The latest in the Women of Action series celebrates female American soldiers of all eras.
From Margaret Cochran Corbin, who was accepted into the Invalid Regiment after taking her cannoneer husband’s place and being wounded in a Revolutionary War battle, through the development of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps during World War II to Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman to receive the Silver Star for combat action, 14 vignettes show how women’s participation in the United States Army has become increasingly visible, with women now legally allowed to serve in any position. Staats (Eat Your Science Homework, 2014, etc.) highlights diversity in a few profiles: African American Cathay Williams enlisted in 1866 as a Buffalo soldier, masquerading as a man; Margaret K.C. Yang was a Korean American member of the Women’s Army Corp from Hawaii; and Brig. Gen. Deborah L. Kotulich, still serving, is a married lesbian with children. Calling all the women featured in the book heroes, however, is a bit of a stretch—while some undoubtedly were, others’ stories are less impressive. The third-person narratives are choppy, uneven, and sometimes repetitive, with confusing nonlinear timelines. Important details are buried in passive-voice sidebars, and the book seems better suited for a younger audience than it’s marketed to. Tighter editing would have helped, but the lack of cohesion is disappointing.
For large library collections. (glossary, notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-914091-24-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: April 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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BOOK REVIEW
A couple more YouTube stars write a book.
Howell, who goes by "danisnotonfire," and "AmazingPhil" Lester are the latest YouTube stars hoping to cross over to the world of books. Instead of crafting a memoir or adapting their videos into a fictional series, the duo have filled these 225 pages with bold graphics, scatological humor, and quirky how tos that may entice their fan base but will leave everyone else out in the cold. It contains a wide variety of nonsense, ranging from Phil's chat logs to information on breeding hamsters. There's an emoji-only interview and some Dan/Phil fanfiction (by Howell rather than a fan) and even a full double-page spread of the pair's unsuccessful selfies. All this miscellany is shoveled in without much rhyme or reason following introductory pages that clearly introduce the pair as children, leaving readers who aren't in on the joke completely out of the loop. The authors make no attempt to bring in those on the outside, but in all honesty, why should they? The only people buying this book are kids who already love everything Dan and Phil do or clueless relatives in desperate search of a gift for the awkward teens in their lives. The book's biggest fault is its apparent laziness. It feels like something slapped together over a weekend, with no heart or soul.
A loud, cynical cash grab—far from amazing. (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-101-93984-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2015
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``I always had to listen to that same old sentence: `If you were only white, so you could play in the majors.''' Another look at pro baseball's most durable pitcher, a walking and (especially) talking refutation of the idea that skin color (or, for that matter, age) is a measure of ability. Paige finally did break into the majors at age 42, by far its oldest rookie; the six years he spent there are little more than a footnote to his illustrious career. He's been the subject of many biographies; this one isn't a significant improvement over Macht's, issued by the same publisher in 1991. The two share many photos and quotes, aim at roughly the same audience, and append (differently) abbreviated stats, but Macht offers a more animated style and a clearer sense of Paige's personality. Bibliography; index. (Biography. 10-13)
Pub Date: April 15, 1993
ISBN: 0-7910-1880-6
Page Count: 102
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1993
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
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