Fight AIDS!: How Activism, Art, and Protest Changed the Course of a Deadly Epidemic and Reshaped a Nation

by Michael G. Long

Overview

Acclaimed author Michael G. Long tells the story of the devastating AIDS crisis and the trailblazing activists who fought for dignity, compassion, and treatment.

Act up! Fight back! Fight AIDS!

This was the slogan for ACT UP—or AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power—an activist organization that emerged in the 1980s during the height of the AIDS epidemic. The group was loud, direct, and confrontational as it fought for access to treatment, compassionate care, and recognition for everyone with HIV and AIDS.

Tracing the history of the LGBTQ+ community from the Stonewall Riots and “gay liberation” movements to the groundbreaking protests of the 1980s and 1990s, Fight AIDS! is a gripping narrative of the AIDS epidemic for young readers, told through the lens of the activism it fostered. Focusing on the people most directly affected by the crisis and on the individuals who fought for justice, it is an intimate and humane account of one of the most devastating eras in United States history and an electrifying celebration of the power ordinary citizens have to enact meaningful change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781324053538
Publisher:	Norton Young Readers
Publication date:	06/03/2025
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Michael G. Long writes about politics, nonviolent protests, and civil rights history. His books for young readers include More Than a Dream, Call Him Jack, and Troublemaker for Justice. He lives in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

"Fiery, quick-moving... Activist teens who may be priming for some revolutionary movement of their own will likely be deeply inspired by the collaborative art, protests, and marches, as well as the more extreme but effective forms of dissent that finally brought needed change."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Long presents a detailed, well-researched resource on the history, science, and cultural impact of the AIDS crisis, including context related to the concurrent fight for LGBTQ+ rights and important events in that mission… By connecting these ideas with passages on queer history through the perspectives of those who lived it, Long paints a vivid picture of life during the AIDS crisis… With clear affection for the LGBTQIA+ community, Long describes the effect of AIDS not only on those who individually suffered from the disease but on the community at large—so many people lost so much, which he doesn't gloss over. Teen readers will come away with an enriched understanding of the context of the AIDS crisis and its effect on individuals and the community, as well as the modern struggles still faced by the queer community today."

Booklist

2025-04-19
A comprehensive sociopolitical history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic through an American lens.

“Today, more than one million people in the United States have HIV. About 30,000 people are infected each year, and the highest rates of infection are among Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and people who live in poor communities,” writes Long. These statistics show how timely this book is, challenging the view that the threat from HIV/AIDS ended decades ago. In “Basic Facts,” the opening section, the author uses precise, value-neutral language to answer questions readers might have. In 10 subsequent sections, he packs in well-researched accounts of various individuals and collectives responsible for demanding swift, affordable, and inclusive healthcare for people with AIDS. In addition to well-known groups, like ACT UP and Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the book celebrates initiatives such as Blood Sisters (“a group of lesbian women in San Diego who designated their blood donations for local gay men”) and Mothers of AIDS Patients. This work will provide readers with hope as they learn about their fierce ancestors who fought for dignity in the face of institutionalized homophobia from the government and medical establishment. Long clearly shows how these activists effectively asserted their right to have a say in their own healthcare through marches, civil disobedience, fundraising and the arts. Photographs throughout enhance the storytelling by providing glimpses of the passionate and committed organizing that forced America to act against AIDS.

Informative, heartbreaking, and inspiring. (notes, image credits, index)(Nonfiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews