Sincere engagement and effort that will encourage emerging writers.
The latest anthology from a nonprofit that works to uplift the voices of young people from historically marginalized communities through the power of stories.
The editors worked with writers at the “chrysalis stage,” helping the butterflies within them emerge. The pieces included here vary in length and form and include poems (some that incorporate Spanish), short stories, scripts, personal essays, visual art, and some unusual forms, like unsent voicemails. The mentors’ and mentees’ names appear before each piece, and each person provides a laudatory anecdote about their shared endeavor. Brief headnotes help readers place the entries, positioning them as social commentary (“This is a social commentary poem written for those that feel their voice isn’t heard”), personal reflection (“A poem about the difficulty of letting go”), political statement (“As consumers, where we invest our money and energy has the power to change our future”), or something else. Occasionally there is a content warning. Because the young people are writing what they know, relationships and emotions dominate: The pieces celebrate friendship, describe family struggles, and delve into sensitive topics like disordered eating, mental illness, and grief. A few entries are especially accomplished, but the collection is markedly uneven in quality; occasionally a piece seems unfinished or still in process, but overall, these are worthwhile evocations of growth and struggle, oriented toward girls’ expression and agency.
Sincere engagement and effort that will encourage emerging writers. (Anthology. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798990046214
Page Count: 250
Publisher: Girls Write Now
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
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
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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