DREYER'S ENGLISH (ADAPTED FOR YOUNG READERS)

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DREYER'S ENGLISH (ADAPTED FOR YOUNG READERS)

Name: DREYER'S ENGLISH (ADAPTED FOR YOUNG READERS)
Author: Benjamin Dreyer
ISBN: 978-0-593-17680-1

GOOD ADVICE FOR GOOD WRITING

by Benjamin Dreyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 9, 2021

A somewhat thoughtful but unnecessary adaptation.

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The 2019 guide to grammar and usage from the copy chief of Random House is adapted for young readers.

Why should young readers care about usage? Because, writes Dreyer, “What you write and how you write it tells readers as much about you as a selfie. You don’t post every selfie you take, do you?” This observation sets the tone for the tweaks and massages made to refashion the proudly fussbudgety original for a presumably more skeptical audience. Most of the author’s adventures in copy editing have been excised from this volume, though many of the discursive footnotes remain. Also deleted is any mention of sex, even though the original treatment is fairly nonprurient, and excising gonorrhea and syphilis from the chapter on oft-misspelled words is arguably an irresponsible favoring of prudery over health literacy. But most of the changes appear aimed at making the content seem relevant: “Great writers of the twentieth century like Edith Wharton, Theodore Dreiser, and William Faulkner” is now “Great writers of the twenty-first century like Louis Sachar, Rebecca Stead, and Lois Lowry.” Some of these swaps smack of desperation: “ ‘Hey Ya!’ is a classic pop song by OutKast” instead of “ ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ is a classic pop song by the Beach Boys.” Long, syntactically complicated sentences abound, calling into question the whole enterprise. Readers eager to tackle them will be just as happy, if not happier, with the original.

A somewhat thoughtful but unnecessary adaptation. (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-17680-1

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SCIENCES

UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK BOY

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UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK BOY

by Emmanuel Acho ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021

Ultimately adds little to conversations about race.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SCIENCES

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DIGGING FOR TROY

FROM HOMER TO HISARLIK

by Jill Rubalcaba & Eric H. Cline & illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2011

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This useful but uneven volume summarizes the legend of the Trojan War, then describes the archaeological excavations at Hisarlik, the Turkish site believed to have been Troy. After a brief (though ponderous) introduction comes a graceful 20-page retelling of how, according to Homer, the Greeks fought at Troy. Elegant red-and-black illustrations every few pages echo Greek vases, part of the overall attractive book design. Readers must then switch gears for the final 35 pages, illustrated with a handful of photographs, which describe the main excavations, from Heinrich Schliemann in 1870 through several more scientific expeditions up to recent times. The authors, a writer and a classical scholar, review hypotheses about the site and occasionally weave in anecdotes, but the overall scheme is chronological and the writing straightforward, without the spark of Laura Amy Schlitz’s biography, The Hero Schliemann (2006). However, readers may find the recap of The Iliad enjoyable and the rest, including a timeline and recommended websites, helpful for reports. Given the source material, it should be better. (bibliography, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 11-14)