Idealistic and hopeful.
PopActivism founder Paisley (Can Your Outfit Change the World?, 2018, etc.) is known for the prom dress she made out of her old math homework to raise awareness about the importance of education for all girls.
Her latest book provides a brief overview of feminist activism in eight chapters, with a full-color layout of photos, sidebars, and quotes. In “A Different Type of Education,” the author explains how she discovered and forged her feminist identity. “The F Word” answers the question of what feminism is and covers the history of its three waves. It also includes a brief explanation of intersectionality. “Hashtag Equality” discusses how to use social media to bring awareness to inequalities women face. “Your Body, Your Choice” urges readers to question the ways cultures police female bodies. “Smashing the Glass Ceiling” explains barriers in education and the workplace and ways to break through them. “Power Projects” describes several campaigns aimed at ending injustices girls and women endure around the world. The author acknowledges some of her favorite feminists in “Conversations in Action,” and “The Future of Feminism” covers ways in which readers can become activists. The Canadian author cites statistics from a white North American viewpoint, and the book’s inclusiveness only grazes the tip of the intersectional iceberg, but it’s still a good jumping-off point for budding feminists searching for an upbeat place to start.
Idealistic and hopeful. (glossary, resources) (Nonfiction. 12-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4598-1309-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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