For die-hard fans.
Learn about the real and fictional life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder with hands-on activities and historical tidbits.
The first part of this educational companion title focuses on the first eight Little House books, each chapter focusing on a different book. The First Four Years and Wilder’s life after are covered in Part 2. Historical and geographical information, along with miscellany about daily life (cooking, farm work, animal husbandry, clothing, etc.), are presented in bullet points, with more general information in callout boxes, some specifically delineating fact from fiction. Offensive/dated terms found in Wilder’s texts are highlighted. Each segment also includes crafts, games, recipes (lengthy and targeting experienced cooks), and other activities prompting readers to “live like” Laura or Almanzo. Chapter-ending questions, educational and moralistic in tone, often prompt specific answers rather than natural discussion. Whipple applauds Wilder for writing her family’s story “realistically,” including racial prejudices of the time, asserting that she “let readers like you decide what to think.” In her introduction, Whipple acknowledges the “complicated pioneer history,” noting that the way “white settlers treated the American Indians…was often shameful.” Unfortunately, although Whipple encourages readers to reflect on these “uncomfortable” issues and consider also the Osage side of the story, closing her introduction by chipperly quoting the virulently racist Ma’s “All’s well that ends well” sounds a particularly sour note. Unless otherwise noted, characters are assumed white and Christian.
For die-hard fans. (glossary, further reading, and places to visit) (Nonfiction, 7-12).)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64160-166-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
How can such a passionate topic be rendered so blandly?
Discover the history of the world’s most effective protests.
Arranged in a mostly chronological format, this book documents an international history of protest and resistance. The text is quick to note that it “is not a complete history. It includes a selection of famous and less well-known movements, focusing on nonviolent protest. Rather than describe a handful of protests and their contexts in depth, [they] have chosen to present a broad range to give a sense of the many possibilities of what protest can be.” This summation captures both the strengths and the flaws of the text. The Haworth-Booths provide glimpses into myriad cultures and social groups, including movements not frequently seen in U.S. children’s books such as Chile’s early 1970s protests against food shortages and Nigeria’s Abeokuta Women’s Revolt in the 1940s. Unfortunately, though, they cover so many topics that the information has been condensed until key pieces are missing. This could be a permissible sin if there were thorough, user-friendly backmatter enabling readers to investigate more deeply elsewhere, but the cramped bibliographic essay does not comprehensively provide specific citations or documentation. Some sections are missing vital information, such as whether stories are documented or anecdotal, key facts, and cultural context. The crisp tone is more reminiscent of a textbook than enjoyable nonfiction, and the pink, gray, and black color scheme of the illustrations provides little excitement. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
How can such a passionate topic be rendered so blandly? (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-84365-512-1
Page Count: 168
Publisher: Pavilion Children's
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
A surface-level salute to sisterhood.
A collection of profiles of sisters who have influenced culture, inspired change, and made history.
Choosing subjects connected by the bond of sisterhood, Lewis offers an overview of the lives of some of the most influential and famous women in history whose lives span continents and centuries. From tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams and the Azmi sisters, Pakistani Canadian field hockey players, to politician Kamala Harris and her civil rights lawyer sister, Maya, readers are introduced to women who have established names for themselves in their respective fields. Alongside towering literary, artistic, and political figures, readers will find the Kardashians and Kate and Pippa Middleton. The author is keen to note the humanity in the women’s interpersonal relationships by sharing instances of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and discord as well as the moments that celebrate the firm bonds of sisterhood. The very brief nature of each profile—consisting of a title page, an attractive full-page portrait, and two scant pages of text offering cursory information—means that the book reads like a series of Wikipedia entries. Indeed, the author drew heavily upon secondary sources such as general news websites for material. Although the profiles are not in-depth enough to serve as material for school reports, the work may inspire appreciation and further interest.
A surface-level salute to sisterhood. (further reading, sources) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-294765-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
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