A breathtaking account of the experiences of two naval pilots during the Korean War.
In this young readers’ adaptation of the 2015 title for adults by the same name, a courageous pilot’s moral compass makes him go against his rule-following tendencies in a bid to save his friend behind enemy lines.
The atrocities of war became the backdrop for a unique and unlikely friendship. In 1949, Jesse Brown from Mississippi was one of only five African Americans among the Navy’s 45,000 officers. In contrast, Tom Hudner was a young White man of means from Massachusetts when he entered the Naval Academy. These two officers navigated the racism that percolated just beneath the surface of the Navy, complicating their initial steps toward friendship. The author’s exploration of the internal lives of both men helps explain their actions and highlight their true natures, leading up to the tragic moment when Hudner risked his life in a vain attempt to save Brown, an act for which he later received a Medal of Honor. The Korean War and its aftermath become real; readers learn about the physical realities of being on the front lines as people witnessed death up close and the responsibility they felt afterward to honor those who served valiantly. Historical photos provide an added level of humanity. The strong pacing will keep readers’ senses alert and fully engaged as they fly through danger with these brave men.
A breathtaking account of the experiences of two naval pilots during the Korean War. (photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-17)Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-48145-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
The proximity to pain makes for a choppy narrative but also vitally draws attention to a global crisis
This memoir of modern domestic slavery ends with hope and determination, as young author Hall (born Shyima El-Sayed Hassan) is “one of the fortunate 2 percent” to be freed from servitude.
Shyima’s childhood in Egypt ends when her parents are blackmailed into turning over their 8-year-old daughter to a wealthy couple. Every day, Shyima cleans the five-story house and the 17-car garage, “standing on a stool doing the dishes” because she’s too tiny to reach the sink. When she’s 10, Shyima’s captors move to California, illegally trafficking her into the U.S. After two more years of hard labor and increasing ill health, a worried neighbor calls the police, and Shyima’s journey into freedom begins. A chain of Muslim and Christian foster parents (some protective, others exploitative) leads her to become an anti-slavery activist. Unsurprisingly, Hall’s representations of Arab and Muslim men are filtered through her appalling experiences. Though she acknowledges misogyny “is not what the Muslim faith is about,” readers should expect to find depictions that hew closely to negative stereotypes. Those readers prepared to brave a dense, adult tome could move from Hall’s memoir to John Bowe’s Nobodies: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy (2007) for a deeper look.
The proximity to pain makes for a choppy narrative but also vitally draws attention to a global crisis . (Nonfiction. 13-16)Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-8168-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2013
A poignant glimpse into an artist in the making.
Internationally acclaimed illustrator McMullan (I’m Fast, 2012), best known for Lincoln Center Theater posters and picture books with his wife, reflects on his childhood in China and wartime journeys in search of home.
Young McMullan, a nervous boy and grandson of missionaries, is born in Cheefoo, China, in 1934. He enjoys a comfortable lifestyle due to the family businesses, including an orphanage and embroidery exports. Soon, World War II dawns, and the Japanese army invades the town, causing the boy and his parents to flee to Shanghai. There, his father joins the British army, while he and his mother set sail for America. In two-page spreads, prose on the left opposite illustrations on the right, memories are recalled with vivid clarity and a quiet strength. The author’s subdued but elegant drawings set the most reverent tones. Tender scenes, such as the author playing next to a rectangle of sunlight while his father bends over the piano or his fascinated examination of brush strokes on Chinese scrolls, illustrate how little moments really do have the greatest impact. Painful and terrifying recollections take shape, as well: his failure to become a “strong little fellow” in his father’s eyes, a bomb scare aboard a passenger freighter or his ineptitude at boxing. These experiences, both extraordinary and ordinary, intertwine to create a memoir that resonates. (Finished, full-color art not seen.)
A poignant glimpse into an artist in the making. (Memoir. 12-16)Pub Date: March 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61620-255-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Algonquin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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