An upbeat handbook for young changemakers.
This tool kit encourages speaking up to promote change in issues that matter to teens.
Fed up with period products being considered a luxury in the U.K. and taxed as such, the author took on the tampon tax. Starting with a petition, she found the internet to be a superpower as hundreds of thousands of people signed—and others were inspired to launch similar campaigns around the world. By illuminating this facet of sexism, Coryton was able to focus on a tangible goal and create an action plan with what she calls “five golden steps”: Be specific, be focused, be smart, be creative, and be confident. Recognizing that teens may be passionate about a wide range of different topics, the book provides valuable tips and specific examples of successes and setbacks to guide readers through their own activism. Accessibility is a strength, as the book can be read straight through or dipped into as desired. The author’s enthusiasm is contagious. Unfortunately, the work has not been updated since its original U.K. publication in early 2019. In stark contrast to Coryton’s use of inclusive language, such as “people who menstruate” and “menstruating people,” and her praise and quoting of trans activist Charlie Craggs, this U.S. edition retains a paragraph lauding J.K. Rowling for standing up against online trolls, an example that, due to subsequent events, will dismay readers who have followed Rowling’s comments about trans rights.
An upbeat handbook for young changemakers. (timeline, index, resources) (Nonfiction. 12-17)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-00-855265-7
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Red Shed
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
A potentially useful resource for counselors and teachers
Seventy authors for children and young adults talk of their relationship to bullying in lists, free verse and comics but primarily in bland prose.
In uber-short pieces, the authors tell of having been bullies, bullied or bystanders. The individual pieces are too short, at about four pages each, to be compelling in their own right, and it's doubtful that even the biggest Nancy Werlin, R.L. Stine or Carrie Ryan fan will make it all the way through this collection. For professionals looking for teaching tools, however, it offers multiple interpretations of bullying from which to draw. Cecil Castellucci's minicomic illustrates Castellucci taking control of her group's seeming powerlessness over the shifting nature of bullies and bullied. Aprilynne Pike asserts that most children—and adults—don't realize they are bullies. Only a few authors discuss having been bullies themselves, and almost none raises the potentially tragic consequences that have made bullying of such immediate concern in schools. The myriad perspectives mean that an interceding adult can choose the appropriate piece for the appropriate teen; depending on the situation, a piece of advice (such as Lara Zeises’ suggestion that one should not let oneself be bothered by mean behavior) could range from dangerously impotent to exactly what an individual victim or perpetrator needs to hear.
A potentially useful resource for counselors and teachers . (Nonfiction. 12-17)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-206098-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011
A sketchy, superficial treatment of a subject worthy of much more.
This brief overview of the long-running, influential sketch-comedy show is brimming with facts but lacking in substance.
When Saturday Night Live premiered in 1975, it was bold, raw and revolutionary. It offered sharp, biting commentary on politics and other current events, as well as witty satirical pieces skewering all facets of American culture. Kaplan’s brief overview of the show chronicles its rise, impact upon popular culture, influence upon comedians and comedy programs that followed it, occasional controversies it stirred, and how it has served as a launching pad for a remarkable number of future stars in film and television. He is quite correct when he claims, “Saturday Night Live changed the way we think about comedians and comedy” and that it “paved the way for other provocative and intelligent comedy shows.” Unfortunately, Kaplan never elaborates on this statement, focusing instead on who were the most popular performers and what were the most popular catchphrases and describing some of the more notable sketches in the show’s history. He does pay some cursory attention to how the show evolved in its treatment of minority cast members. Another notable shortcoming is the singular attention given to the show’s star performers—there’s no mention made of the essential role writers had in making the show innovative and sustaining its longevity.
A sketchy, superficial treatment of a subject worthy of much more. (source notes, bibliography, further information, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4677-1086-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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