by Virginia Hamilton ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 5, 1988
However, those who meet Hamilton's challenge will be rewarded with an unforgettable image of an intelligent, courageous man.
Part history, part fictionalized narrative: the story of a runaway slave who was returned from Boston to his master in Virginia under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
Beginning with the day Bums was captured by a federal marshal and imprisoned in a makeshift jail in Boston's courthouse, Hamilton alternates the progress of his trial—with noted abolitionist Wendell Phillips making speeches and patrician attorney and novelist Richard Henry Dana as volunteer defense attorney—with Anthony's flashback retreats into his past. As counterpoint to the documented legal and political maneuverings, these glimpses of slavery are profoundly moving (we see Anthony as a favorite nuzzled against his master's chest on an early morning ride or, when he's older, submitting to a game of dominance before his master's friends). Returning from these memories, Anthony is depicted as almost unaware of the riots, the armed troops guarding the courthouse, or the judge doggedly carrying out President Pierce's order that the law be upheld. The six fictionalized chapters on Anthony's earlier life, interspersed through the narrative of events in Boston, give the reader a strong sense of his pain, frustration, and confusion; but the transitions (present fades to past in a manner made familiar on film, but seeming artificially abrupt here) interrupt the story, and the authentic courtroom scenes with their subtle (albeit vital) points of law will discourage many readers.
However, those who meet Hamilton's challenge will be rewarded with an unforgettable image of an intelligent, courageous man. (bibliography of sources, index, selections from the Fugitive Slave Act) (Historical fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 5, 1988
ISBN: 978-0-679-83997-2
Page Count: 193
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1988
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PERSPECTIVES
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 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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