RESOURCES
NONFICTION BOOKS
Enough is Enough: How Students Can Join the Fight for Gun Safety by Michelle Roehm McCann Written in four parts (The Problems, How We Got Here, The Solutions and Take Action!) this book is an all in one guide for the concerned young person who wants to do something in their community on gun violence.
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Below are some of the resources listed in the back of
Enough is Enough
.
#NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line by David Hogg and Lauren Hogg Written by survivors of the Parkland massacre, this is their story and their statement of intent for the movement they launched. Their generation is standing up to the inaction of our politicians and determined to overcome all obstacles in their way. This is their guidebook to the #NeverAgain movement and student activism.
The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to Know by Philip J. Cook and Kristin A. Goss Written in Q&A format, the book explains the statistics and rhetoric surrounding America’s gun debate. This book is helpful for getting a clear, fact-based account of the issues surrounding guns in America.
Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America by Adam Winkler This book looks at the history of America’s battle over gun control and the right to bear arms, since the ratification of the Second Amendment in 1781. It gives a detailed look into the emotional debate currently raging in our country.
Shot: 101 Survivors of Gun Violence in America by Kathy Shorr In 101 photos, this book highlights survivors from across America (from all races and ethnicities) who have been shot and survived and have a story to tell. Most of the pictures were taken at the shooting locations.
Enough is Enough
contains even more nonfiction and fiction books, articles and movies, as well as more information about prominent gun safety organizations and student activists.
ONLINE: DATA + STATISTICS
Gun Violence Archive This resource provides raw data on gun related incidents in the United States. Among the statistics it tracks are the ages of individuals involved in gun violence, officer involved incidents, suicides, and mass shootings, with maps that indicate where these incidents happened. Each incident is numbered and connected to an article or source that verifies the incident.
An Atlas of American Gun Violence Explore how gun violence has marked your corner of the country. This map was built with data collected by Gun Violence Archive.
EveryStat for Gun Safety EveryStat for Gun Safety was designed for users to better understand how gun violence impacts the communities they care about.
Every mass shooting in the US – a visual database Since 2014 the US has averaged more than one mass shooting a day, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. There is no official definition of “mass shooting”, but this database tracks incidents in which at least four people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.
PLAYS
#ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence by Adelaide Fisher, Eislinn Gracen, Azya Lyons, Debkanya Mitra, Olivia Ridley, Sarah Schecter and Elizabeth Shannon Selected by award-winning playwrights Lauren Gunderson, David Henry Hwang, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Robert Schenkkan, and Karen Zacarías, these seven powerful short plays written by and for teens confront gun violence through the lenses of race, police brutality, community violence, school shootings, and American mythology.
Learn more about the playwrights and their plays.
Read for FREE. (sign up with Playscripts to access)
View a virtual production of the 2020 plays for FREE.
(sign up with Broadway on Demand to access)
The list below is by no means comprehensive, but we hope it serves as further inspiration. Seek out any plays that might interest you to see how that playwright has decided to write about gun violence
Some playwrights listed are featured in this American Theatre article “
Plays About Guns with Varying Aims.”
26 Pebbles by Eric Ulloa Similar in style to The Laramie Project, playwright Eric Ulloa conducted interviews with members of the community in Newtown and crafted them into an exploration of gun violence and a small town shaken by a horrific event.
columbinus by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli A play sparked by the April 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., [columbinus] weaves together excerpts from discussions with parents, survivors and community leaders in Littleton as well as police evidence to bring to light the dark recesses of American adolescence.
Declaration by Jonathan Dorf A group of students gets up in the morning, jumping into the expected cycle of every school day--but today, the school they go to is part of a larger, terrifying cycle of mass shootings, in a series of connected scenes and monologues that occur before, during, and after the event.
This Flat Earth by Lindsay Ferrentino Stuck at home in a state of shocked limbo, Julie and Zander, two thirteen-year-olds, try to make sense of the chaos they’ve witnessed, their awkward crushes, and an infinitely more complicated future – but the grown-ups are no help at all.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY PLAYS
The Amish Project by Jessica Dickey
Church & State by Jason Odell Williams
The Events by David Greig
Office Hour by Julia Cho
The Library by Scott Z. Burns
Mockingbird adapted by Julie Jensen from the National Book award-winning novel by Kathryn Erkine
Natural Shocks by Lauren Gunderson
On the Exhale by Martin Zimmerman
Ripe Frenzy by Jennifer Barlcay
ONLINE: PERSONAL STORIES
Please Note:
Given the sensitive and emotional nature of these stories, these resources may be triggering.
Moments that Survive Gun violence survivors share their stories in their own words.
Since Parkland Student reporters attempt to tell the stories of every child and teenager, ages 18 and younger, killed by a gun in the 12 months since Parkland.
Aftermath Aftermath tells the stories of nine of America’s hundreds of thousands of gunshot survivors. Their backgrounds and circumstances stories all vary, but they share one defining truth: Each had their lives changed by the path of a bullet.
Shot and Forgotten The toll of America’s gun violence epidemic is usually measured in lives lost — more than 35,000 each year. Ignored, almost completely, are the many more people who are shot every year, and survive.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
From #ENOUGH’s Michael Cotey:
“The two books below have stood out to me as impactful and thought-provoking explorations of gun violence. Because both are graphic novels, you’ll see how the authors use both words and images to tell their story”
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds, illustrations by Danica Novgordoff From Publishers Weekly: "Will, 15, is following his neighborhood’s well-established rules—don’t cry, don’t snitch, but do get revenge “if someone you love/ gets killed”—when he leaves his apartment, intent on killing whoever murdered his older brother, Shawn…As Will makes his way to the ground floor of his building, the elevator stops to accept passengers, each an important figure from his past, all victims of gun violence. Are these ghosts? Or is it Will’s subconscious at work, forcing him to think about what he intends to do and what it will accomplish? The story unfolds in the time it takes for the elevator to descend, and it ends with a two-word question that hits like a punch to the gut…this is a tour de force from a writer who continues to demonstrate his skill as an exceptionally perceptive chronicler of what it means to be a black teen in America.”
Adapted from the young adult novel of the same name. (14+)
Where We Live: Las Vegas Shooting Benefit Anthology by J.H. Williams III, and more From Library Journal: “…a collection of 75 short comics from creators around the world in response to the 2017 mass shooting [in Las Vegas], the worst in modern American history. Eyewitness accounts, quirky parables and allegories, commentaries from varied viewpoints, and fictional entries about violence, victims, and community comprise this devastating kaleidoscopic. The more than 160 contributors, including numerous comics luminaries present various art styles that collectively exhibit beauty, thoughtfulness, and visceral punch in depicting tragedy and compassion…This wrenching and inspiring read deserves prominent display in all public and high school libraries to encourage meditation, understanding, and discussion among everyone willing to look beyond the headlines.” (13+)
FOR EDUCATORS
Team ENOUGH - Discussion Guide The Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Team ENOUGH created this discussion guide about gun violence in America, grounded in facts which are neutral and nonpartisan. The guide is built around a 40-minute classroom discussion for high school or middle school students, and can be adapted for classroom purposes.
School Safety: Preventing Gun Violence Provided on the American Federation of Teachers platform Share My Lesson, “this collection provides resources for students and teachers who want to join the conversation [on gun violence], become better informed, and take action.” Included in this collection are trauma-informed practices, essential background information, and examples of youth activism, among other topics.
Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change A free 6-week course on gun violence developed by John Hopkins University and provided for by Coursera. The course includes videos and readings that considers the issue across a variety of contexts, explores law and policy on the federal, state, and local levels.
Teaching in the Shadow of Gun Violence: Resources for Teachers in the Wake of Gun Tragedies
National Council for the Social Studies - Teaching Resources About Gun Violence
Better Conversations: A Starter Guide
NPR ED: ‘How to Talk With Kids About Terrible Things’
Greater Good Magazine: ‘Nine Ways to Help Students Discuss Guns and Violence’
