Covers distressing and essential information; a strong, comprehensive guide to rediscovering American history.
Stefoff’s young readers’ adaptation of Blackhawk’s The Rediscovery of America (2023) explores Native nations’ impact on the creation of today’s America.
“In 1492, when Columbus first landed in the Bahamas Islands, North America had seven or eight million Native inhabitants”; despite concerted attempts at genocide, Native people are still here. The book looks at key points in history from the 15th century to the present day, grouped into three broad sections: “Indians and Empires,” “Revolution and Removal,” and “Fighting for Rights.” Readers learn about wars, legal battles, Indian boarding schools, and Native activism, among other topics, and the book fills in gaps left by other accounts of U.S. history and corrects oversimplifications and inaccuracies. The author also incorporates and explains the impact of events in Mexico and Canada. Maps, sidebars, and illustrations allow readers time to pause and digest, and support the main narrative, which moves across the continent. Blackhawk, a member of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada, is a Yale scholar who has an authoritative voice, and the work is written in a manner that is easy to dip into and to digest. The text poses frequent questions (“How can a nation created on land that was taken from its original inhabitants be a shining example of democracy?”), encouraging readers to actively engage and to bring their knowledge and understanding to bear.
Covers distressing and essential information; a strong, comprehensive guide to rediscovering American history. (glossary, notes) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: tomorrow
ISBN: 9781644215708
Page Count: 576
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
