by Cynthia Levinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 26, 2016
A respectful, insightful, and inspiring portrait of a fiercely ambitious, remarkably successful woman who has changed the...
An admiring biography chronicles the life and many remarkable accomplishments of Hillary Rodham Clinton, from childhood to her campaign to become the Democratic candidate for U.S. president in 2016.
The subtitle refers to a quote attributed to Methodist Church founder John Wesley that Clinton learned in Sunday school and then internalized. It is through this frame that Levinson chronicles her subject’s lifelong devotion to service: working for the committee investigating the possible impeachment of President Richard Nixon, as attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund, first lady of Arkansas and then of the United States, U.S. senator, secretary of state, partner in the Clinton Foundation, and two-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Levinson also offers insight into Clinton’s personal life: her childhood and youth in Illinois; her immersion in activism as a student at Wellesley College and Yale University; relationships with her parents, daughter, and husband; and reliance on her religious faith to see her through the most difficult and disappointing times in life, including the Health Security Act failure, Whitewater, the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and Benghazi, even touching on the classified-email fiasco.
A respectful, insightful, and inspiring portrait of a fiercely ambitious, remarkably successful woman who has changed the face of American politics. (photos, notes, bibliography) (Biography. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-238730-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
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by Cynthia Levinson ; illustrated by Evan Turk
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by Cynthia Levinson ; illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
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by Jordan Sonnenblick ; illustrated by Jordan Sonnenblick ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 2021
Though a bit loose around the edges, a charmer nevertheless.
Tales of a fourth grade ne’er-do-well.
It seems that young Jordan is stuck in a never-ending string of bad luck. Sure, no one’s perfect (except maybe goody-two-shoes William Feranek), but Jordan can’t seem to keep his attention focused on the task at hand. Try as he may, things always go a bit sideways, much to his educators’ chagrin. But Jordan promises himself that fourth grade will be different. As the year unfolds, it does prove to be different, but in a way Jordan couldn’t possibly have predicted. This humorous memoir perfectly captures the square-peg-in-a-round-hole feeling many kids feel and effectively heightens that feeling with comic situations and a splendid villain. Jordan’s teacher, Mrs. Fisher, makes an excellent foil, and the book’s 1970s setting allows for her cruelty to go beyond anything most contemporary readers could expect. Unfortunately, the story begins to run out of steam once Mrs. Fisher exits. Recollections spiral, losing their focus and leading to a more “then this happened” and less cause-and-effect structure. The anecdotes are all amusing and Jordan is an endearing protagonist, but the book comes dangerously close to wearing out its welcome with sheer repetitiveness. Thankfully, it ends on a high note, one pleasant and hopeful enough that readers will overlook some of the shabbier qualities. Jordan is White and Jewish while there is some diversity among his classmates; Mrs. Fisher is White.
Though a bit loose around the edges, a charmer nevertheless. (Memoir. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-64723-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
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by Terry Virts ; illustrated by Andrés Lozano ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2023
Finally, an astro-memoir for kids that really gets down to the nitty-gritty.
A former space shuttle pilot and International Space Station commander recalls in unusually exacting detail what it’s like to be an astronaut.
In the same vein as his more expansive adult title How To Astronaut (2020), Virts describes and reflects on his experiences with frank and photographic precision—from riding the infamous “Vomit Comet” to what astronauts wear, eat, and get paid. He also writes vividly about what Earth looks like from near orbit: the different colors of deserts, for instance, and storms that “are so powerful that the flashes from the lightning illuminate the inside of the space station.” With an eye to younger audiences with stars in their eyes, he describes space programs of the past and near future in clear, simple language and embeds pep talks about the importance of getting a good education and ignoring nay-sayers. For readers eager to start their training early, he also tucks in the occasional preparatory “Astronaut Activity,” such as taking some (unused) household item apart…and then putting it back together. Lozano supplements the small color photos of our planet from space and astronauts at work with helpful labeled images, including two types of spacesuits and a space shuttle, as well as cartoon spot art depicting diverse figures.
Finally, an astro-memoir for kids that really gets down to the nitty-gritty. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781523514564
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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