As some people may know there is a movie, Milk, coming out that is about politician Harvey Milk. When I was at my local library I came across this book. I, personally, had not heard of Harvey Milk until I saw previews for the movie. I think it is great they are doing a movie about such a brave man. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected as a city official in the United States. He lived in San Francisco and many people were thrilled with the results, but many were not, and Harvey Milk was assassinated by a fellow politician. The Harvey Milk story written by Kari Krakow is a wonderful biography story of this ground breaking man. The illustrations by David Gardner are vibrant and do not depict any stereotypes that could be deemed offensive. The story is told from when Harvey was a young boy, which I enjoy as it establishes more of a connection with Harvey. Krakow also does not mention he was gay right away, and then explains why Harvey was afraid to tell people he was gay, despite how popular he was with all his friends.
"Like so many people of his time, he was afraid of what would happen to him if others knew he was gay. Fears that he would be beaten up at school and abandoned by his friends and family troubled his sleep and tormented his days" (Krawkow).
The Harvey Milk Story would be a wonderful addition to any classroom library. It shows children a person, who happened to be gay, who accomplished what he wanted to do. It is a great example of someone standing up for what they believe in. It is a well written and illustrated biography that could inspire many young children.
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