An exploration of “witchcraft” shown through the mind-numbing pink fog of a teen-magazine lens.
Are you like totally a hot witch? "Dame Darcy" has rendered this term down to five main types: enchantress, bard, pagan priestess, mystic and seer. For each type, she lists various activities and/or advice that may hold appeal; for example, the enchantress (“loves romance and glamour!”) can learn such necessities as love spells and is offered comforting platitudes like “no one is going to lead you to true happiness except yourself,” a sentiment sure to result in an angst-y eye-roll. The pagan priestess (“loves handcrafting and nature!”) is given just the quickest overview of how to knit, something that Dame Darcy feels can be confidently explained in a mere four pages of illustration. Sprinkled throughout are Darcy’s minicomics of her own feminist imaginings of fairy tales; one finds Sleeping Beauty roused by her long-lost twin—and when the Prince offers them a gift, they counter, “Boy, you are going to have to do more than that to get with this!” Though the female empowerment that the author attempts to promulgate is admirable, the rah-rah tone and lack of depth quickly negate any credibility. Replete with perky quizzes, tips on hair and makeup and simplistic handicrafts, this ends up feeling like a very long Seventeen article.
Not so hot. (additional readings) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)
Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9379-7
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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