Despite the title, this is a terse, impeccable history of the Nation of Islam, with emphasis in the last half to the role of Farrakhan in that organization and including his appearance at the Million Man March in October 1995. Haskin (with Kathleen Benson, Count Your Way Through Greece, p. 899) focuses less on Farrakhan than on the political aspects of his life, for which he provides background; thus, half of this carefully researched book traces the history of the Nation of Islam from its birth in the 1930s, through the assassination of Malcolm X, and on to the current leadership. The seeds of Farrakhan's anti- white sentiments were sown while he was a child; as he witnessed how economics, racial hatred, and lack of education further limited African-Americans from achieving true equality, his resentment blossomed. His rise through the Nation of Islam is cloudy, although Haskins is careful to document Farrakhan's anti-Semitism and shows its effect on Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign. Readers will also benefit from the examination of Farrakhan's rhetorical techniques: soft-spoken and diplomatic in interviews with mostly white audiences, screaming anti-white epithets in front of mostly black audiences (black-and-white photos allegedly capture such moments). Farrakhan is such an explosive figure that any objective coverage of him sounds like adulation; while Haskins exhibits great care in scholarship and use of language, Farrakhan remains inscrutable. (b&w photos, notes, further reading, index) (Biography. 12+)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8027-8422-4
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996
A smart and solidly written guide to life as seen through stained-glass windows.
Expanding on the author's popular, titular blog comes this guidebook for teen girls.
Kampakis' book begins with an arresting assertion: “There are two things no one can prepare you for. One is how fun it is to be a girl. The other is how hard it is to be a girl.” The upside includes things like slumber parties with meaty talks, dancing in the kitchen, unfettered squealing with delight...but then there's the darker side: emotional wrestling with mean girls, cliques, teen sexual mores and dealing with social media debacles. While she covers a wide spectrum of teen-girl conundrums, Kampakis doesn't short shrift any, delving in deep with a firm but deftly sensitive resolve, illustrating her points with anecdotes and leavening her message with dashes of humor. She packs the pages with advice on building confidence, creating a “good reputation” (or restoring one), how to be and spot a true friend, creating healthy relationships with teen boys, and developing patience and fostering perseverance. The book reveals the author's strong religious bent, with frequent references to God, quotes from the Bible and invocations of Satan, leaving some passages sounding as if they're written by a hip Sunday school teacher. Miniquizzes and discussion questions invite readers to sort out their feelings and insecurities and home in on their aspirations.
A smart and solidly written guide to life as seen through stained-glass windows. (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-529-11103-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
A textured and gratifying novel.
Yamilet is a gay, Mexican American 16-year-old who’s about to start Catholic school.
She tells herself it has more to do with being there for Cesar, her genius brother one year her junior who skipped a grade and earned a scholarship, but there’s more to it. She’s also glad to start over away from ex–best friend Bianca, who outed her to their social circle. It’s not easy for Yami to lose someone she trusted as much as Bianca, especially when she feels alone and is still nursing the heartbreak of her dad’s being deported to Mexico 6 years ago. She loves her busy, hardworking, very Catholic mom, but that doesn’t mean Mami would accept her sexuality if she knew the truth. In her new, wealthy, and mostly White school, Yami immediately faces casual racism, but it’s not all bad. She also meets Bo, a Chinese American girl who has chosen the school uniform’s trousers over skirts—paired with rainbow Vans, no less—and they immediately get along. Yami likes how outspoken and confident Bo is, but she’s also intimidated by her new friend’s being an out lesbian. As their friendship blossoms into more, so do the problems with keeping who she is a secret from the world. The portrayal of found family and the threads of love and acceptance woven into this story make it a satisfying read with a hopeful ending.
A textured and gratifying novel. (author’s note) (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: May 17, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-306023-4
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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