This effort will leave readers aware of the document but with little understanding of it.
Kennedy and Kirchner present young readers with an introduction to the U.S. Constitution and its amendments, offering a direct, simple “translation” of the original text.
An introduction explains why the Constitution is important before Kennedy launches into her project of presenting the Constitution in its original language and her accompanying paraphrasing and examples, organized by articles, sections, and amendments. Vocabulary words are identified in bold and defined at the bottom of each page and in a glossary. Boxes labeled “Did You Know?” and “Look Back” offer limited factual backstory about how or why a specific part of the document was created. “Constitution in Action” boxes explain how the document is used in practice and further explore how the government works. No overarching narrative ties all the text together. The complete texts of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation are included as further reading but without accompanying simplified versions. Contextual explanations are often vague, the two sentences discussing the freedom of speech not including any of its limitations, for instance. There is no explanation of how the Constitutional Convention was organized or of who participated. The cartoon illustrations depicting diverse but generic-looking figures wearing contemporary and historical garb and a sprinkling of anthropomorphized states are oddly incongruous with the seriously toned, straightforward text. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inchdouble-page spreads viewed at 83% of actual size.)
This effort will leave readers aware of the document but with little understanding of it. (glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5235-1044-3
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
A good if limited starting guide.
Author Leavitt presents all the components of doing research into family history with easy-to-follow directions for a successful project.
The volume begins with clear definitions about genealogy and why it is important to study. It moves on to give practical tips on getting started and how to map a family tree. It introduces young readers to the important documents that can assist in gathering family facts and describes the information they provide. It gives solid directions for setting up interviews with family members and how to reach out to those who are far away. This is followed up with strategies for using online resources, including warnings on how to stay safe on social media. The work of tracing ancestors from their countries of origin can be daunting, but Leavitt gives some help in this area as well and explores the role geography can play in family stories. There is good advice for collecting oral histories, and the chapter on exploring “The Way They Were” will appeal to many, as will the concluding chapters on family reunions and keeping in touch. All of this is presented in an encouraging, upbeat tone. Sidebars, charts, illustrations, and photographs add to the accessibility. The major drawback is that it assumes a known biological lineage with heterosexual parentage; there is no mention of the unique issues adopted children and nontraditional families might have in trying to put some of the instructions into practice. A short section addresses the challenges that face African-American descendants of enslaved people.
A good if limited starting guide. (resources, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2320-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
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