An informative survey of gaming’s past and present.
A brisk, fact-filled survey of video games, their technological evolution, and their cultural footprint.
Roland opens in the post–World War II era, tracing the innovations that led to what many consider the first true video game—Tennis for Two—before charting the rise of Atari’s Pong in the 1970s and the ensuing golden age of arcades, an era defined by Space Invaders and the advent of battles for high scores. As home consoles boomed in the 1980s, arcades declined; early systems from Magnavox and Atari ceded ground to Nintendo and Sega. In the late 1990s, Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox ignited console wars, with each new generation marked by leaps in graphics, storage, controller design, and online connectivity. Roland also surveys the evolution of handheld gaming, from the Game Boy to today’s smartphones and hybrid systems. Throughout, he considers gaming’s deep cultural influences on language, fashion, popular culture, and social interactions. Roland’s view of the contemporary gaming industry is largely optimistic; he frames it as a professionalizing, diversifying field with increasing opportunities for women, although one that’s still hampered by gender inequity. Notably absent, however, is any discussion of widespread racism in gaming communities and coordinated misogynistic harassment campaigns such as Gamergate, significant omissions in a work seeking to present gaming’s social dynamics. While text boxes touch on controversies involving violence, bullying, and addiction, they skirt these major issues.
An informative survey of gaming’s past and present. (timeline, source notes, for further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781678212421
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
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
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
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