This anthology sings with powerful young voices.
The 11th anthology by the POPS and PATHfinder Clubs, which support teens affected by incarceration, detention, and deportation, celebrates student writing and artwork.
Through poetry, prose, and art, Club members from different schools and cities discuss a range of human experiences, including love and loss, family and friendship, freedom and injustice. They form a “chorus of heartfelt voices”—and they express “truth, resilience, and creativity” even as they describe and critique oppressive systems throughout the anthology. Poems and short prose pieces are interspersed with artwork, including drawings and photographs. The anthology is divided into nine parts, each named for an aspect of music, for example, “Requiem,” “Dissonance,” “Harmony,” “Melody,” and “Tempo.” These sections are preceded by “Overture” and followed by “Finale,” which contextualize the subject matter and purpose of the project. The pieces focus on childhood, what the authors have overcome, and what a better future might look like. Several authors explore “what Club means” to them, such as feeling heard, accepted, and inspired. Other overarching themes include connection, community, and hope. While most of the pieces are arranged thoughtfully by topic, the placement of a handful of entries interrupts the cohesion of the anthology. Nevertheless, the message that community is vital shines through.
This anthology sings with powerful young voices. (editor’s note, contributors’ bios) (Anthology. 12-18)Pub Date: May 19, 2026
ISBN: 9781952197185
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Out of the Woods Press
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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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