Engaging.
Comedian and YouTube celebrity Hughes takes readers on a hilariously intimate journey into her world.
Beginning with her childhood in Kentucky and ending in New York City as she conquers the world of YouTube, Hughes shares stories of spelling bee successes, raccoon infestations, and a cheerleading fail, none of which she allowed to deter her from her dreams of one day becoming as famous as Oprah, someone she admires for what she does to support others. Sprinkled throughout these laugh-out-loud accounts, Hughes keeps it real with autobiographical essays that touch on her absent father and the pain of being a child in a classroom taught by a hostile, racist teacher. Many teens will relate to everything she shares about acne, eating disorders, self-esteem, and body positivity, not to mention tales of besties and breakups, as she leaves childhood behind and barrels toward the world of adulthood. When things go badly as Hughes overcomes a serious health scare, readers will want to fight right alongside her. These essays read like warm conversations with an older cousin. The readable format provides helpful advice—sandwiched between love and laughter—on growing up. Whether they have heard of her before or not, young people will root for this young African American comedian as she navigates life’s challenges. The short chapters and chatty style make this an appealing choice for reluctant readers.
Engaging. (Memoir. 13-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-10199-890-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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