by Karen Cherro Quinones ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2020
Interesting and accessible way to learn about early U.S. history through a remarkable young woman’s life.
The life and times of Theodosia Burr (1783-1812), daughter of Aaron Burr, third vice president of the United States, best known today from the hit musical Hamilton.
In presenting the story of Burr, the author uses correspondence and memoirs of contemporaries to provide a portal to the past. Readers learn that Theodosia had an unusual childhood. Her father believed in Mary Wollstonecraft’s feminist theories; Theodosia studied a curriculum equal to that of boys. As an upper-class girl from a prominent New York family, she had opportunities to meet and mingle with men who became household names in the early history of the U.S. Details about Theodosia’s upbringing, education, and activities are interspersed with information providing additional historical context. The writing is crisp, clear, and engaging. Full-color illustrations add visual appeal. The book does not delve much into issues of racial or ethnic diversity; there is a brief note about the Lenape, and the book notes that although Burr married a Southerner and lived on a plantation, there is no record of her thoughts on slavery. Although she died young under tragic and mysterious circumstances, Burr’s prominence as an educated, modern woman made her a role model for her time.
Interesting and accessible way to learn about early U.S. history through a remarkable young woman’s life. (timeline, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4275-4
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
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by Adam Eli ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020
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
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More In The Series
by Shavone Charles ; illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky
by Leo Baker ; illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky
by Michael Bronski ; adapted by Richie Chevat ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 11, 2019
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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