Disappointing.
During World War II, the Allies developed myriad tricks, promulgated deceiving information, employed spies and double agents, and in general, did whatever they could to confuse the enemy.
Unlike the limited focus of Paul Janeczko’s Secret Soldiers (2019), Swanson’s effort describes a wide range of varied subversive operations, including plans for biological warfare, the use of camouflage, the work of spies, and the efforts to blow up important dams in Germany’s industrial Ruhr Valley, each chapter beginning with an imagined, humorous “wanted” poster. Much of the information is presented in a somewhat flippant way that sharply contrasts with the subject matter. Material on the war work of gay, closeted mathematician Alan Turing, who died tragically some years after the war, blithely concludes, “Cheers to Alan!” A chapter that describes plans to use anthrax to kill German cows begins with a “wanted” poster seeking volunteers to assist: “It will be a great way to cull the herd,” it suggests. Factual errors appear often enough to undermine the presentation: Sheep and not cows perished in one of the anthrax experiments described; brave spy Noor Inayat Khan, a British Muslim woman, didn’t assist before and after D-Day operations since the Germans arrested her eight months before; and the statement that the atomic bomb Little Boy “rocked the homes” of the residents of Hiroshima is a severe understatement. In contrast to the narrative, this effort includes outstanding period photographs.
Disappointing. (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68119-779-1
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality.
An examination of the history of Chinese American experiences.
Blackburn opens with a note to readers about growing up feeling invisible as a multicultural, biracial Chinese American. She notes the tremendous diversity of Chinese American history and writes that this book is a starting point for learning more. The evenly paced narrative starts with the earliest recorded arrival of the Chinese in America in 1834. A teenage girl, whose real name is unknown, arrived in New York Harbor with the Carnes brothers, merchants who imported Chinese goods and put her on display “like an animal in a circus.” The author then examines shifting laws, U.S. and global political and economic climates, and changing societal attitudes. The book introduces the highlighted people—including Yee Ah Tye, Wong Kim Ark, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, and Vincent Chen—in relation to lawsuits or other transformative events; they also stand as examples for explaining concepts such as racial hierarchy and the model minority myth. Maps, photos, and documents are interspersed throughout. Chapters close with questions that encourage readers to think critically about systems of oppression, actively engage with the material, and draw connections to their own lives. Although the book covers a wide span of history, from the Gold Rush to the rise in anti-Asian hate during the Covid-19 pandemic, it thoroughly explains the various events. Blackburn doesn’t shy away from describing terrible setbacks, but she balances them with examples of solidarity and progress.
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality. (resources, bibliography, image credits) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780593567630
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
A balanced, well-written, and compelling survey of broad significance and usefulness.
Fairbanks (Anishinaabe) skillfully narrates the complex history of the treatment of Indigenous people in the present-day U.S. from the pre-colonization era to contemporary cultural revitalization.
Although this book is focused on boarding schools, the author begins the narrative long before their creation, offering crucial background knowledge by introducing readers to cultural values that guided daily life and intertribal relations in the Americas before the arrival of European colonizers. She carefully outlines the frameworks that affected the relationships between tribes and early explorers, settlers, and the federal government, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny. Next, breaking down the treatment of Indigenous peoples into seven eras from the 1770s through today, she discusses the many shifts in attitudes, treaties, and laws, including harsh efforts to “civilize” Native children. Written in a conversational style, the substantive narrative helps readers comprehend the policies that led to the establishment of boarding schools and understand how they were run. While Fairbanks doesn’t shy away from describing children’s mistreatment in the schools, she includes stories of survivors who went on to excel in their careers despite these experiences. The narrative is interspersed with occasional historical photographs, vignettes, and poems that add to an understanding of the boarding school experience. Each chapter ends with engaging questions that support deeper discussions. Text boxes furnish definitions of terms like Indigenous, genocide, treaties, assimilation, and self-determination.
A balanced, well-written, and compelling survey of broad significance and usefulness. (author’s note, list of boarding schools, resources, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780593811399
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
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