A useful guide to a controversial subject.
How far is too far?
Cancel culture, the act of “punishing individuals, usually by way of social media, for words or actions deemed unacceptable,” is explored in this slim but robust entry. The book’s four chapters—“What Is Cancel Culture?” “The #MeToo Movement,” “Cancel Culture and Political Speech,” and “Reexamining the Past”—do a commendable job of summarizing different examples within each category and providing a basic understanding of the history behind specific headlines, such as the sexual harassment cases against Harvey Weinstein, former President Donald Trump’s Twitter ban, and the renaming of American military bases to remove the names of Confederate generals. The work also explores the origins of the term cancel culture itself as well as popular understanding of what it means in practice, Americans’ perceptions of how serious a problem it is, and how it fits into a longer history of social boycott. The use of endnotes provides readers with uninterrupted text blocks and the ability to seek out additional information.This work does not provide easy answers, challenging readers to consider each point and come to their own conclusions. It discusses the fact that anyone, regardless of race, gender, or political leaning, can be cancelled. This book makes an excellent starting point for research papers on the topic.
A useful guide to a controversial subject. (infographic, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-67820-234-7
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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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