Written & Illustrated by: Innosanto Nagara 

For ages: Middle grades 

Language: English, Indonesian places, phrases, references. 

Topics Covered: Social Justice, Social Change, Protest, Activism, Young Adult, Growing Up, Military Action, Family, Own Voices.

Summary: 

For our next installment of #sweetsandsocialjustice we have a middle grade book by one of our favorite social justice authors, Innosanto Nagara. Because I am a snarky human, the recipe I made to go with the book was a modified almond crescent recipe to make edible golf balls!  Follow the link in our bio for the recipe, and tag us if you make them!

This book takes place in Indonesia, and follows the rise of a social movement to oust a corrupt Prime Minister.  The book is narrated by a child born in the eye of a hurricane and as they grow up, the child watches the changes that take place in their country.  It’s a fictionalized memoir, but much in the same way that The Handmaid’s Tale takes a plethora of true stories and combines them into one, M is for Movement does the same. This is a primer for social justice terminology, defining ideas like collusion and nepotism in an easy to understand way for readers. This complex and beautiful story doesn’t shy away from the intricacies and failures that can come with the long haul of working for change.

Since the book is a good size, it follows the beginning rumbles of revolution to when the regime finally falls…a span of 32 years!  This really exemplifies how long change can take, and the importance of sticking to a cause that will make the world a better place for future generations.

This book was kindly sent to us by Triangle Square, a division of Seven Stories Press.  Stay tuned for this book being featured again for a project we’ve got up our sleeves!

Recipe: “Golf Ball” Cookies aka Almond Crescents:

1c butter

2 1/4 all purpose flour, sifted (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gf ap flour)

1c ground almonds

1/2c sugar

1t almond extract

*can have a handful of something to mix into dough, like crushed almonds, cacao nibs, or maybe raisins*

Mix all ingredients together and shape.  If dough is particularly soft, refrigerate for a half hour.  Set oven to 350 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes. I have found that crescents or round balls work well, other shapes I’ve tried the dough breaks.  Get creative!

About the Author & Illustrator:

Innosanto Nagara was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, and moved to the U.S. in 1988 to study zoology at UC Davis. A couple of decades later, he is a graphic designer. He is a founding member of Design Action Collective, a worker-owned cooperative design studio in Oakland that is dedicated to “serving the Movement for social change”. He’s very lucky to be able to do what he does best (graphic design) for the people and organizations he respects the most (activists) who are working towards a better world.