A well-researched, much-needed guide for the next generation of human rights advocates.
Renowned human rights organization Amnesty International partners with actor and activist Jolie and lawyer and children’s rights expert Van Bueren to create this detailed look at child rights globally.
This timely book begins with a startling fact: The United States is the only one of the United Nations’ 197 members that has never ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Readers are then led through the history of child rights while also defining the rights every child has from birth. Special attention is paid to education access, LGBTQ+ rights, and discriminatory policies targeting marginalized groups, with examples such as Charlotte Donaldson, who founded the Scottish Gypsy Traveller Assembly at age 16, and Zulaikha Patel, who at age 13 helped lead a protest against racist policies at her South African high school. Other profiles of teen changemakers, including girls’ education advocate Malala Yousafzai, water activist Autumn Peltier (Anishinaabe), and Thai environmentalist Khairiyah Rahmanyah, are woven throughout. Readers curious about how to create change in their communities will appreciate the activism guidance describing how to research an issue, persuasively talk about your cause, reach out to lawmakers, and organize a protest. The wide-ranging text also includes guidance on how to stay safe while attending a demonstration, internet safety, and what to do when stopped by the police. Black-and-white photos, lists, and bold headings break up the text and enhance readability.
A well-researched, much-needed guide for the next generation of human rights advocates. (glossary, organizations, sources, image credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72844-965-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Zest Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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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