Helpful advice and humorous myth-busting; will draw readers in and encourage reflection.
What does it mean to be a man?
In actor and filmmaker Baldoni’s energetic introduction, he positions himself as a flawed but funny and earnest student of the nature of masculinity. He has written an adult nonfiction title about it, Man Enough (2021), and hosts The Man Enough Podcast. The eight chapters include quotes, relevant research, personal anecdotes, and advice—all presented in an accessible, conversational tone. Each chapter ends with a breakdown of key points that can guide further action. Occasional text boxes labeled “Gut Check” offer prompts that can lead to greater self-knowledge. The opening chapter, “Boys Will Be Brave,” ties bravery to the concept of doing what’s right, uncouples it from a pervasive ideal of brash masculinity, and traces one’s sense of justice and bravery to family dynamics and upbringing. Being brave isn’t easy; readers are encouraged to be true to themselves and ask for help when they need it. “Boys Will Be Bigger” tackles body image and its pitfalls; Baldoni assures readers that there is no such thing as the perfect male body and that we are not defined by our bodies. Puberty is different for everyone and can be complicated. “Boys Will Be Knights” focuses a realistic lens on love and romance. The book thoughtfully explores consent, sexual assault, homophobia, race and White privilege, and other themes that are inextricably entwined with notions of masculinity.
Helpful advice and humorous myth-busting; will draw readers in and encourage reflection. (sources, further reading) (Nonfiction. 11-16)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-306718-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Levinson builds her dramatic account around the experiences of four young arrestees—including a 9-year-old, two teenage...
Triumph and tragedy in 1963 “Bombingham,” as children and teens pick up the flagging civil rights movement and give it a swift kick in the pants.
Levinson builds her dramatic account around the experiences of four young arrestees—including a 9-year-old, two teenage activists trained in nonviolent methods and a high school dropout who was anything but nonviolent. She opens by mapping out the segregated society of Birmingham and the internal conflicts and low levels of adult participation that threatened to bring the planned jail-filling marches dubbed “Project C” (for “confrontation”), and by extension the entire civil rights campaign in the South, to a standstill. Until, that is, a mass exodus from the city’s black high schools (plainly motivated, at least at first, almost as much by the chance to get out of school as by any social cause) at the beginning of May put thousands of young people on the streets and in the way of police dogs, fire hoses and other abuses before a national audience. The author takes her inspiring tale of courage in the face of both irrational racial hatred and adult foot-dragging (on both sides) through the ensuing riots and the electrifying September bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, then brings later lives of her central participants up to date.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-56145-627-7
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
As an overview of global conflict, it’s concise and accessible—remarkably so—but as a call to individual action, it’s less...
A penetrating look into the roots of global conflict, the many ways it can begin and possible resolutions.
Attempting to answer the question “Why do we fight?” is ambitious from the start. Following a natural arc by explaining different types of conflict and then contemplating ways conflict can escalate, Walker touches on topics that could each have their own book. However, she keeps the pace lively and the flow of information smooth. Preteen readers may anticipate finding solutions to conflicts in their everyday life, but instead, the focus is on global issues: fighting over natural resources, culture clashes, religious beliefs, etc. Underlying parallels to personal practice can certainly be drawn, but it is not the ultimate purpose of this work. Designed in a visual, infographic style with bold headlines and a sharp yellow, black and white color scheme, the sunny layout provides structure and bounce to a dense topic. In a concluding chapter entitled “What do YOU think?” Walker encourages readers to use their newfound knowledge and tolerance to become global activists. A laudable goal, but directions to getting involved with organizations such as UNICEF’s Voices of Youth or Amnesty International would have been appreciated.
As an overview of global conflict, it’s concise and accessible—remarkably so—but as a call to individual action, it’s less successful. (sources, index, author’s note) (Nonfiction. 11-14)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-926973-86-9
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013
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