Accessible, helpful advice for young people seeking their purpose.
A rallying cry for teens seeking greater fulfillment.
García and Miralles, Spanish co-authors of The Ikigai Journey (2020) and similar adult titles rooted in Japanese culture, here extend their reach to teenagers. They begin by explaining that the Japanese term ikigai refers to larger goals that give one’s life purpose and meaning. Here it is applied to advise young people in many areas of their lives, including school, friendship, romantic relationships, and potential careers. Quotes from and brief descriptions of varied individuals from Jules Verne and Tony Hawk to Malala Yousafzai support lists of tips and ideas for putting ikigai into practice. Writing prompts are interspersed with vignettes describing a journey of self-discovery that includes collecting medallions from wise individuals that, when combined, point the way to discovering your ikigai. There is plenty of good advice, much of it familiar but no less reassuring to young people who may feel pressure to have everything figured out. For example, the authors remind readers that they can learn from failure and recount the 10,000-hour rule popularized by Malcolm Gladwell. Those hoping for insights into ikigai from a Japanese perspective will be disappointed, as the book contains relatively little content about Japan—both authors, however, have personal experience of the country. References and further reading would have been helpful for those hoping to learn more about subjects raised in the book.
Accessible, helpful advice for young people seeking their purpose. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-67083-7
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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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