Data-packed; an accessible choice for struggling readers interested in animals.
An informative pick spotlighting animals as detectives, actors, medical and military helpers, and more.
Zeke, a trained seizure alert and response dog for a competitive teen horse rider; Pearl, a German shepherd trained in detecting explosives and other combat security needs; and police dog Tabasco, who has uncovered large amounts of illegal drugs, are just a few of the animals profiled in this volume. Not limited to canines, the book also features capuchin monkeys aiding those who have mobility issues like spinal cord injuries, patrol horses used by mounted police units, drug-detecting pigs, and bomb-sniffing bees. This straightforward title is ideal for student projects or general classroom usage since animals are a source of great interest for many young people. Divided into four chapters—“Animals in the Military,” “Animal Detectives,” “Animals in Service,” and “Animal Actors”—this book outlines the myriad ways animals of all sorts have been a vital part of society, performing tasks that enrich and even save the lives of humans. Sidebar features include quotes from people who train, work with, or benefit from working animals and profiles of animals performing heroic tasks, including carrier pigeons during both world wars and dogs trained to sniff out cancer. Full-color photographs are included every few pages to demonstrate some of the many functions animals can perform.
Data-packed; an accessible choice for struggling readers interested in animals. (source notes, organizations and websites, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-67820-322-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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