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EVEREST

This appealing and informative guide to Everest may well have children dreaming of their own expeditions.

A detailed look at Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the Himalayan mountain range.

This handsome publication provides a holistic perspective on Everest, broken up into different sections starting with the origins of the Himalayan mountain range and its flora and fauna. Various myths and legends surrounding Everest are woven in among accounts of the numerous attempts at climbing the mountain and details of conditions at the summit. Francis describes the mountain as “a place of invention, imagination and discovery.” She also weaves in elements of science geared to pique a child’s curiosity, such as how a mountain is measured and inventions that have helped make mountain climbing easier over time. With simple, accessible writing, short chapters, and stunning illustrations, the book guarantees to interest and engage readers to learn about not only this natural wonder of the world, but also how it has inspired people in the past and its continuing footprint and evolution as time passes, taking care to sensitize readers to the environmental challenges faced at Everest with increased waste and climate change. Feng’s vibrant illustrations have the look of mid-20th-century lithographs and complement the engaging text perfectly. The limited palette is dominated, unsurprisingly, by icy blues and whites, with pops of russet in the display type and picture accents.

This appealing and informative guide to Everest may well have children dreaming of their own expeditions. (glossary, further reading) (Informational picture book. 8-14)

Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-911171-99-7

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Flying Eye Books

Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018

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PLAY LIKE A GIRL

A sincere, genuine, and uplifting book that affirms the importance of being true to yourself.

Middle school drama hits hard in this coming-of-age graphic memoir.

Natural competitor Misty has faced off against the boys for years, always coming out on top, but now they’re moving on without her into the land of full-contact football. Never one to back away from a challenge, Misty resolves to join the team and convinces her best friend, Bree, to join her. While Misty pours herself into practicing, obviously uninterested Bree—who was motivated more by getting to be around boys than doing sports—drifts toward popular queen bee Ava, creating an uneasy dynamic. Feeling estranged from Bree, Misty, who typically doesn’t think much about her appearance, tries to navigate seventh grade—even experimenting with a more traditionally feminine gender expression—while also mastering her newfound talent for tackling and facing hostility from some boys on the team. Readers with uncommon interests will relate to the theme of being the odd one out. Social exclusion and cutting remarks can be traumatic, so it’s therapeutic to see Misty begin to embrace her differences instead of trying to fit in with frenemies who don’t value her. The illustrations are alive with color and rich emotional details, pairing perfectly with the heartfelt storytelling. The husband-and-wife duo’s combined efforts will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale. Main characters present as White; some background characters read as Black.

A sincere, genuine, and uplifting book that affirms the importance of being true to yourself. (Graphic memoir. 9-13)

Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-06-306469-0

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022

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FRED KOREMATSU SPEAKS UP

From the Fighting for Justice series

This first book in the Fighting for Justice series is a must-read for all civics classrooms.

When Fred Korematsu, a young Japanese-American man, defied U.S. governmental orders by refusing to report to prison camps during World War II, he and his allies set in motion a landmark civil liberties case.

Like any American, Fred dreams of marriage and raising a family with his sweetheart, Ida, a daughter of Italian immigrants. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, wartime hysteria spreads, and Japanese natives and Japanese-Americans on the West Coast are ordered to prison camps. Knowing this is unjust, Fred changes his name and calls himself "Spanish Hawaiian" but becomes dismayed knowing others are imprisoned in camps. His identity ultimately discovered, he is jailed following his arrest for his refusal to report to the camps and there meets Ernest Besig, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. Together, they begin a long and against-all-odds fight against injustice. Written in free verse, Fred’s story engages in powerful bursts and shows how speaking out brings complex consequences. Enhanced with pictures and archival materials, well-researched and approachable historical essays interspersed throughout Fred’s account offer context, while Houlette’s reverent illustrations give humanity to Fred’s plight. Co-authors Atkins and Yogi raise good questions (such as, “Have you ever been blamed for something just because of how you look?”) that will inspire a new generation of activists.

This first book in the Fighting for Justice series is a must-read for all civics classrooms. (resources for activism, note from Karen Korematsu, bibliography) (Blended nonfiction/historical fiction. 8-14)

Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-59714-368-4

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Heyday

Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016

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