Humankind has kept records for only a few thousand of its two million years; scientists (archaeologists, paleontologists, anthropologists) and historians are still finding new ways to read our history and that of the eons that preceded us. The remains include rocks, fossils, and artifacts; there's a variety of dating methods and tools—rock layering, potassium/argon migration, radioactive carbon decay, tree rings—each with its own strengths and limitations. Those in current use, plus some that are still experimental, are described here with examples of their uses. The result is a wide-ranging overview of methods and tools. Objects, time frames, and some of the people involved are also depicted in drawings and photos. Liptak's prose is a little leaden, but serviceable, though her explanations can be skimpy: ``trillion'' is explained, but ``half-life'' is deferred to the glossary, and although potassium/argon dating is described as the major dating clock for dinosaurs, neither word appears in the index. Uneven, then, but since there's little on the subject, it'll make a useful addition to science collections. Glossary; further reading; index. (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: March 15, 1992
ISBN: 1-56294-134-8
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A smart and adventure-packed thriller with heart.
In the not-so-distant future, a clever but troubled teen weaves her way through life as a secret agent.
It started as harmless fun—a crush on a boy who wanted to play hooky from school. But everything went wrong, and 15-year-old Augusta Pine’s biometric electron-ink identity tattoo disappeared when her heart briefly stopped following the car accident that occurred after she hacked the car’s autopilot. The boy died in the crash. It’s commonplace for people to get tattoos that contain all their personal details. Everyone’s faces also appear in the Identity Security Division’s database, allowing their movements to be tracked. A mysterious man called Prefect visits Augusta in the hospital with an offer: She can get back her original identity and face prosecution for her crime, or she can take on a fresh identity and work for Prefect for 10 years. This premise sets the melancholic tone that runs throughout this story and is underscored by Augusta’s desperate longing for the family she had to leave behind. The mood is appealingly buoyed by her sharp wit, and the plentiful tech details, including an incredibly likable spybot bumblebee named Edgar. Three years on, she stumbles onto a violent attack in the Portland, Oregon, apartment building where she’s staying, and she’s drawn into helping cute, earnest neighbor Eames Ahlberg try to save his little sister, Piper, from terrorists who lock down the building. Chapters set in the propulsive present-day scenario are interspersed with debriefings from previous incidents in Augusta’s life, which are characterized by her good-natured defiance. The leads read white.
A smart and adventure-packed thriller with heart. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781250410528
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
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