Earnest and often revealing, this collection nevertheless has an uncertain audience.
The subtitle will have librarians, teachers, and reading specialists reaching for this book.
Culled from thousands of letters submitted to the “Letters About Literature” program sponsored by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress, the contest brings to light how “hearts are inspired and at times healed by the power of an author’s words.” The letters are bundled into three general age groupings—upper elementary, middle school, and high school—and then separated into the same thematic chapters for each age category: Destinations, Realizations, and Returning Home. The works discussed are a good range of the expected (Newbery winners, Harry Potter, the classics) and lesser-known titles (Shades of Black, by Sandra L. Pinkney and illustrated by Myles Pinkney; Two Old Women, by Velma Wallis). The format for each entry first quotes from it, then gives some background on it before presenting the student’s letter. Though the letters are personal, poignant, and often profound, the question is, who is the audience? Will teens want to read about other teens’ angst? While the students’ letters reveal how deeply books and poetry affect the lives of young readers, the volume is probably most likely to find a home with educators and adults with a passion for books and reading.
Earnest and often revealing, this collection nevertheless has an uncertain audience. (source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8101-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
A thoughtful, engaging history for intermediate students interested in Africa.
Oliver’s debut, about one of West Africa’s most powerful and charismatic leaders, delivers a vibrant mix of history and historical fiction for young adults.
The book introduces the medieval empire of Mali with several short narrative essays on trans-Atlantic exploration, trade and mining and soon narrows its focus to the compelling life story of the emperor Mansa Musa, who ruled Mali in the early 1300s. Oliver shows how Musa gained influence while making a lavish, politically important trip to Mecca, and his deft explanation of how Musa crossed the vast Sahara Desert briefly but skillfully conveys the difficulty of the lengthy voyage. This enjoyable work smoothly blends historical text with memorable anecdotes from primary and secondary sources, photos and sketches of replicas of ancient and medieval African art, and well-drawn maps. The book moves at a fast pace, and the author’s clear, straightforward style is likely to appeal to young adults. He easily switches between topics, discussing history (how Musa gained recognition in Egypt and North Africa), religion (how Islam shaped Musa and his empire), architecture (the methods of construction for Malian mud-brick buildings) and fables (the legend of the Malian “gold plant”). However, Oliver always strives for historical accuracy; even his fictional account of a young sandal maker who travels to Niani’s great market contains period-appropriate language and scenery. The book also includes a lengthy glossary that is amply illustrated with drawings and photographs of West African boats and buildings. The work’s one shortcoming is its abrupt ending after Musa returns home; it lacks a thorough explanation as to how and why the empire of Mali eventually dissolved.
A thoughtful, engaging history for intermediate students interested in Africa.Pub Date: March 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-1468053548
Page Count: 128
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 31, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The life of Manjiro Nakahama, also known as John Mung, makes an amazing story: shipwrecked as a young fisherman for months on a remote island, rescued by an American whaler, he became the first Japanese resident of the US. Then, after further adventures at sea and in the California gold fields, he returned to Japan where his first-hand knowledge of America and its people earned him a central role in the modernization of his country after its centuries of peaceful isolation had ended. Expanding a passage from her Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun (1985, Newbery Honor), Blumberg not only delivers an absorbing tale of severe hardships and startling accomplishments, but also takes side excursions to give readers vivid pictures of life in mid-19th-century Japan, aboard a whaler, and amidst the California Gold Rush. The illustrations, a generous mix of contemporary photos and prints with Manjiro’s own simple, expressive drawings interspersed, are at least as revealing. Seeing a photo of Commodore Perry side by side with a Japanese artist’s painted portrait, or strange renditions of a New England town and a steam train, based solely on Manjiro’s verbal descriptions, not only captures the unique flavor of Japanese art, but points up just how high were the self-imposed barriers that separated Japan from the rest of the world. Once again, Blumberg shows her ability to combine high adventure with vivid historical detail to open a window onto the past. (source note) (Biography. 10-13)
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-17484-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2000
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