A noted author (Summer of My German Soldier, 1973) depicts the tragic effects of homophobia, with results that are more polemical than literary. Carla, high-school-age daughter of the feisty, liberal librarian in a small Arkansas town, is overwhelmingly attracted to Andy, as much because of his all-American lifestyle as his handsome good looks. She's even willing to overlook his vicious harassment of a gay couple until, in a brutally vivid scene, he and some of his friends torture and drown one of them. Eyes opened, Carla steps forward as chief witness at a trial that results in a manslaughter conviction and probation for all. At the close, Stephan Jones' surviving partner extracts a uniquely apt revenge. Unfortunately, Greene's empathetic depiction of the gay couple and her powerful arguments concerning the role of religion in gay persecution are undermined by an awkward, florid style with abruptly shifting points of view and a tendency to tell rather than show. A story with a significant theme, but without the artistic distinction of the author's early books. (Fiction. 14+)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-553-07437-7
Page Count: 220
Publisher: Bantam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
A comprehensive, up-to-date, well-balanced look at our industrialized society's poisoning of the air we breathe. Making good use of research she did for previous books on more specific topics, Gay covers a whole range of problems: urban smog (even in places considered clean), acid rain, global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, chemical poisons, radioactive pollution, and hazardous indoor air. She discusses the nature of each (including views of those who don't think it is a problem), how it came to public attention, and its damaging effects, tying them all to global concerns (particularly population issues and problems of Third World countries) and presenting mitigating solutions on both social and individual levels. The b&w photos and diagrams are well keyed to the text. An excellent resource. Helpful glossary; source notes; bibliography; list of organizations to contact; index. (Nonfiction. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-531-13002-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1991
An entry in the ``Teens Parenting'' series, focusing on children ages one through three, with family profiles setting the stage for developmentally appropriate activities. Presenting the period from eight months to two years as a time of high risk, Lindsay (Discipline from Birth to Three, p. 1090) emphasizes that lots of learning must take place then. Her enchantment with toddlers' new mobility comes out in wonderfully expressive nouns and verbs: the toddler is a ``whirlwind little person who scoots everywhere.'' Subjects include bedtime rituals, health concerns, temper tantrums, the purpose of play and the place of the imagination, involvement and noninvolvement of fathers, and mealtime pleasures and difficulties. Throughout, Lindsay delineates what's possible and what's not: e.g., toddlers can't color ``in the lines'' (and shouldn't have stifling coloring books anyway). Surprisingly, there's no section on day care, but the information that is here is covered with an evenhanded, multicultural set of perspectives. Sensible advice in a solidly useful handbook. Illustrated with candid b&w photos. Bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 14+)
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 1992
ISBN: 0-930934-59-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
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