A straightforward and positive portrayal of a young singing sensation.
This biography of the teen singer/songwriter shows a talented young woman in charge of her art and career.
Touted as the first artist born in this century to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Eilish is presented here as someone who knows what she wants, is full of creativity, and is an an embodiment of Gen Z proclivities. Beginning with her early childhood in a Los Angeles neighborhood (described here as being improved by gentrification) where she was home-schooled with Finneas, her brother and fellow musician, and moving on to the overnight sensation of her first song, this book covers the period up to the many awards she received at the 2020 Grammys. Exploring the writing and recording process of each hit song and video, it can serve as an empowering book for teens, who will see how Eilish kept control of her work and her life. While, due to her youth, others continually tried to take over her career, she is portrayed as being unapologetic about being a teenager with valid experience and perspectives. There is a chapter on Finneas’ own musical successes, and breakout text goes into specific aspects of her life, such as her veganism, Tourette syndrome, synesthesia, and her relationships with other pop stars, making some of this information feel isolated rather than integrated into the overall portrait of the artist.
A straightforward and positive portrayal of a young singing sensation. (picture credits, index) (Biography. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72842-417-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Zest Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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