by Alvin Townley ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2019
Appealing to war-story aficionados, this fulsome telling feels thin.
An imprisoned American naval officer remains steadfast throughout his captivity in North Vietnam.
Shot down during a routine bombing run in 1965, naval aviator and white Alabama native Cmdr. Jeremiah “Jerry” Denton finds himself fighting on a completely unexpected front. Despite the persistence of his North Vietnamese captors, Denton clings to the American military’s Code of Conduct for captured service members. He and other senior officers hold strong against an onslaught of physical and psychological torture, organizing a growing number of POWs to maintain a sense of unity and morale. This incredible tale of endurance, which Townley explores at greater length in his adult title Defiant (2014), stands alone for avid readers of war stories. More critical readers, though, may look elsewhere for a more complex view of the conflict and its survivors. The author’s habit of noting race only in relation to the very few nonwhite prisoners mentioned, along with a tendency to attribute inconsistently stilted English dialogue to the Vietnamese interrogators, will trouble some. One randomly placed text feature on the POW-MIA movement by families at home and a few odd explanatory references distract from the narrative, which teeters at points from textbook to hagiography. Still, the inclusion of photos and maps will help keep genre fans reading.
Appealing to war-story aficionados, this fulsome telling feels thin. (maps, bibliography, endnotes, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-25566-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 18, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
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by Michael Bronski ; adapted by Richie Chevat ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2019
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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by Martha Brockenbrough ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017
With the demand for all things Hamilton still strong, this will resonate with many teen readers.
Over 200 years after his death in a duel with former Vice President Aaron Burr, founding father Alexander Hamilton’s story is a major player in popular culture.
Brockenbrough begins her narrative with a list of the contradictions of Hamilton’s life and then sets out to describe many of them in detail. Hamilton’s wretched childhood and struggles for survival and an education set a tone that depicts him as the consummate self-made man whose flaws damaged both his political career and personal life. Hamilton’s courtship and marriage to Elizabeth Schuyler, a daughter of one of the country’s most influential families, is a key part, along with prominent figures from American history. Sometimes the intricacies of Revolutionary War strategy and Constitutional Convention maneuvering slow things down, making the pace uneven. However, tidbits about Hamilton’s role in the episode with Benedict Arnold and his close relationships with fellow soldier John Laurens and his sister-in-law Angelica Church are intriguing. The story is targeted to an older audience than Teri Kanefield’s Alexander Hamilton: The Making of America (2017), so the sex scandal that derailed Hamilton’s political career is part of the story, as is, of course, the duel that ended his life. After the epilogue, the volume includes information on 18th-century medicine, attire, and warfare among other contextualizing topics ; the volume will be illustrated with archival material (not seen).
With the demand for all things Hamilton still strong, this will resonate with many teen readers. (timeline, source notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12319-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
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by Martha Brockenbrough ; illustrated by Jon Lau
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