This dynamic and infectious introduction to classical music is sure to capture a new generation of musicophiles.
Pianist Rhodes (Fire on All Sides, 2018, etc.) makes classical music accessible, relatable, and exciting for teen readers who may believe that it’s “dull, irrelevant…and about as interesting as algebra.”
The book contains an irreverent introduction (including a lament about the overrepresentation of white men and suggestions of talented women and composers of color), the life stories of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel; descriptions of two works by each; and information about music theory and history. The book is slim (with the dimensions of an LP) but is chock-full of details. It is hard not to be swept up—Rhodes writes with such enthusiasm and thoughtfulness that readers will be dying to listen to the Spotify playlist he shares. He describes Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto as sounding “a bit like a conversation between two people who are dear friends but discussing some sad news.” Dies Irae, from Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor,” combines instruments and voices “into one hundred seconds of pure magic [that] takes my breath away every time….HE OWNS IT.” Using colloquial language, pop-culture references, and even an emoji, Rhodes makes history and music come alive. Surreal, psychedelic collages by artist O’Neill (Unthinkable, 2018, etc.) reminiscent of Monty Python intros make the book an eye-popping visual experience as well.
This dynamic and infectious introduction to classical music is sure to capture a new generation of musicophiles. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1214-3
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Candlewick Studio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in.
A gleefully explicit catalogue of the past century’s headline-grabbing bad behavior.
Aimed at readers who don’t need to be told who Brangelina is but may be hazy on “twisted besties” Leopold and Loeb or even Monica Lewinsky, this edutaining survey presents a wide-angle array of murders, sexual follies, controversial trials, race violence, political corruption and general envelope-pushing from the 1906 killing of Stanford White on. Each of the chronologically arranged entries opens with a capsule “Scoop” followed by a slightly fuller account under a “What Went Down” header. Along with a small black-and-white photo and one or two sidebar quotes, the author tacks on subsequent developments, sometimes-perceptive suggestions about “Why We Still Care” and a short roster of similar incidents in recent history. Though she misspells “Symbionese” and repeatedly awards FDR only three Presidential wins, in general Fryd presents reasonably accurate summaries of events and issues while giving all sides of the more muddled conflicts at least a nod. Additional cred is provided by a teen panel of editorial advisors.
Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in. (index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9827322-0-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Zest/Orange Avenue
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Fans of all things martial will echo his “HOOYAH!”—but the troubled aftermath comes in for some attention too.
Abridged but not toned down, this young-readers version of an ex-SEAL sniper’s account (SEAL Team Six, 2011) of his training and combat experiences in Operation Desert Storm and the first Battle of Mogadishu makes colorful, often compelling reading.
“My experiences weren’t always enjoyable,” Wasdin writes, “but they were always adrenaline-filled!” Not to mention testosterone-fueled. He goes on to ascribe much of his innate toughness to being regularly beaten by his stepfather as a child and punctuates his passage through the notoriously hellacious SEAL training with frequent references to other trainees who fail or drop out. He tears into the Clinton administration (whose “support for our troops had sagged like a sack of turds”), indecisive commanders and corrupt Italian “allies” for making such a hash of the entire Somalian mission. In later chapters he retraces his long, difficult physical and emotional recovery from serious wounds received during the “Black Hawk Down” operation, his increasing focus on faith and family after divorce and remarriage and his second career as a chiropractor.
Fans of all things martial will echo his “HOOYAH!”—but the troubled aftermath comes in for some attention too. (acronym/ordinance glossary, adult level reading list) (Memoir. 12-14)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-250-01643-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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