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GENOCIDE

REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION

A compact, critical exploration of the devastating history, context, and consequences of global genocides.

This thoroughly researched and all-too-relevant history, an updated version of the 2006 original, examines questions of why genocide happens, who is involved, and how it can be prevented.

Springer defines genocide as “actions carried out with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group,” though she notes that the ongoing global debate on what constitutes genocide has been fraught, even after the signing of the 1948 United Nations’ Genocide Convention. The book covers a wide variety of genocides in up-to-date detail, including the conflict in Darfur that was reignited in 2023, the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya people of Myanmar, the continued fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and many more, including historical events. Each featured instance is separated into manageable, bite-size case studies; Springer also draws out similarities and connections among them. She discusses climate change, armed conflict, and gender and socio-economic inequities as contributing factors, highlighting the intersectional nuances woven into each issue. The expansive yet concise text manages to tackle a broad, tough topic while remaining digestible to teen audiences—and without shying away from tough questions about the trans-Atlantic slave trade or the brutal treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools. Solís’ starkly dramatic red, black, and white full-page illustrations punctuate the text.

A compact, critical exploration of the devastating history, context, and consequences of global genocides. (timeline, genocides through history, genocides around the world, notes, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9781773067605

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024

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THE NEW QUEER CONSCIENCE

From the Pocket Change Collective series

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

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A QUEER HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.

An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).

Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.

Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: June 11, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Beacon Press

Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019

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