An inspiring resource for readers as well as a springboard for research.
This anthology honors the accomplishments of contemporary Canadian women as well as their predecessors who paved the way.
The members of this impressive ensemble are diverse in age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and ability, ranging from activist Anjali Katta, who founded GirlsCo. to raise money for girls’ education at the age of 16, to Shanawdithit, the last surviving member of the Indigenous Beothuk people in Newfoundland, whose drawings and writings are the sole records of her people. Actors, athletes, dancers, inventors, explorers, painters, scientists, and the like are each given a dedicated chapter. Typically one contemporary individual is spotlighted on verso opposite a pioneer of that career. Occasionally an additional woman is highlighted or there’s a footnote with additional names and accomplishments. Each account includes Faddoul’s realistic portrait as well as a brief biography. These highlight important dates, early influences, and struggles as well as contributions to the advancement of society. About 50 women are honored in this format while an additional 50-plus more are recognized with a smaller portrait and brief description placed after the discussion guide and before the biography and index. The sheer number of individuals prohibits in-depth details of the life and work of any one, but MacLeod writes efficiently, even addressing controversies some individuals may present.
An inspiring resource for readers as well as a springboard for research. (Collective biography. 9-12)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0061-5
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
A hardworking addition to U.S. history shelves.
In 1776, some of the most respected men in Great Britain’s American Colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, a revolutionary—but not necessarily transparent—document.
Although the declaration is one of the key documents of American history, its sometimes-archaic language may mystify young citizens of the 21st century. After a few pages of introductory information that describes the conflicts faced by colonists before the Revolutionary War, this effort presents the declaration line by line, explaining the concepts, defining confusing words and ideas, and illuminating the intent of the signers in the context of the time. Occasionally, in sections headed “Think Deeper,” the author asks pointed, thoughtful questions on a variety of issues that have never been fully resolved in the past 245 years, without devolving into revisionist history. The format places original text on verso with the translation on recto, but clever design keeps readers engaged. The double-page spreads are neatly laid out, many including portraits of Founding Fathers presented against appealing, brightly colored backgrounds that vary from spread to spread. A variety of maps, cartoon characters, and period illustrations extend the text. With a reading level appropriate to the upper grade schoolers who are often introduced to this tumultuous period of history, this engaging and surprisingly entertaining effort seems like the perfect choice to accompany and expand lesson plans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A hardworking addition to U.S. history shelves. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-638190-48-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Bushel & Peck Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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