Destined for assignment use but with arguments and resources enough to spark some genuine interest in the topic.
A cogent call for alarm over modern social media’s power to distract.
When (according to the National Safety Council) 1 in 4 car crashes is caused by drivers using cellphones, there’s definitely a problem—a “distraction pandemic,” as Kallen puts it—and he marshals studies and expert opinions aplenty to present a picture of how commercial websites and social media have been designed to grab our attention willy-nilly by targeting our brain’s primitive, instinctive, “bottom-up forces.” He does admit to evidence that certain video games can improve memory, problem-solving skills, and even general outlook, but it’s the hazards of interacting with modern tech that are the focus of this title, and Kallen devotes space to discussions of the deleterious effects on brain chemistry and plasticity as well as the fallacy that true multitasking is even possible for most people. He also offers general suggestions for a “digital detox” that can break addictive interactions with electronic devices, backed up in the abundant backmatter with a bulleted list of strategies. A scant assortment of stock photos of small screens and posed phone zombies accompanies this fervent appeal to reason. Will it spur readers to change their ways? Perhaps not…but it may get some few to start thinking about the issue.
Destined for assignment use but with arguments and resources enough to spark some genuine interest in the topic. (source notes, tips, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-6782-0454-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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