Distinctly slanted but possibly useful in conjunction with more judicious older sources for background reading and research.
A dim view of Russian political history from Lenin to Putin.
After overly simplistically defining communism as a brand of socialism that requires “violent revolution” and referring to its “inherent weaknesses,” Blohm goes on to chronicle a history of, as he puts it, “failed expectations, starving peasants, brutal terror against political rivals, and nuclear posturing.” More or less ignoring Russian arts and culture, science, nonmilitary technology, daily life, and regional or ethnic differences, he lays out major events from uprisings in Czar Nicholas II’s reign to the November 2022 stalemate in Ukraine, pausing only to note widespread famines or slaughters or to make critical asides (“Funds that could have been used to improve Soviet agriculture and other industries were diverted to the bomb program”) on the way to a bland but, in context, skeptical speculation about whether the country might one day be willing to “integrate into the twenty-first century as a strong and peaceful member of the global community.” The accompanying set of stock photos and images is scanty but does put faces on leaders and, once, a pair of Afghan mujahedeen; the backmatter offers a rich array of sources and resources.
Distinctly slanted but possibly useful in conjunction with more judicious older sources for background reading and research. (photo credits, timeline, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781678205805
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
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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