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
An intriguing, if not always emotionally engaging, story of a serious teen problem.
Somers’ debut young-adult novel follows a teenage boy from sickness to tenuous health as he battles an eating disorder and the problems that helped create it.
Nathan is a typical teen with typical problems, including an unhappy family life and romantic disappointment, but he’s got an unhealthy “solution” for dealing with them: starving and purging himself. His descent into bulimia and anorexia occurs quite quickly; it starts with Nathan taking short bike rides to get away from his domineering father and alcoholic mother, and soon he’s inducing vomiting; not long afterward, he’s admitted to an eating-disorder program, at which point the book seems to find its center. Nathan is the only boy in his unit, a fact that his status-obsessed parents find it hard to understand; in fact, as the book makes clear, boys make up 10 percent of those who suffer from eating disorders. Somers’ novel never falls into “after-school special” territory, but it has a clear message. Nathan is depicted as a smart, cynical teenager, but his trials are sometimes more informative than heart-wrenching. The short chapters, complete with bad teenage poetry, keep the story moving, and Nathan’s dad, mom and nurse all get at least one chance to tell their side of the story. But although these multiple points of view are interesting, they may distract readers from Nathan’s personal trials. Also, the novel sometimes gets bogged down in eating-disorder program protocol; for example, a plan to interrupt Nathan’s family therapy takes two pages of emails, rather than a line or two of dialogue.
An intriguing, if not always emotionally engaging, story of a serious teen problem.Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0988367203
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Rundy Hill Press LLC
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever series starter sure to leave readers wanting more Peas and Hambone adventures.
A boy and his dog face off against a horde of zombie gorillas in this action-packed adventure by debut author Nichols.
Peter, whose nickname is “Peas,” is an ordinary 10-year-old kid with an extraordinary dog named Hambone. The dog walks and talks like a human but only when he’s alone with Peas, and he gives Hobbes (of Bill Watterson’s famous Calvin and Hobbes comic strip) a run for his money. Snarky troublemaker Hambone is determined to get even with a gorilla who threw “dirt” at him, so he and Peter break into the zoo early one morning. As they try to determine which gorilla is Hambone’s nemesis, they stumble upon an evil plot: One of the gorillas (whom Peas nicknames “Evil Doctor Crazy Gorilla”) gives the other gorillas a smoky green potion that turns them into zombies. Peas and Hambone are the only ones who stand between humanity and the zombie gorilla incursion, aside from crazy Mr. Oswalt, who’s so obsessed with World War I that he pilots a Sopwith Camel biplane around the neighborhood, and the Mama’s Boys biker gang, which fights with foam swords and squirt guns. Peas, who’s seen a lot of scary movies, knows that where there’s a potion, there must be an antidote. Hambone, who suffered a “childhood trauma involving the movie King Kong,” has a serious hatred of gorillas and zombies, and he comes up with the plan that eventually leads them to the mad scientist’s lair. Peas and Hambone’s first outing, full of chase scenes, absurd combat, cross-dressing and gross-out humor, is a madcap adventure sure to appeal to fans of Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants books and Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The vocabulary and pacing are well-suited to reluctant readers, and Nichols’ silly, coined phrases (such as “whup-butt” and “Oh-my-shnippies!”) are catchy enough that kids might adopt them.
A clever series starter sure to leave readers wanting more Peas and Hambone adventures.Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-615-87100-4
Page Count: 120
Publisher: SecretSquirrel Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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