cover image
LATEST ISSUE OF
Kirkus Reviews
Check out our interview with Rick Yancey, author of the wildly entertaining YA thriller The 5th Wave.
Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS



Children's Books for Black History Month

Cover art for NO CRYSTAL STAIR
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2012
Kirkus Star NO CRYSTAL STAIR: A DOCUMENTARY NOVEL OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF LEWIS MICHAUX, HARLEM BOOKSELLER
by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
"A stirring and thought-provoking account of an unsung figure in 20th-century American history. (author's notes, source notes, bibliography, index) (Fictional biography. 12-18)"
Lewis Michaux provided a venue for his fellow African-Americans to have access to their own history and philosophy at a time when the very idea was revolutionary. Read full book review >
Cover art for MILES TO GO FOR FREEDOM
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2012
Kirkus Star MILES TO GO FOR FREEDOM: SEGREGATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE JIM CROW YEARS
by Linda Barrett Osborne
"Readers will come away moved, saddened, troubled by this stain on their country's past and filled with abiding respect for those who fought and overcame. (timeline, notes, bibliography, note on sources) (Nonfiction. 11-14)"
Cogent and stirring, this very readable book focuses on the Jim Crow era, that period between 1896 and 1954, a shameful time in U.S. history framed by two landmark Supreme Court cases. Read full book review >
Cover art for BEST SHOT IN THE WEST
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2012
Kirkus Star BEST SHOT IN THE WEST: THE ADVENTURES OF NAT LOVE
by Patricia C. McKissack, Fredrick L. McKissack Jr., illustrated by Randy DuBurke
"History that's fun to read…and important. (authors' note, illustrator's note) (Historical fiction. 10 & up)"
On a train out of Denver in 1902, two old cowboys reminisce about the Old West. Read full book review >
Cover art for WE'VE GOT A JOB
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2012
Kirkus Star WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH
by Cynthia Y. Levinson
"A moving record of young people rising at a pivotal historical moment, based on original interviews and archival research as well as published sources. (photos, timeline, endnotes, multimedia resource lists) (Nonfiction. 11-15)"
Triumph and tragedy in 1963 "Bombingham," as children and teens pick up the flagging civil rights movement and give it a swift kick in the pants. Read full book review >
Cover art for UNDERGROUND
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 18, 2011
Kirkus Star UNDERGROUND
by Shane W. Evans, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
"Lengthier accounts of travel on the Underground Railroad abound, but few if any portray the experience with such compelling immediacy. (afterword) (Picture book. 5-9)"
Powerfully expressive imagery will sweep young viewers into this suspenseful journey along the Underground Railroad. Read full book review >
Cover art for DAVE THE POTTER
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 7, 2010
DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE
by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier
"Nonetheless, an accomplished, visually stunning homage to an important African-American artist. (author's and illustrator's notes, bibliography, websites) (Picture book/poetry/biography. 7-10)"
The enslaved 19th-century potter Dave, who lived and worked near Edgefield, S.C., could transform 60 pounds of clay into a 40-gallon pot. Read full book review >