An information-rich, teen-friendly, and overall hopeful look at AI.
A comprehensive and concise look at the development, influence, and future of artificial intelligence.
In an overview chapter, “The Age of Machines,” former educator McPherson sets the stage with a brief overview of AI, before moving on to “The Beginnings of Artificial Intelligence,” which focuses on military efforts during World War II. Chapter 3 introduces Timothy Berners-Lee and deep learning, and Chapter 4 opens with an engaging anecdote about Nobel Laureate Demis Hassabis, who first became interested in AI as a child who excelled at chess. Later chapters cover generative AI, algorithmic bias, accuracy and security, and AI’s potential positive and problematic effects on the job market. A later chapter points out AI’s potential environmental benefits, including through planning airline routes, managing fires, and predicting weather, and summarizes the “serious environmental downside” as complex, noting that “Environmentalists, researchers, and many elected officials are united in their quest to develop AI systems that promote sustainable practices, minimize pollution, and halt climate change.” The author presents both the benefits and drawbacks of AI, although the problematic aspects are often framed as “concerns,” which may feel less serious than is warranted. The conclusions to the chapters use open-ended language that supports a positive mindset. The clear explanations, photos, color palette, and layout (which includes frequent subheadings) are well-suited to the intended audience, and informative text boxes add additional context.
An information-rich, teen-friendly, and overall hopeful look at AI. (timeline, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further information, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9798765660454
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
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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