An uninspired, unnecessary, superficial treatment of a critically important subject.
Arresting visuals are the distinguishing feature of this introduction to the Holocaust for middle graders.
Divided into three sections, Steele’s capsulized chronicle begins by putting the Holocaust in historical context with information about centuries-old anti-Semitic sentiment in Europe, its co-option by Hitler and the Nazis in post–World War I Germany, and the systematic persecution of Jews with their rise. The second section covers deportations, concentration camps, the Final Solution, and acts of resistance by both Jews and Righteous Gentiles. Steele notes that Jews were not the only victims. The third section covers the liberation of the camps, displaced persons, the Nuremberg trials, and the founding of Israel. The abundant use of photographs is often visually striking, but the flat, dull, textbooklike writing is presented in clumps of text void of nuance, finesse, or narrative cohesion, resulting in a sadly simplistic treatment of a hugely complex subject. Minimal use is made of quotations from perpetrators, survivors, and liberators. There are no source notes, bibliography, suggestions for further reading, or even a list of websites listed in the end matter. Numerous books are already available on the Holocaust, offering a far more compelling and insightful overview of the subject.
An uninspired, unnecessary, superficial treatment of a critically important subject. (photos, maps, glossary, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 11-13)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-338-03040-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Logically pointing out that the American cowboy archetype didn’t spring up from nowhere, Sandler, author of Cowboys (1994) and other volumes in the superficial, if luxuriously illustrated, “Library of Congress Book” series, looks back over 400 years of cattle tending in North America. His coverage ranges from the livestock carried on Columbus’s second voyage to today’s herding-by-helicopter operations. Here, too, the generous array of dramatic early prints, paintings, and photos are more likely to capture readers’ imaginations than the generality-ridden text. But among his vague comments about the characters, values, and culture passed by Mexican vaqueros to later arrivals from the Eastern US, Sadler intersperses nods to the gauchos, llaneros, and other South American “cowmen,” plus the paniolos of Hawaii, and the renowned African-American cowboys. He also decries the role film and popular literature have played in suppressing the vaqueros’ place in the history of the American West. He tackles an uncommon topic, and will broaden the historical perspective of many young cowboy fans, but his glance at modern vaqueros seems to stop at this country’s borders. Young readers will get a far more detailed, vivid picture of vaquero life and work from the cowboy classics in his annotated bibliography. (Notes, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6019-7
Page Count: 116
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2000
An introduction to ancient Egypt and the Pharaohs buried in the Valley of the Kings. The authors begin with how archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb of King Tut, then move back 3,000 years to the time of Thutmosis I, who built the first tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Finally they describe the building of the tomb of a later Pharaoh, Ramses II. The backward-forward narration is not always easy to follow, and the authors attribute emotions to the Pharaohs without citation. For example, “Thutmosis III was furious [with Hatshepsut]. He was especially annoyed that she planned to be buried in KV 20, the tomb of her father.” Since both these people lived 3,500 years ago, speculation on who was furious or annoyed should be used with extreme caution. And the tangled intrigue of Egyptian royalty is not easily sorted out in so brief a work. Throughout, though, there are spectacular photographs of ancient Egyptian artifacts, monuments, tomb paintings, jewels, and death masks that will appeal to young viewers. The photographs of the exposed mummies of Ramses II, King Tut, and Seti I are compelling. More useful for the hauntingly beautiful photos than the text. (brief bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7922-7223-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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