Trying to cross to the West, Hannah's mother has been shot to death at the Berlin Wall; for fear she'll be sent to a children's home, Hannah hides her feelings beneath conformity. At the same time, Steffi leaves school in disgust after five students are expelled for signing a petition. The two teenagers fall in together as a tide of protest is rising; while more friends and teachers go west or drop from sight, the two witness savage police attacks on ever-larger demonstrations. Lutzeier presents a clear picture of East German society: economic scarcities; the ubiquitous, ever-obvious secret police; anti- Semitism; the slanted views of the West. She contrasts to these daily facts of life a common spirit, a steady hope for a better future that manifests itself in unexpected places. Steffi's colorful rebelliousness and Hannah's quiet fears play off one another well; meanwhile, the tension and violence mount until the electrifying, unexpected announcement that ``they've opened the wall'' sends triumphant crowds surging into the streets. The author (whose The Coldest Winter, 1991, effectively dramatized Ireland's potato famine) treats her characters, and the German people, with respect, opening a window to a once-hidden society. (Fiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1992
ISBN: 0-8234-0987-2
Page Count: 154
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Reading like a long term paper, this dry, abstract recitation of teams and players brings neither the game nor the people who played and are playing it to life. McKissack (with Patricia C. McKissack, Black Diamond, 1994, not reviewed, etc.) opens with a chapter on basketball’s invention and original rules, closes with a look at women’s basketball, and in between chronicles the growth of amateur, college, and pro ball, adding clipped quotes, technical observations about changing styles of play and vague comments about how players black and white respected each other. The information is evidently drawn entirely from previously published books and interviews. A modest selection of black-and-white photographs give faces to some of the many names the author drops, but readers won’t find much more about individual players beyond an occasional biographical or statistical tidbit. McKissack frequently points to parallels in the history of African Americans in basketball and in baseball, but this account comes off as sketchy and unfocused compared to Black Diamond. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-48712-4
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This technical, comprehensive entry in the Dangerous Weather series explores the mystery of rain and what happens when it does not come. Allaby (Tornadoes, p. 1384) first defines drought before discussing the reasons for and results of long periods without rain. Readers will gain a clear understanding of scientific terms that are in use, about air movements in the tropics and subtropics, subtropical deserts, desert life, precipitation, evaporation, ocean currents, jet streams, blocking highs, and more. As with the previous book, it may not interest general readers, but it will make research a breeze and may inspire further inquiries into the subject of droughts and water conservation. (b&w photos, drawings, illustrations, charts, graphs, index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8160-3519-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Facts On File
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1997
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