Updated from a 2003 edition, this catalog of female spies is depressingly sanitized and breathless.
The language is plain, simple and occasionally clichéd, enlivened by far too many exclamation points. It seems that nearly every one of these 40-plus women was beautiful or attractive, but far more interesting is how many of them knew several languages and were more educated than was typical for girls of their time. The authors (Hunter is a pseudonym for Pamela D. Greenwood and Elizabeth G. Macalaster) cover 300 years, from the Anglo-Dutch wars and Aphra Behn to Valerie Plame Wilson (a one-page “Spotlight”) and Lindsay Moran. The wide range of wars and women includes Ann Story, who spied for and protected the Green Mountain Boys in the American Revolution, and Eva Wu, a dancer who spied against the Communist Chinese in Hong Kong. “Spycraft” activities include making a fake rock to hide documents in and creating a cover identity. Chef Julia Child, actress Hedy Lamarr and Mata Hari are mentioned, although in brief Spotlights rather than full chapters. The language strives mightily to avoid any hint of sex (although the word mistress is used), and while danger is indeed described, it is bleached of any horror. The cover shows a smiling girl in a trench coat and a fedora, about as inappropriate an image for these brave and resourceful women as can be imagined. (bibliography, end notes) (Nonfiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58270-383-1
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2012
A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism.
Recounting his childhood experiences in sixth grade, Ogle’s memoir chronicles the punishing consequences of poverty and violence on himself and his family.
The start of middle school brings about unwanted changes in young Rex’s life. His old friendships devolve as his school friends join the football team and slowly edge him out. His new English teacher discriminates against him due to his dark skin (Rex is biracial, with a white absentee dad and a Mexican mom) and secondhand clothes, both too large and too small. Seemingly worse, his mom enrolls him in the school’s free-lunch program, much to his embarrassment. “Now everyone knows I’m nothing but trailer trash.” His painful home life proffers little sanctuary thanks to his mom, who swings from occasional caregiver to violent tyrant at the slightest provocation, and his white stepdad, an abusive racist whose aggression outrivals that of Rex’s mom. Balancing the persistent flashes of brutality, Ogle magnificently includes sprouts of hope, whether it’s the beginnings of a friendship with a “weird” schoolmate, joyful moments with his younger brother, or lessons of perseverance from Abuela. These slivers of relative levity counteract the toxic relationship between young Rex, a boy prone to heated outbursts and suppressed feelings, and his mother, a fully three-dimensional character who’s viciously thrashing against the burden of poverty. It’s a fine balance carried by the author’s outstanding, gracious writing and a clear eye for the penetrating truth.
A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism. (author’s note, author Q&A, discussion guide, writing guide, resources) (Memoir. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-324-00360-1
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
Abigail Adams, wife and mother of American presidents, with a remarkable story of her own, gets a rather dull introduction to her life in Wallner's (Sergio and the Hurricane, 2000, etc.) picture-book biography. Wallner's text plods through Abigail's life, noting important dates and events, particularly the birth of all her children. Abigail supports her husband in his fight for independence at home, where she runs the family farm and manages the finances and her growing family. She also joins Adams in England when he is ambassador there. Later, she becomes the first president's wife to live in the White House. Abigail is shown as a strong woman, disappointed in her efforts to win a place for women and blacks in the new Constitution. Readers learn about Abigail's thoughts and personality as she matures from child to adult, from homemaker to public figure, but unfortunately we do not hear more than a few phrases in Abigail's own voice. Abigail, who is known through her many published letters, was a lively and interesting correspondent and little of that liveliness permeates this effort. The author's folkart-style illustrations depict a homely group of colonialists in pleasantly colorful detail. A timeline and bibliography would have been helpful to young researchers. This intelligent, early feminist and civil-rights advocate deserves better. (Biography. 8-10)
Pub Date: March 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-8234-1442-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2001
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