Sparse, accessible pieces to connect budding poets to history, marred by inconsistent quality.
This collection guides readers through the era of civil rights activism that began when racial segregation in schools was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education.
Debut author Martin surveys events and figures from the 1950s and 1960s in poetic musings that often take advantage of their forms to situate readers in these suffocating, intense decades of racial violence. Historical photographs are juxtaposed against the text, adding to the impact. Martin’s work is most effective when revealing lesser-known aspects of history—like a quiet, haunting meditation on how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. enjoyed playing pool or an ode highlighting Claudette Colvin, unsung teen precursor to Rosa Parks. However, awkward phrasing comes across as dissonant when dealing with the horrors discussed throughout, as with these lines: “This is the story of Emmett Till / about the way he was ultimately killed // he crossed his murderers at / Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market / no one would save him / no one would stop it.” Readers who overlook the sometimes-underwhelming craft elements will appreciate places where the writing shines, as when a participant in the Memphis sanitation strike wonders: “3/5 of a man, / am I / still?”
Sparse, accessible pieces to connect budding poets to history, marred by inconsistent quality. (author’s note, timeline, quotation sources, image credits, further reading, bonus content) (Poetry. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35252-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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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