A useful addition to a growing body of literature challenging young readers to help make change in the world.
Ten stories of young people working toward a better future worldwide continue a series focused on youth activism.
This fourth in a series that began with Our Earth (2010) follows the pattern established previously. Each spread introduces a young person (or pair) working in a particular problem area: clean water, racial justice, plastic waste, transgender rights, animal slaughter, refugees, bullying, gun violence, and environmental protections. The left-hand page shows a stylized portrait done by the author/illustrator using a mixed-media encaustic technique and a quotation from the young activist. On the right are a photograph, text describing the issue and the subject’s actions, and a sidebar showing other examples of activism in the same field. These actions vary: starting or joining a campaign or a walkout, taking a knee in a local football game, writing to and meeting with politicians, filing a court case, writing and performing music, and even proposing legislation. These young subjects range in age, from barely in elementary school to high school. They come from widely ranging backgrounds, races, and ethnicities, offering models for readers of all sorts. In the backmatter there are additional short examples as well as suggestions for “What YOUth Can Do.” Finally there is a long list of websites for reference and further information.
A useful addition to a growing body of literature challenging young readers to help make change in the world. (Nonfiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77260-103-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Second Story Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
Go adventuring with a better guide.
Find something to do in every state in the U.S.A.!
This guide highlights a location of interest within each of the states, therefore excluding Washington, D.C., and the territories. Trivia about each location is scattered across crisply rendered landscapes that background each state’s double-page spread while diminutive, diverse characters populate the scenes. Befitting the title, one “adventure” is presented per state, such as shrimping in Louisiana’s bayous, snowshoeing in Connecticut, or celebrating the Fourth of July in Boston. While some are stereotypical gimmes (surfing in California), others have the virtue of novelty, at least for this audience, such as viewing the sandhill crane migration in Nebraska. Within this thematic unity, some details go astray, and readers may find themselves searching in vain for animals mentioned. The trivia is plentiful but may be misleading, vague, or incorrect. Information about the Native American peoples of the area is often included, but its brevity—especially regarding sacred locations—means readers are floundering without sufficient context. The same is true for many of the facts that relate directly to expansion and colonialism, such as the unexplained near extinction of bison. Describing the genealogical oral history of South Carolina’s Gullah community as “spin[ning] tales” is equally brusque and offensive. The book tries to do a lot, but it is more style than substance, which may leave readers bored, confused, slightly annoyed—or all three. (This book was reviewed digitally with 12.2-by-20.2-inch double-page spreads viewed at 80% of actual size.)
Go adventuring with a better guide. (tips on local adventuring, index) (Nonfiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-5445-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Finally, an astro-memoir for kids that really gets down to the nitty-gritty.
A former space shuttle pilot and International Space Station commander recalls in unusually exacting detail what it’s like to be an astronaut.
In the same vein as his more expansive adult title How To Astronaut (2020), Virts describes and reflects on his experiences with frank and photographic precision—from riding the infamous “Vomit Comet” to what astronauts wear, eat, and get paid. He also writes vividly about what Earth looks like from near orbit: the different colors of deserts, for instance, and storms that “are so powerful that the flashes from the lightning illuminate the inside of the space station.” With an eye to younger audiences with stars in their eyes, he describes space programs of the past and near future in clear, simple language and embeds pep talks about the importance of getting a good education and ignoring nay-sayers. For readers eager to start their training early, he also tucks in the occasional preparatory “Astronaut Activity,” such as taking some (unused) household item apart…and then putting it back together. Lozano supplements the small color photos of our planet from space and astronauts at work with helpful labeled images, including two types of spacesuits and a space shuttle, as well as cartoon spot art depicting diverse figures.
Finally, an astro-memoir for kids that really gets down to the nitty-gritty. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781523514564
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
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