An amusing, if flawed, tribute to marching band.
Marching band humor is on parade in this short illustrated book.
Band students share their own special type of inside jokes, as shown in Corchin’s collection of poetry, Band Nerds (2020), being published simultaneously. This handbook of “rules” contains one-liners that capture elements of the marching band experience and includes both practical advice and funny, pithy sayings (“It’s a salute, not interpretive dance”; “Trombone slides are not lightsabers”). The book opens with a paragraph titled “Fun,” which explains how important fun is: “If more people were having fun, there would be no reason for hate or discrimination or any other evil….Grab a cupcake and chill out. The world’s lost a bit of its will to have fun.” Despite that simplistic intro—evoking the rebuke that people who object to bias don’t have a sense of humor—this book will prompt some good laughs and reflection on the camaraderie of band. Simple black-and-white line illustrations emphasize the silly humor. A closing poem offers inspiration about working together and overcoming self-doubt. The illustrations show ethnically diverse characters, but there is some humor at the expense of fat people, and one cartoon shows band members vomiting after eating sushi.
An amusing, if flawed, tribute to marching band. (Humor. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72821-976-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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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