A helpful introduction to online encounters with bullies.
A quick overview of a topic that can, sadly, be a matter of life or death.
As Sanderson explains, possibilities for experiencing harm online are everywhere: Social media, gaming platforms, chatrooms, and bulletin boards allow friends and strangers to inflict hurt. Much of the book describes flaming, trolling, outing, doxxing, and other types of cyberbullying. Clear bullet-pointed lists in sidebars labeled “Teen Need To Know” and “How To Survive Online” help with identifying and responding to bullying; tips offer hope and practical steps to support readers. Sanderson delves into the wide societal and personal (psychological and physical) costs of such behavior. She addresses what to do if you’re a victim, bystander, parent, or even perpetrator. Understanding cyberbullies’ motives can help victims cope. Potential consequences and methods of protection take up the last quarter of the book. Sanderson’s focus is on individual responsibility: She briefly suggests that regulations might help reduce such behavior, citing government legislation in the U.S. and abroad and media companies’ own efforts (although she doesn’t give the latter much close scrutiny). The final pages outline basic digital citizenship standards. Brevity, chapter summaries, varied typefaces and colors, ample photos, and a conversational writing style make this difficult subject more approachable. Some of the information is repeated throughout, so that even casual browsing is likely to be informative.
A helpful introduction to online encounters with bullies. (picture credits, glossary, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781917509299
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Cheriton Children's Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
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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