A useful, accessible self-help guide.
The 18-year-old founder of WholeGirl.com shares advice and recipes that encourage readers to fully embrace their whole selves.
Each chapter is organized into three parts aimed at connecting readers to a different mood or way of being, with the goals of honoring and appreciating oneself, living more mindfully, and increasing awareness of harmful societal messages around food and bodies. Each chapter’s mood is framed as a way of being (e.g., “Be Loving,” “Be Unsure,” “Be Mad”) connected to issues faced by young women and offering ways to use that mood to overcome challenges. Exercises suited to the mood—yoga, dancing, and even tree climbing—are presented as pleasurable acts of self-care. Concluding each chapter are recipes that aim to remove the shame surrounding enjoyment of sweet treats. The paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free recipes are loosely connected to the chapter’s mood (nutritional information is not provided). Approachable and engaging, Radinsky exudes best friend vibes; it’s no wonder she is a popular blogger and podcaster. Although the title indicates young women are the primary audience, the author acknowledges that gender is a spectrum and welcomes all readers, regardless of identity. Pastel-colored sketches of women of varied skin tones and a range of body sizes as well as full-color photographs of each recipe and photos of the author, who is thin and White, demonstrating the exercises enhance the text.
A useful, accessible self-help guide. (notes, resources, recipe index) (Self-help. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68364-570-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Sounds True
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
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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