Actress Berkley (Saved by the Bell) tries her hand at advice for young women in a question-and-answer format. Culling from workshops of the same title that she has conducted for the past four years, discussion is centered around a grouping of topics: self-image, romantic relationships, friends and bullies, family issues and, finally, a section on mental health and defining self. Mimicking the look of a scrapbook, chapters include suggestions from the author and feature scraps of paper with handwritten inquiries from girls who attended the workshops. Also on offer are honest and thoughtful testimonials written by teens themselves about the various subjects and the occasional blurb from a professional. Collages of images and hand-drawn designs decorate the pages and add to the informal, confessional tone. Berkley maintains a chatty, direct voice throughout that contributes to the accessibility of the work but may turn some readers off. Often urging readers to think of her almost as if they know her by using phrases such as, “Please know that I fully honor, accept and love every single one of you,” or exhorting girls to be themselves because, “Trust me, [the real you]’s pretty amazing!” may leave the more skeptical feeling that the familiarity established in the workshops doesn’t translate authentically to the page. References to the author’s website are included. (Self-help. 12-18)
Pub Date: March 23, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25448-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
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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