A compelling look at the radiant life of La Reina de la Salsa.
A biography of iconic Afro-Cuban musician Celia Cruz that pays special attention to her early years.
Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso got her start in music when she was tasked with singing lullabies to young relatives at bedtime—Celia’s lullabies were so dynamic that the children stayed awake and demanded more songs instead of drifting off to sleep. With the encouragement of her favorite instructor, she set her plans to become a teacher aside in order to pursue a career in music. Celia’s meteoric rise to stardom was not without difficulty, but her hard work and support from family and fellow musicians kept her on track to becoming one of the most famous Latine singers in history. The book explores topics such as the prejudice Celia faced because of her darker skin, political turmoil in Cuba during the 1950s, and Celia’s painful exile from her home country, all within the context of her career and celebrity. It’s clear that Celia touched those around her with her dynamic talent and innovative musicality and used her status to advocate for others. Engaging illustrations and informative sidebars further enrich the heartfelt informational text. Positive affirmations are sprinkled throughout the book; readers will come away inspired to follow Celia’s positive example. Backmatter includes an author's note from Alexander and a note from the nonprofit organization Hispanic Star, which partnered with the publisher for this series.
A compelling look at the radiant life of La Reina de la Salsa. (facts) (Biography. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-82813-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An authentic and moving time capsule of middle school angst, trauma, and joy.
Through the author’s own childhood diary entries, a seventh grader details her inner life before and after 9/11.
Alyssa’s diary entries start in September 2000, in the first week of her seventh grade year. She’s 11 and dealing with typical preteen concerns—popularity and anxiety about grades—along with other things more particular to her own life. She’s shuffling between Queens and Manhattan to share time between her divorced parents and struggling with thick facial hair and classmates who make her feel like she’s “not a whole person” due to her mixed White and Puerto Rican heritage. Alyssa is endlessly earnest and awkward as she works up the courage to talk to her crush, Alejandro; gushes about her dreams of becoming a shoe designer; and tries to solve her burgeoning unibrow problem. The diaries also have a darker side, as a sense of impending doom builds as the entries approach 9/11, especially because Alyssa’s father works in finance in the World Trade Center. As a number of the diary entries are taken directly from the author’s originals, they effortlessly capture the loud, confusing feelings middle school brings out. The artwork, in its muted but effective periwinkle tones, lends a satisfying layer to the diary’s accessible and delightful format.
An authentic and moving time capsule of middle school angst, trauma, and joy. (author's note) (Graphic memoir. 8-13)Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-77427-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats.
Why should grown-ups get all the historical, scientific, athletic, cinematic, and artistic glory?
Choosing exemplars from both past and present, Mitchell includes but goes well beyond Alexander the Great, Anne Frank, and like usual suspects to introduce a host of lesser-known luminaries. These include Shapur II, who was formally crowned king of Persia before he was born, Indian dancer/professional architect Sheila Sri Prakash, transgender spokesperson Jazz Jennings, inventor Param Jaggi, and an international host of other teen or preteen activists and prodigies. The individual portraits range from one paragraph to several pages in length, and they are interspersed with group tributes to, for instance, the Nazi-resisting “Swingkinder,” the striking New York City newsboys, and the marchers of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade. Mitchell even offers would-be villains a role model in Elagabalus, “boy emperor of Rome,” though she notes that he, at least, came to an awful end: “Then, then! They dumped his remains in the Tiber River, to be nommed by fish for all eternity.” The entries are arranged in no evident order, and though the backmatter includes multiple booklists, a personality quiz, a glossary, and even a quick Braille primer (with Braille jokes to decode), there is no index. Still, for readers whose fires need lighting, there’s motivational kindling on nearly every page.
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats. (finished illustrations not seen) (Collective biography. 10-13)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-14-751813-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Puffin
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
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