A captivating sports memoir that puts social justice at the forefront.
Soccer star Rapinoe commands attention both on and off the field.
In this memoir adapted for young readers, Rapinoe reflects on facing adversity and discovering what she’s made of over the course of her illustrious career. Rapinoe and her twin sister began playing soccer as children, joining a competitive boys’ team since there was no girls’ option in their small California town. Recognizing their potential, Rapinoe’s parents supported the girls through long drives, early mornings, and financial sacrifice. After the twins earned full soccer scholarships to the University of Portland, Rapinoe found new opportunities at the national and international levels and quickly made a name for herself. She discusses her growing understanding of her sexuality and racial politics and how this awareness led to her using her celebrity to champion causes from marriage equality to gender-based pay inequality in professional soccer. Rapinoe gained notoriety for kneeling during the national anthem, in alignment with her strong belief that White people have a responsibility to draw attention to systemic racism. Backlash against her activism has dogged her career, but Rapinoe challenges readers to use their voices to speak up for what they believe in, emphasizing that issues, just like people’s lives, are interconnected. Soccer fans will appreciate the game details and photos, from family snaps to moments from iconic matches. However, even the nonsporty will find much to appreciate in this inspiring and engagingly written book.
A captivating sports memoir that puts social justice at the forefront. (Nonfiction. 11-15)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20341-5
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Part of the For Kids series, this will be particularly useful for parents and classroom teachers hoping to make the study of...
This introduction to the towering classical composer sets the story of his life and work in the context of the revolutionary events of early-19th-century Europe.
Born in 1770, young Beethoven showed musical promise early. At 17, he was supporting himself and his brothers through his music. Although he had wealthy patrons throughout his life, his ideas about the equality of man often led to friction. Like his political views, Beethoven's musical ideas were radical. His health was never good. By the time his ninth symphony was performed, he was totally deaf, communicating with others through conversation books. Bauer’s chronological narrative reveals a man who was personally difficult and often unkempt, stubborn and certain of his own talents. He was also exceedingly diligent, constantly working and reworking his musical ideas. The author’s own extensive musical experience contributes to the breadth of this title. Sidebars and historical prints add further information about musical forms and instruments, historical events and people mentioned. Sprinkled throughout are supplementary activities of varying difficulty. These range from instructions for crafts and games to making CD covers and liner notes, thinking like a critic and making music of your own.
Part of the For Kids series, this will be particularly useful for parents and classroom teachers hoping to make the study of great music more interesting. (discography, glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-56976-711-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
Offering these lives as role models for young readers, Humphrey invites their attention by asking them to imagine themselves...
Twenty-five men and women who questioned conventional wisdom and made a difference are profiled in this well-meant collective biography.
Offering these lives as role models for young readers, Humphrey invites their attention by asking them to imagine themselves in a particular situation with a particular dream or idea. From Christopher Columbus to Neil Armstrong, her heroes and heroines are presented roughly chronologically. The profiles of Albert Einstein and Jackie Robinson, also described in Dare to Dream (2005, not reviewed), have been rewritten. These overviews are sometimes oversimplified. Harriet Tubman is described as a Civil War nurse, but she didn’t nurse on the battlefield, as Clara Barton did, a difference that matters to Barton’s story, the very next profile. The Rosa Parks section restates the myth that she “stood alone” in a spontaneous decision not to move back further on the bus. The writing is awkward and repetitive; occasionally words are misused. Nikola Tesla did not “claim” that radio waves could locate moving objects, he proposed that use which we now call radar. Sometimes, toward the end of a section, the author brings up revisionist thinking about the person’s achievements but then drops the issue, reiterating their importance. A poem, source notes for quotations and an extensive bibliography intermingling books for children and adults complete this pedestrian resource.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61614-485-2
Page Count: 177
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
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