clean drinking water and enough food.
S: So did reading Marley Dias’s book help you think about how you could help in either of these causes?
M: A little. It has motivated me to do more, because I have always thought you had to grow up first to make a difference, but maybe I don’t have to wait.
S: I think this is wise Marshmallow and indeed inspiring. So if you were to rate this book, what would you rate it at?
M: I rate it at 95%.
S: Okay, then what would you like to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?
M: Stay tuned for more amazing book reviews from the book bunnies!
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