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Accolades

Reviews

“In a stellar debut… Cox analyzes the gun crisis astutely, but his surpassing achievement in this eloquent book is to let children speak for themselves about their grief. Put this one on a shelf with Alex Kotlowitz’s There Are No Children Here—and have a box of tissues handy. An indispensable contribution to the debate about gun violence.” — Kirkus (starred review)

“‘Children Under Fire’ is an important book and should be read by as many people as possible.” — The Washington Post

“Cox’s ‘Children Under Fire: An American Crisis’ lays bare the human cost of things that cannot be counted when it comes to children and gun violence.” — The New York Times

“John Woodrow Cox adapts his groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize–nominated series in this harrowing and illuminating account of gun violence in America, told through the children witnessing (and traumatized by) it, interwoven with an analysis of the government’s profound failure to protect them.” — BuzzFeed: “The Most Highly Anticipated Books of 2021”

“Cox shines a light on America's gun violence crisis through deeply personal and profoundly affecting stories of the children who live with its everlasting repercussions.” — Newsweek: “2021's Most Highly Anticipated New Books”

“Children Under Fire is a major accomplishment. Anyone who cares about the problem of guns in America—and we all should—will find in John Woodrow Cox’s work fresh insights and suggestions for common-sense solutions. This deeply reported, impressive book is sure to be one of the most important of the year.” — Dan Rather, journalist and author of What Unites Us

"A hard-hitting report. . . . [Children Under Fire] illuminates both the emotional trauma of gun violence and the healing power of friendship for its youngest victims. . . . Balancing sound research with moving profiles of victims and activists, Cox makes an impeccable case for how to solve the problem and why it's essential to do so now." — Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“A great and necessary book that shatters our numbness toward gun violence in America and treats the epidemic with the urgency it deserves. With remarkable empathy and incisive reporting, John Woodrow Cox introduces us to young victims and survivors whose stories become unforgettable. His reporting demands that we do better — and also reveals how we can.” — Eli Saslow, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist

“John Woodrow Cox has dedicated years of his life and career to covering some of the most difficult and important stories of our time about how trauma—particularly in the aftermath of gun violence— impacts everyday Americans. His humanity and attention to detail breathes life into statistics and enables him to embody his subjects, drawing readers into the narratives he weaves and rendering them altered by the end. John’s stories will never leave your conscience, nor should they.” — Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety, and author of Fight Like a Mother

“Elementary students huddled beneath school desks, haunted for years by the fear that the gunman may come back, clinging to the fading memories of the friends, classmates, and loved ones stolen from them. In Children Under Fire, one of our most gifted storytellers and meticulous reporters probes the unspeakable toll that this nation's unabated gun violence exacts of our most vulnerable: our kids. John Woodrow Cox writes with a searing clarity, laying bare the uniquely American tragedy that has traumatized generations of our children and, by our continued inaction, threatens to traumatize generations more.” — Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of They Can't Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore and a New Era in America's Racial Justice Movement

“This heartbreakingly beautiful work brings us into the minds of children like Ava & Tyshaun, helping us to better understand that the scars of gun violence are not just physical. Their unforgettable stories are sure to inspire calls for action, as the book makes an eloquent case that the time has come to pass meaningful reforms to address America’s gun violence crisis.” — Former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

“This is a book like no other because it is told by the children whose lives have been shattered by gun violence in their families, their schools and in their communities. They are the experts America has ignored for too long. Not anymore. John Woodrow Cox has a profound respect for children and a willingness to listen to them. In return, they have trusted him with the hardest stories of their lives." — Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Daughters of Erietown

“A riveting examination of the impact of gun violence on kids. John Woodrow Cox brings his full brilliance, compassion and storytelling strength to this complex subject. This book is an urgent read if we are to move past our paralysis as a nation and save more young lives.” — Kevin Merida, author of Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas

“An astounding, heartbreaking, hopeful book. Cox has a reporter’s ear, a director’s eye and a poet’s rhythm as he weaves key facts through the powerful stories of children and families impacted by gun violence, using his gifts to bring the scope of these problems to light. I can’t recommend this book enough; it is one of the few I’ve read that has the potential to lead to meaningful change in our gun-sick society.” — Bruce Perry, author of The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog