During World War II, a Czechoslovakian town named for an empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire became a Nazi ghetto renamed Theresienstadt. It was planned to deceive the outside world, particularly the Red Cross, by appearing as a model village. In this cogently designed book, Thomson provides a concise history of the German war against European Jewry and Theresienstadt’s special place therein. What set this town apart was the large number of gifted artists and writers, both adults and children, who were imprisoned there and who left a poignant legacy of writings, drawings and music. Historical exposition, diary excerpts and visual materials are placed side by side to make a compelling narrative. Period photographs, color photographs of the town as it stands today and such archival illustrations as reproductions of menus, identity cards and theater tickets and posters provide a close-up portrait of daily life. Death may have prevailed through disease and transports to concentration camps, but a life-affirming spirit survives. An excellent and accessible title that is an informative companion to Brundibar, by Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak (2003), and The Cat with the Yellow Star, by Susan Goldman Rubin with Ela Weissberger (2006). (timeline, glossary, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 10 & up)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4963-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011
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
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