This lively chronicle includes an arctic explorer, a medical supersleuth, a passionate educator, an intrepid reporter and an enslaved woman who walked from Mississippi to freedom in California. These and other women, who took risks, met challenges and lived lives that can inspire us even now, are the focus of Coleman’s essays. The pieces are not biographies, but focus on the adventures themselves and the tests of character they represent. Good use is made of first-person accounts, eyewitness reports and letters, contributing to the conversational tone of the volume. The zeal for letting the women speak for themselves sometimes leads to too much quoting that interrupts the storytelling, but it does keep the narratives from ever getting dry. Extensive backmatter includes scrupulous source notes, a bibliography and a “webliography.” Readers will enjoy being in the presence of eight amazing women who demonstrated “the many ways there are to live a passionate and productive and adventurous life.” (author’s note, chronologies, places to visit, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-15)
Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-8050-7744-8
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
A sensitive, firsthand treatment of the topic made all the richer by its inclusion of the author’s religion and culture.
In this graphic memoir, Awada, a “young Muslim woman who lives in America’s heartland,” shares her struggle with body dysmorphic disorder.,
Awada was raised in a Middle Eastern culture in which “there is never a shortage of food nourishment, and love”—in fact, “feeding your children is love.” But when Awada was 6, her aunt called her “too big,” and “that was the day…they flipped a switch that could never be turned off.” As she ages, she finds a “new family [in] food,” which becomes her best friend in a world where she wants to be perfect, just like her meticulous mom. In high school, Awada turns to dieting, then starving herself, and then purging. Although she feels “such euphoria” after purging, Awada only grows weaker. The author admits that she could have died, “but, by the grace of Allah (God), I am here… / …alive to tell my story.” Illustrations capture her fragile body and growing weakness. Meanwhile, her family struggles to pay for her treatment. With help, she starts to heal and realizes that “imperfection is beautiful.” Heartfelt narration works with Firmansyah’s art and Kamaputra’s bold colors to depict Awada’s changes—weight gain and finding comfort in food to weight loss, all while struggling to be perfect. A closing note from a professional provides tips for identifying and avoiding eating disorders.
A sensitive, firsthand treatment of the topic made all the richer by its inclusion of the author’s religion and culture. (Graphic memoir. 11-15)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-947378-07-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Zuiker Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
Dyer believes that kids have an important stake in how public space is used because they do not have their own truly private spaces. She tackles her broad subject by examining various subtopics in a column, page or double-page spread. This allows her to cover a variety of issues including age discrimination, bicycle commuting, sexual harassment and urban design. Examples from different nations are a welcome reminder of the diversity of possible approaches to common human concerns. Some may feel that the author’s efforts to be inclusive combined with the book’s design is a bit scattershot; others will enjoy the magazine-style snippets of information and opinion. The text is direct, conversational and colloquial. Ngui’s illustrations both extend and punctuate the text and range from stylized black-and-white spot art to full-color depictions of specific places and times. While this topic may not be on most tweens’ radar, the kinds of problems addressed, from unfair curfews to unsafe streets, are surely familiar to many, and the book’s straightforward examination may empower them to take positive action. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-55453-293-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Dec. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2010
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