To This Day by Shane Koyczan | Review

To This Day by Shane Koyczan
Series: none
Published by Annick Press Ltd on July 17, 2014
Pages 72
Format EBook
Source Netgalley
Goodreads • B&N









In February 2013, Shane Koyczan's passionate anti-bullying poem "To This Day" electrified the world. An animated video of the lyric narrative went viral, racking up over 12 million hits to date and inspiring an international movement against bullying in schools. Shane later performed the piece to sustained applause on the stage of the 2013 annual TED Conference.

Now this extraordinary work has been adapted into an equally moving and visually arresting book. Thirty international artists, as diverse as they are talented, have been inspired to create exceptional art to accompany "To This Day." Each page is a vibrant collage of images, colors and words that will resonate powerfully with anyone who has experienced bullying themselves, whether as a victim, observer, or participant.

Born of Shane's own experiences of being bullied as a child, "To This Day" expresses the profound and lasting effect of bullying on an individual, while affirming the strength and inner resources that allow people to move beyond the experience. A heartfelt preface and afterword, along with resources for kids affected by bullying, make this book an invaluable centerpiece of the anti-bullying movement.

MY THOUGHTS: 

    This is such an inspirational and amazing story. It takes you from the beginning of his bullying experiences and along for an amazing journey. It is a quick read but it will leave you thinking for a while after you close the book.  The pain of Mr. Koyczan and other students he went to school with can be felt through this empowering telling.

   It started off as a youtube video and I will leave the link below for anybody who is interested. My younger sister was the first to show me this video and at first I thought nothing of it. Then, I saw this book available on NetGalley and immediately requested. It was my honor to read and review this book, and I was sorry I had not paid closer attention to the video when it was first shown to me.

    After finishing the book, I rewatched the video, this time listening to the power in his voice and the drawings that went along with it. There is not a word more perfect to be used to describe this story other than breathtaking. I recommend to anyone and everyone, especially those who struggled or who continue to struggle with bullying. This will give you the power to get through anything. 


YOUTUBE LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltun92DfnPY