A positive, dramatic football biography likely to encourage global and historical research.
The story of NFL linebacker Tamba Hali’s path from a childhood in war-torn Liberia to becoming one of the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time greats.
After a just-the-facts–style rundown of Tamba Hali’s football career (and awards), this biography’s narrative proper opens early in the Chiefs’ 2006 season; they are winless after two games and down their starting quarterback. Their bright spot is seeing first-round draft pick Tamba (the book uses his first name) in action as the rookie achieves his first NFL sack along with a forced-fumble, right in front of his newly-arrived-to-America mother, whom he hasn’t seen in over a decade. After this charged anecdote, the rest of the story flows chronologically, taking readers through the Liberian civil war that started when Tamba was only 6. Brief historical explanations of Liberia’s origins and ethnic divides contextualize, and atrocities such as the use of child soldiers are mentioned without gruesome specifics, prompting only readers ready to handle the details to research it further. After escaping the country and a 2-year-long bureaucratic process, he and his brothers are allowed to join their father in America. A fearless, hard worker, Tamba tackles literacy and football, leading to high school and Penn State successes—with the dangling carrot of an NFL career that would enable him to bring his mother to safety in America. A companion title on soccer star Becky Sauerbrunn publishes simultaneously
A positive, dramatic football biography likely to encourage global and historical research. (Biography. 8-15)Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8220-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
A retro yet timeless story of family and identity.
Martín brings his successful Mexikid Stories online comic series to print.
Living in California’s Central Coast as a first-generation Mexican American, Pedro (or the “American-style” Peter) struggles to find his place. As an American kid growing up in the 1970s, he loves Star Wars and Happy Days but dislikes the way his five oldest siblings, who were born in Mexico, make him feel less Mexican just because he and the three other younger siblings were born after his parents immigrated to the U.S. to work picking strawberries. A family trip to Jalisco to bring their abuelito back to California to live with them presents Pedro with an opportunity to get in touch with his roots and learn more about the places his family calls home. Told from Pedro’s perspective, the panels read as a stream-of-consciousness travelogue as he regales readers with his adventures from the road. Along the way, Pedro has fresh encounters with Mexican culture and experiences some unexpected side quests. Full of humor, heart, and a decent amount of gross-out moments, Martín’s coming-of-age memoir hits all the right notes. Though the family’s travels took place decades ago, the struggles with establishing identity, especially as a child of immigrants whose identity straddles two cultures, feel as current as ever. The vibrant, action-packed panels offer plentiful details for readers to pore over, from scenes of crowded family chaos to the sights of Mexico.
A retro yet timeless story of family and identity. (family photos, author’s note) (Graphic memoir. 9-14)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780593462287
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Informative and engaging.
An exploration of the lives of Black people throughout American history who were inspired, guided, and fortified by their Christian faith as they challenged injustice.
This comprehensive book spans centuries, beginning in 1625 with William, who may have been “the first child born to an African couple in British-settled North America,” and ending with modern-day figures such as Brenda Salter McNeil, a university professor, pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and author of Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage To Pursue Racial Justice Now. The eight chronological sections include an attractive full-page portrait of each subject, followed by short biographies that highlight their achievements and the role of Christianity in their lives. The activists include both well-known names, like Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Shirley Chisholm, and Toni Morrison, and those who will be new (and equally fascinating) to many readers. Tisby provides helpful context for the biographical sketches, describing how racial segregation and the institution of slavery took hold in the U.S. He uses accessible language that presents his subjects in a humanizing way and effectively illustrates the challenging conditions they endured, but he doesn’t make their situations seem completely hopeless. Readers are encouraged to reflect on how they believe they would have acted in various situations. A strong sense of justice and defiance shines through, showing that there is always hope, even when it seems like things will never get better.
Informative and engaging. (author’s note, bibliography, source notes) (Nonfiction. 9-14)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780310145592
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
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