A biography that brings hope in dystopian times.
A timely road map for nonviolent direct action.
Multigenre writer, poet, and educator Younge focuses on the life and times of Reverend James Lawson (1928-2024), an African American civil rights activist and Christian minister, arguing persuasively that “nonviolence is as American as sweet potato pie.” She recalls key moments in American history where strategic action without the use of physical force catalyzed social and political change, including protests against racial segregation, the Vietnam War, discrimination against people with disabilities, and healthcare inequity during the AIDS epidemic. The book sheds light on global leaders—including Mohandas Gandhi, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Richard Gregg, A.J. Muste, and Bayard Rustin—who shaped Lawson’s thinking. The time he spent learning and serving in India forms a crucial portion of the book, filling a critical gap in accounts of transnational activism as well as discussions of modern U.S.-India relations, subjects rarely taught in schools. Younge challenges the misconception that nonviolent resistance is weak or passive and gives teens tools and ideas for strategizing and strengthening themselves from within. This attention to one’s inner life is valuable: Activists often must work with limited resources and, in prioritizing larger causes, may end up unable to attend to their own well-being. The short chapters, accessible writing, and frequent text boxes, photos, and diagrams add to the work’s usefulness and appeal.
A biography that brings hope in dystopian times. (author’s note, glossary, resources, bibliography, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 11-18)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9798765659892
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Zest Books
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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