An appealing, readable memoir for more than just future gymnasts.
One of the most decorated American gymnasts details her life in and out of the gym.
“The story of my life in gymnastics is an underdog one,” Raisman says in the opening pages of this memoir, and she provides plenty of examples to support her statement: the extra time it takes her to learn new skills, whether it’s a roundoff back handspring or the Amanar vault; her difficulty coping with the incredible pressure placed upon all gymnasts; and the injuries that interrupted her career, such as a back injury suffered at the age of 12. Yet every time she’s knocked down, she works extra hard and succeeds. And that ability to overcome serves her in good stead whether it’s choosing to come back to gymnastics after the 2012 Olympics or stepping forward to reveal the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of the USA Gymnastics doctor. Said revelation is handled delicately, and it’s combined with valuable information for other sexual abuse victims. Raisman’s voice remains forthright and grounded, her words sounding as though they were drawn from her journal—as they were in several cases. It’s difficult to read about the physical injuries and the mental pressure Raisman places upon herself, yet her love for gymnastics always shines through.
An appealing, readable memoir for more than just future gymnasts. (Memoir. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-47270-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2018
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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