A lyrical, poignant collection of voices that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of modern America.
A collection of short stories that brilliantly capture defining moments in the lives of a diverse group of American children and teens.
First published in 1993, this updated anthology, with 12 out of the 20 stories new to this edition, is a series of snapshots of the lives of youth growing up in the United States. From the black kindergartner in Edward P. Jones’ “The First Day” to the 11-year-old Winnebago girl in Susan Power’s “Drum Kiss” to the teenage daughter of Israeli immigrants in Rivka Galchen’s “Yiddische Baby,” the characters span a broad range of stages of childhood. The protagonists are as diverse as the authors, and the contributions vary in length and narrative structure; some of the shortest and most experimental—such as Justin Torres’ “Heritage”—are the most poetic and powerful. Although some stories date from the 1940s to the ’80s, characters grapple with timeless issues like divorce, loss, jealousy, and unrequited love, and the voices feel fresh and authentic. Refreshingly, most of the protagonists express a deep but conflicted love of their families and heritages, resulting in nuanced narratives that feel honest and relevant. Unfortunately, while the collection features racial, ethnic, religious, and class diversity, it features no queer or disabled characters. The prominent list of contributors includes Sandra Cisneros, Gish Jen, Langston Hughes, Gary Soto, and Naomi Shihab Nye.
A lyrical, poignant collection of voices that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of modern America. (about the authors) (Anthology. 12-adult)Pub Date: March 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89255-491-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Persea Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fast-paced tale with richly drawn characters that revels in mythical worldbuilding.
A teenager is thrust into an otherworldly mystery when she stumbles upon a glowing gem in Messina’s YA SF novel.
When readers first meet Resa Stone, the 17-year-old is living with her parents and twin brother, Dakota, on the planet Wandelsta. Five years ago, aliens made contact with Earth and revealed the existence of 25 other planets harboring life. The aliens’ technology made interstellar travel possible, and Resa’s family became one of the few that were chosen to live on Wandelsta for six months as part of “a universal sociologic experiment.” Resa has had a recurring dream in which a mysterious girl named Nitika tells her, “You are the one”; one day on Wandelsta, she sees Nitika in her waking life, and Nitika leads her to a gem that she says will “fulfill [her] destiny.” The importance of this gem reveals itself in the legend of Gemja—a distant, utopian planet whose crystals once satisfied everyone’s every need until an evil force came and tempted different species to steal the crystals for themselves. Only when all the stones are found and activated by representatives of each planet will Gemja reappear. As Resa struggles with the meaning of the gem, and the revelation that she’s not even the first person in her family to find one, she must also contend with her burgeoning powers as a witch—she had a witch mentor back on Earth—and the attention of a mysterious violet-eyed boy. Over the course of this novel, Messina offers an absorbing story that’s peppered with haunting black-and-white illustrations by Pavliuk. It blends fantasy and SF elements, along with witchcraft and teenage romance, with a degree of skill that’s likely to satisfy fans of all these genres. The action never stops moving, whether Resa encounters a talking wolf in a forest or practices astral projection to save her grandmother. The plot will also encourage readers to consider big questions as well, such as whether the mind is truly limitless.
A fast-paced tale with richly drawn characters that revels in mythical worldbuilding.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9781736723128
Page Count: 333
Publisher: Lunalore Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 2, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An often entertaining, if sometimes-lurid, tale of young love and vanity.
A gay teen aspires to Olympian celebrity in Karl’s YA novel.
Jason Masters, a 16-year-old junior at Niagara County High School in upstate New York, is struggling with the fact that he’s gay. When he’s spotted waiting tables at his mother’s diner by billionaire Zeus Vasiliadis, the tycoon decides that the preternaturally handsome Jason should be the face of his new men’s cosmetics line, “IMMORTAL by The House of Ganymede.” (The brand is named after the Greek god Zeus’ beautiful cupbearer on Mount Olympus.) The prospect of being a millionaire supermodel appeals to Jason, as does teenage Youngsoo Kwon, the attractive Korean expatriate son of one of Zeus’s executives. The besotted Youngsoo woos Jason with cashmere sweaters and spa treatments while venting his mad egotism: “I will crush my enemies to death, no matter who tries to stop me!” he blusters before hatching a plan to take over Zeus’ company and become the emperor of South Korea. Youngsoo’s megalomania rubs off on Jason, who asks “Are you ready to kneel before your god and worship me?” while the two are skinny-dipping. Jason’s modeling—which includes illegal nude photo shoots—rockets him to social media fame and riches, and he plans to consummate the bliss by having sex, for the first time, with Youngsoo after the prom—if they survive an attack by a school shooter. Karl’s yarn gives a glitzy, modern gloss to Greek mythology. It’s replete with Homeric circling eagles—sometimes symbolizing the bird of prey that is heteronormativity, and other times the main character spreading his wings. Karl’s characters tend toward lively, bombastic narcissism, and the prose has a salacious tone that can be inappropriate and problematic, as when the underage Jason flashes Zeus and his adult executives at the diner: “‘Now that’s what I call a true dessert!’ someone said, practically salivating at the sight of the fully-packed pouch of Jason’s tight white briefs.” At its best, though, Karl’s writing has an ardent lyricism—“Twisting, turning, struggling, their dance became a Daredevil Cartwheel, with one male eagle exerting dominance over another”—that aptly conveys the characters’ intensity.
An often entertaining, if sometimes-lurid, tale of young love and vanity.Pub Date: May 21, 2025
ISBN: 9798992951301
Page Count: 205
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
