paper 0-517-70936-8 A terribly earnest collection of advice that ranges from preachy to peachy. Bolden (And Not Afraid to Dare, p. 54, etc.) has chosen her contributors well in this assembly of essays, short fiction, poems, and comics: It includes pieces by such contemporary figures as Natalie Merchant, Tabitha Soren, Wendy Wasserstein, and teen diarist Latoya Hunter. Most of them resemble commencement addresses more than words intended for print, and in fact, Sigourney Weaver’s piece is just such an address. Some pieces are moving and empowering: Lynda Barry’s comic “Mean Girls Are Real” is painfully hilarious but very strong; basketball star Rebecca Lobo’s “Get a Game Plan!” is unvarnished but heartfelt; linguist Deborah Tannen offers wisdom about the different ways boys and girls communicate. The whole, however, is a little wearing, as if a favorite, well-intentioned aunt is nattering on too long. Bolden mentions in the introduction her wish that a book similar to this one had existed when she was 12; of the few available now, Mavis Jukes’s It’s a Girl Thing (1996, not reviewed) and Judith Harlan’s Girl Talk (1997) offer more. (Anthology. 11-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-517-70999-6
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
paper 0-8160-4096-6 Even those readers not necessarily seeking a career guide will find this an enlightening introduction to math-oriented, math- dependent jobs of many kinds. Reeves leads off with a lengthy self-test to help readers determine whether a career in mathematics is appropriate. She subsequently covers 15 careers, ranging from actuary work to urban planning, giving a general description of each occupation, a list of fascinating websites, and a profile of someone who actually does each particular job. The chapters are followed by a list of careers in science, health, aviation, and more, all requiring a degree of proficiency in math. Finally, a working plan is laid out, to help readers organize the steps necessary to break into and thrive in their chosen fields. Plenty of useful information has been packed into this book, written in a lively and interesting manner that will engage browsers as well as those gazing into the future. (b&w drawings and photographs, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-8160-4095-8
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Facts On File
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A busy page design—artily superimposed text and photos, tinted portraits, and break-out boxes—and occasionally infelicitous writing (“Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie became . . . bandleader of the quintet at the Onyx Club, from which bebop got its name”) give this quick history of jazz a slapdash air, but Lee delves relatively deeply into the music’s direct and indirect African roots, then goes beyond the usual tedious tally of names to present a coherent picture of specific influences and innovations associated with the biggest names in jazz. A highly selective discography will give readers who want to become listeners a jump start; those seeking more background will want to follow this up with James Lincoln Collier’s Jazz (1997). (glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8239-1852-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
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