An information-rich and accessible guide to a distressing topic.
An overview that delves into the paradox that “the same qualities that make plastic indispensable to modern life also make it an enormous threat to the planet.”
In this engaging narrative that’s full of specific details and examples, Loonin describes the emergence of plastic in the 20th century, the threats it poses, the discouraging real-world obstacles to recycling, and what can be done to curb plastic pollution. She shows how pervasive its presence is in our lives and how complicated and expensive it is to handle these petroleum-based polymers so that they can be reused. Plastics are extremely durable, making accumulated waste an increasing problem that threatens animal and human health, for example, in the oceans, where currents form masses of debris like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Plastic manufacturers promote recycling, but the book points out the many practical challenges to its widespread implementation, citing a Greenpeace study that found that “only 5 to 6 percent of annual US consumer plastic waste was being recycled.” The author covers efforts to curb plastic pollution through legislation and the creation of environmentally sustainable alternatives. The book ends on a sobering note—a breakdown in United Nations efforts to seek a global agreement on this crisis—but with examples from all over the world, colorful photographs, and plentiful quotations, this work will engage and inform readers.
An information-rich and accessible guide to a distressing topic. (source notes, organizations and websites, for further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781678212087
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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