by Susan Goldman Rubin ; illustrated by Richie Pope ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 13, 2020
Both biography and subject are unique and inspiring.
A detailed biography of a Jamaican woman who nursed soldiers in battle during the Crimean War.
Born in 1805 to a Creole (mixed-race) mother and a Scottish father, Seacole spent her childhood studying her mother’s medicinal practices and relishing her father’s war stories, hoping to one day travel herself. Her life became a combination of both. After her husband and mother died, Seacole took charge of the boardinghouse her mother left behind. When soldiers arrived sick with cholera, she would nurse them. Wherever she went, her medical knowledge was needed: an outbreak of cholera in Panama when she visited her brother; yellow fever outbreaks in Kingston. Finally, she went to London to volunteer as an army nurse in the Crimean War (the basics of the war are described for context). She was turned away due to her color, but she packed her treatments and headed to Turkey on her own. Florence Nightingale turned her away too, but Seacole knew her services were needed, and she went elsewhere, ultimately spending years treating soldiers on the battlefield. She became famous when a British war journalist praised her, and she eventually wrote a book about her experiences—but she returned to England in debt. Her service was at last acknowledged and her finances saved by contributions made by the English people and the crown. This slim book features full-page, color illustrations throughout, and the text quotes Seacole’s memoir to give the narrative the flavor of her era, personality, and experiences. It is a riveting story that deserves attention.
Both biography and subject are unique and inspiring. (source notes, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7994-1
Page Count: 49
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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by Tricia Brown ; photographed by Roy Corral ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2019
Readers come away wishing for more of the children’s voices and less of Brown’s.
Twenty-one years after Children of the Midnight Sun, Brown and Corral reteam for a follow-up.
Before one gets to read the stories of the Alaska Native children highlighted in this book, the introduction makes the case that Alaska Native kids are “just like any other kid,” as if to normalize Indigenous children for the evidently non-Native audience that the book seems to imagine. Author Brown and photographer Corral trek across Alaska to a sample selection of children from 10 Indigenous cultures of Alaska. Each chapter looks at the life of one child as representative of their culture. The stories tell of the day-to-day activities of each child, how they engage with their families, their traditional culture, and their aspirations. The overview is in Brown’s voice, and interspersed within that narrative are snippets of quotes from the children. Photographs highlight the children with their family members, engaged in sports, having fun outdoors, or dressed in traditional clothing. Though the book attempts to celebrate these children and their respective cultures, the depictions at times feel objectified, seen through an ethnographic lens. Mention of the harsh colonial impact on their cultures is minimized; for example, readers learn that the missionary William Duncan established a rigidly evangelical Christian community on a Tlingit-populated island with a group of Tsimshian but not that he profited from their labor.
Readers come away wishing for more of the children’s voices and less of Brown’s. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5132-6197-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
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by Tricia Brown ; illustrated by Cary Porter
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by Tricia Brown ; illustrated by Sarah Martinsen
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by Tricia Brown & photographed by Ken Cardwell
by Chaunté Lowe ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2023
An inspiring read for aspiring athletes and other dreamers.
A young African American girl, inspired by Olympic excellence, propels her way to an Olympic berth and a better life with support from her family and community.
Lowe was 4 when she sat in front of the television and witnessed the greatness of Florence Griffith Joyner at the 1988 Olympics. She decided then and there to become an Olympian despite her family’s socio-economic struggles in small-town Paso Robles, California. She learned team dynamics early from her sisters and managed to hold on to her dream despite periods of instability due to homelessness and her stepfather’s violence. Lowe became a junior leader at the local recreation center and landed her first job at 12, allowing her to develop leadership skills that helped her on and off the field. She was further aided in her pursuits by Granny Booker, who opened her mind to new horizons, and Grandma Bea, who opened her home and heart to her granddaughter. Lowe’s partnership with supportive coaches led her to the 2004 U.S. Olympic high jump team. Now a four-time Olympian and world record–holding female high jumper, Lowe’s indomitable spirit and tenacity will engage and motivate young readers. The topics of diligently working toward long-term goals, familial loyalty, and self-mastery are clearly illustrated in this book. This memoir is organized in a manner that allows readers to experience the internal and external battles many Olympians face along their paths to victory.
An inspiring read for aspiring athletes and other dreamers. (photo credits) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781338741520
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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