This concise, thoughtful presentation offers insights into a difficult topic.
This entry in a series that explores societal issues while encouraging critical thinking examines homelessness in the U.S.
In the introduction, Hunter shares an eye-opening statistic: “Around one in every 500 Americans is homeless.” From there, each concise, well-organized chapter thoughtfully introduces different aspects of the issue, including types of homelessness, how different demographic groups are affected, the root causes, and the physical and emotional effects. The pages are visually appealing and easy to navigate, with color photos and section headers in different colors. Facts and statistics appear throughout, and sidebars provide additional context, exploring topics such as “Finland’s Solution” and “Life Expectancy for Homeless People.” Each chapter ends with two different perspectives on a debate question—for example, “Can Someone Be Homeless if They Are Sleeping Inside?” or “Should There Be Homelessness in a Rich Country?” Readers are then invited to analyze the arguments and decide what they think. Despite touching upon race and gender as factors, the book surprisingly doesn’t refer to the fact that LGBTQ+ youth are at a much higher risk of homelessness, a major oversight. It also doesn’t mention the shift toward the term unhoused. Nevertheless, this book will help readers consider the factors that contribute to this pervasive issue and its impact on individuals and society, allowing them to come to their own informed opinions. Some may even be inspired to work on a solution.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781917187817
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Cheriton Children's Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Congolese-American Sophie makes a harrowing trek through a war-torn jungle to protect a young bonobo.
On her way to spend the summer at the bonobo sanctuary her mother runs, 14-year-old Sophie rescues a sickly baby bonobo from a trafficker. Though her Congolese mother is not pleased Sophie paid for the ape, she is proud that Sophie works to bond with Otto, the baby. A week before Sophie's to return home to her father in Miami, her mother must take advantage
of a charter flight to relocate some apes, and she leaves Sophie with Otto and the sanctuary workers. War breaks out, and after missing a U.N. flight out, Sophie must hide herself and Otto from violent militants and starving villagers. Unable to take Otto out of the country, she decides finding her mother hundreds of miles to the north is her only choice. Schrefer jumps from his usual teen suspense to craft this well-researched tale of jungle survival set during a fictional conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Realistic characters (ape and human) deal with disturbing situations described in graphic, but never gratuitous detail. The lessons Sophie learns about her childhood home, love and what it means to be endangered will resonate with readers.
Even if some hairbreadth escapes test credulity, this is a great next read for fans of our nearest ape cousins or survival adventure. (map, author's note, author Q&A) (Adventure. 12-16)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-16576-1
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unhappy teens in need of a lecture on thinking positively and being more in touch with one’s emotions need look no further.
Mangan presents in as many chapters a 20-point strategy that ranges from “Have a Positive Attitude” and “Cut Your Problems Into Pieces” to “Practice Being Patient” and “Appreciate the Value of Your Hard Work.” She blends private exercises like visualizing forgiveness with comments on selective attention, “problematic procrastination” and other bad habits, reframing situations to put them in different lights, “changing shoes” to understand others better and subjecting feelings to rational analysis. Though the author has a graduate degree and years of practice in clinical psychology, she offers generalities and generic situations rather than specific cases from her experience, and the book is devoid of references to further resources or even an index. Superficial advice (“If you are unsafe or are around kids that you know are bullies, just walk away”) combines with techniques that are unlikely to interest readers (“Make a song verse out of your list of helpful thoughts”). The author also makes questionable claims about the mind-body connection (“When you smile, your body sends a signal to your brain that you are happy”) and fails to make a case for regarding side forays into food habits and environmental concerns as relevant to her topic. Obvious issues and common-sense advice, unpersuasively presented. (Self-help. 12-15)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4338-1040-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
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