Funny, compassionate, and thoughtful.
Nathaniel Newman and his mother, Magda, recount how Nathaniel’s Treacher Collins syndrome has affected their family.
In alternating passages, the authors relate how, after being born with severe craniofacial deformities affecting his hearing, eating, and breathing, Nathaniel underwent “sixty-plus” surgeries before age 16. Along the way, he and his family faced kids’ curiosity and adults’ insensitivity. Magda’s poignant, sometimes absurdly humorous endeavors to raise Nathaniel and his little brother, Jacob, as normally as possible emphasize how Nathaniel’s disability shaped their family; siblings of kids with disabilities will sympathize when Magda describes how Jacob’s needs came second. Nathaniel is witty and matter-of-fact about his condition, concluding that “it would have been easier to be born ‘normal,’ but far less cool.” Throughout the book’s second half, the authors discuss how R.J. Palacio’s book Wonder (2012) encouraged empathy for kids with craniofacial and other differences, and fans of the movie will appreciate thought-provoking peeks behind the scenes. Despite being dubbed “Auggie Pullman come to life,” Nathaniel abundantly shows that he’s his own multifaceted person. Flashbacks to Magda’s childhood in Poland emphasize the importance of family and imagination in tough times. Though their story sometimes feels disjointed or overstuffed, its breadth reflects their personally extraordinary but emotionally universal journey. As Nathaniel observes, “I’m not normal, and neither are you.” Swaab’s full-page cartoon-style drawings introduce each chapter. The Newmans present white. Magda is Catholic; her husband and sons are Jewish.
Funny, compassionate, and thoughtful. (Memoir. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-328-63183-1
Page Count: 336
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
A needed “own voices” story of cross-cultural diplomacy, but the density of the story and accompanying notes may limit the...
Co-written by Hispanic-literature scholar Nogar and Spanish-language expert Lamadrid (The First Tortilla, 2012), a fictionalized account of a miraculous appearance in colonial New Mexico.
The story is based on the legendary astral travels of Sor María de Ágreda, a 17th-century nun in Castillian Spain. Told in both English and Spanish, with Puebloan (Tiwa) vocabulary peppered throughout, the story weaves together the Spanish culture and experiences of Sor María with those of a fictional Puebloan young woman, Paf Sheuri. The narrative highlights the similarities between their cultures, especially in relation to their respective midsummer festivals and their focus on water. Densely saturated illustrations bring the colors of the 17th century to life. Authors’ notes following the narrative add more depth to the history, culture, and languages behind the choices in the text. An included glossary also demonstrates the transcultural nature of the story, as Spanish vocabulary reflects words borrowed from Iberian, Arabic, and Native American sources. The glossary lacks a clear pronunciation guide, however, which would be especially helpful for the Puebloan (Tiwa) words. Formatting issues in the parallel Spanish and English texts sometimes make the story difficult to follow.
A needed “own voices” story of cross-cultural diplomacy, but the density of the story and accompanying notes may limit the appeal to use among academic rather than general audiences. (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: June 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8263-5821-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: Univ. of New Mexico
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
An unusually personal view of World War I’s early days, conveyed by new illustrations grafted to a French soldier’s chance-found diary.
Dated Aug. 3 to Sept. 5, 1914, the anonymous diary tersely records mustering, train rides, weary marches, efforts to scrounge up provisions and billeting, much digging of trenches, and advances and retreats under enemy artillery fire. Aside from occasional thoughts of family left behind, the writer’s observations are detached in tone—even gruesome sights of a human leg caught in a tree and heavily wounded patients in a hospital ward are only noted in passing. Along with portraying how he rescued the account from a pile of curbside rubbish, Barroux illustrates the diary with large panels of heavy-lined drawings made with butcher’s pencil and a pale yellow varnish wash. Most depict somber figures in uniform, drawn with geometrical noses that give them the look of puppets or mannequins, trudging through sheets of rain or sketched rural settings. The diary’s abrupt end leaves the writer wounded but complaining of boredom as he recuperates; the artist closes with sample pages from a handwritten album of songs found with the document. In a passionate introductory note, Michael Morpurgo invites readers to “weep” over these glimpses of war. American children, at least, may not shed many tears, but they should come away feeling closer to understanding what that century-old conflict must have been like to those who fought in it. (Graphic memoir. 11-14)
Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-907912-39-9
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Phoenix/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014
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