More incisive, critical, and engagingly narrated and illustrated stories of our history.
Historian Harari’s latest work of middle-grade nonfiction considers what separates humanity—and what unites us.
The first volume in the series explained how humans came to dominate the world, while the second bleakly surveyed oppression and inequity. Though this latest ostensibly focuses on the goal of cooperation, here, too, “the bad guys sometimes win.” Harari addresses Volume 2’s unanswered questions: How do our stories change? How do we balance fear of difference with longing for the unknown? Interspersed among Harari’s commentary, made-up stories feature both fictional characters and real-life historical figures from Rome, Ephesus, and Carthage opining on these and other questions. In Carthage’s huge market, for instance, two youngsters discussing “foreigners” note that language and culture often separate us, but money can surmount differences; everyone trusts its value—though wealth and greed are also fraught with peril. Among the other ideas that Harari effectively simplifies and critically examines are warfare, nationalism, imperialism, religion, and syncretism. He sometimes turns philosophical, noting that people often migrate from place to place—who’s to say “who’s a foreigner and who’s a local”? The author ends somewhat optimistically, expounding on the Buddha’s revelations, encouraging moral liberalism, and praising scientific discovery. Ruiz’s dynamic, colorful compositions, masterly varied point of view, and convincing realism bring ancient cultures closer, matching their appeal to the text’s riveting pace and scope. Many will find inspiration in Harari’s intellectual analysis, presented at a level suitable for open-minded young readers.
More incisive, critical, and engagingly narrated and illustrated stories of our history. (map) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9798217115686
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Bright Matter Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality.
An examination of the history of Chinese American experiences.
Blackburn opens with a note to readers about growing up feeling invisible as a multicultural, biracial Chinese American. She notes the tremendous diversity of Chinese American history and writes that this book is a starting point for learning more. The evenly paced narrative starts with the earliest recorded arrival of the Chinese in America in 1834. A teenage girl, whose real name is unknown, arrived in New York Harbor with the Carnes brothers, merchants who imported Chinese goods and put her on display “like an animal in a circus.” The author then examines shifting laws, U.S. and global political and economic climates, and changing societal attitudes. The book introduces the highlighted people—including Yee Ah Tye, Wong Kim Ark, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, and Vincent Chen—in relation to lawsuits or other transformative events; they also stand as examples for explaining concepts such as racial hierarchy and the model minority myth. Maps, photos, and documents are interspersed throughout. Chapters close with questions that encourage readers to think critically about systems of oppression, actively engage with the material, and draw connections to their own lives. Although the book covers a wide span of history, from the Gold Rush to the rise in anti-Asian hate during the Covid-19 pandemic, it thoroughly explains the various events. Blackburn doesn’t shy away from describing terrible setbacks, but she balances them with examples of solidarity and progress.
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality. (resources, bibliography, image credits) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780593567630
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Ultimately adds little to conversations about race.
A popular YouTube series on race, “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man,” turns how-to manual and history lesson for young readers.
Acho is a former NFL player and second-generation Nigerian American who cites his upbringing in predominantly White spaces as well as his tenure on largely Black football teams as qualifications for facilitating the titular conversations about anti-Black racism. The broad range of subjects covered here includes implicit bias, cultural appropriation, and systemic racism. Each chapter features brief overviews of American history, personal anecdotes of Acho’s struggles with his own anti-Black biases, and sections titled “Let’s Get Uncomfortable.” The book’s centering of Whiteness and White readers seems to show up, to the detriment of its subject matter, both in Acho’s accounts of his upbringing and his thought processes regarding race. The overall tone unfortunately conveys a sense of expecting little from a younger generation who may have a greater awareness than he did at the same age and who, therefore, may already be uncomfortable with racial injustice itself. The attempt at an avuncular tone disappointingly reads as condescending, revealing that, despite his online success with adults, the author is ill-equipped to be writing for middle-grade readers. Chapters dedicated to explaining to White readers why they shouldn’t use the N-word and how valuable White allyship is may make readers of color (and many White readers) bristle with indignation and discomfort despite Acho’s positive intentions.
Ultimately adds little to conversations about race. (glossary, FAQ, recommended reading, references) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-80106-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
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