A thought-provoking treatise on charting one’s destiny without societal constrictions.
A survey of seldom-heard accounts of female pirates.
Organized loosely by motivation for becoming a pirate, each chapter covers a woman buccaneer from ancient times to the late 19th century. Some individuals were rulers who took up piratical navy practices, others began as thieves or sex workers. Readers learn mostly about white women who sailed all over the world, but the profiles include Muslim ruler Sayyida al-Hurra from Granada and Cheng I Sao from China, the most successful pirate (of any gender) of all time. Readers may question whether a single act of piracy makes a couple of the women worthy of the title of “pirate,” but the accounts universally make for good stories. Sidebars provide pertinent historical context, such as background on the status of women in medieval Europe and the history of Viking longships. Duncombe (Pirate Women, 2017, etc.) is invested in her topic, stressing how these historical figures who rebelled against the status quo can help modern women feel empowered. She also acknowledges the difficulty of establishing firm historical facts in many cases and often includes contradictory reports, encouraging readers to be open to different interpretations. Illustrations and maps would have greatly enhanced the text. Each chapter ends with further reading, although many of the works cited are too complex for this book’s intended audience.
A thought-provoking treatise on charting one’s destiny without societal constrictions. (notes, selected bibliography) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64160-055-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
Will resonate with young people who have experienced illness or wish to fight for others.
Keller is a young cancer survivor and a political activist.
Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at 7, at 12 she co-authored this book with Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas, her home state. Keller tells her story in great medical detail, but more importantly, she describes her crusade to improve the outcomes for all children with cancer. After she first returned home from the hospital, she independently filmed a video about her experience on an iPad and got her mother’s help posting it on YouTube. Keller has also taken on major speaking and lobbying responsibilities. Keller and McCaul worked together to get the STAR Act, an initiative to promote cancer research, passed. Keller’s family presents white and is economically well off with good health insurance. Keller’s personal story reflects her experience and very special circumstances; the economic reality that affects other children with serious diseases does not figure here. Her relationship with her brother, her dog, and her great joy in baking are described; school and friends are mentioned, but readers may wish for a fuller portrait of Sadie’s everyday life. While the book is message-driven, it is written in an accessible and engaging style.
Will resonate with young people who have experienced illness or wish to fight for others. (afterword, photos, list of supporters, glossary) (Memoir. 12-14)Pub Date: May 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9978808-5-4
Page Count: 250
Publisher: Gavia Books
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2020
Timely, essential reading.
“Knowing the story of why freedom of the press was important to the founding fathers…and how it has stayed a strong principle in American law and culture can help us understand its value today.”
This efficient text (an introduction and nine short chapters, buttressed by a timeline) offers an excellent foray into the hows and whys of U.S. press freedom, beginning just prior to nationhood. The accessible, mostly chronological text is full of short quotations from both primary and secondary sources. It includes excellent definitions, informative sidebars, and archival photographs. The ebb and flow of press freedoms over the course of the country’s history are combined with succinct history of the means of communication, from printing on paper all the way through to today’s social media. Careful scholarship links big questions about balancing transparency and national security to wartime reporting, the Pentagon Papers, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, and more. The text warns about today’s citizens’ reading and listening only to outlets that support their own views and how that endangers democracy. President Donald Trump’s media provocations are discussed along with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the work of Reporters Without Borders. Two cases involving high schoolers’ freedoms are explored. A particularly noteworthy sidebar offers guidance on how readers can determine the accuracy of their news. For optimal use, readers should first have a rudimentary understanding of U.S. civics, which perhaps makes it better suited to middle and high school than elementary readers.
Timely, essential reading. (index, select bibliography) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3689-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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