This entry in Oxford’s Religion in American Life series is a scholarly and well-researched history of Mormonism in America. Begun in 1830, it is one of the world’s fastest-growing Christian religions, with more than 10 million members, and a membership that doubles every 15 years. The Laupers explain, in addition to traditional Christian doctrines, the role of the Book of Mormon—revelations published by Joseph Smith when he was only 24 years old. The authors also cover the controversies, e.g., the Mormon practice of polygamy. This balanced presentation reveals how the church’s members aim to develop a faith “strong enough to withstand the reverses and temptations of daily life.” Readers will be left with a great appreciation for the determination and spiritualism of the Mormons. (b&w photographs and reproductions, chronology, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-19-510677-6
Page Count: 142
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1998
Buy it. Read it. Share it.
The last week at Scouting camp highlights accomplishments and humiliations that last a lifetime.
Aiden, a fat, biracial (Filipino and White), soon-to-be high schooler, is in his last week of Boy Scout camp in 1995. Each day documents events, from bonding over fireside songs and learning important skills to the micro- and macroaggressions that follow an adolescent boy of color who presents as effeminate and is queer. As the week moves on, readers learn more about Aiden and his life, from his stressful home with an emotionally abusive father to his love of Catholicism and being an altar server. The stress of a new school, bullies who are ever present, and struggles with identity drive Aiden to a breaking point, one that’s familiar to many young people. The monochromatic illustrations, sometimes highlighted with red, orange, and yellow, are timeless moments of a remembered childhood. The use of red to highlight the tangible (firelight, a Swiss Army knife) and represent the intangible (passion, sorrow, and hope) is a master class in simplicity. But the true star of this book is the writing, which describes a boy who could live in any decade on his journey of self-discovery. This is a story that will be read and reread, and for some, it will be the defining book of their adolescence.
Buy it. Read it. Share it. (afterword, resources) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62779-641-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
PROFILES
SEEN & HEARD
A smart and solidly written guide to life as seen through stained-glass windows.
Expanding on the author's popular, titular blog comes this guidebook for teen girls.
Kampakis' book begins with an arresting assertion: “There are two things no one can prepare you for. One is how fun it is to be a girl. The other is how hard it is to be a girl.” The upside includes things like slumber parties with meaty talks, dancing in the kitchen, unfettered squealing with delight...but then there's the darker side: emotional wrestling with mean girls, cliques, teen sexual mores and dealing with social media debacles. While she covers a wide spectrum of teen-girl conundrums, Kampakis doesn't short shrift any, delving in deep with a firm but deftly sensitive resolve, illustrating her points with anecdotes and leavening her message with dashes of humor. She packs the pages with advice on building confidence, creating a “good reputation” (or restoring one), how to be and spot a true friend, creating healthy relationships with teen boys, and developing patience and fostering perseverance. The book reveals the author's strong religious bent, with frequent references to God, quotes from the Bible and invocations of Satan, leaving some passages sounding as if they're written by a hip Sunday school teacher. Miniquizzes and discussion questions invite readers to sort out their feelings and insecurities and home in on their aspirations.
A smart and solidly written guide to life as seen through stained-glass windows. (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-529-11103-6
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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