A useful, jargon-free guidebook to navigating sorrow’s undiscovered country.
Leigh, who has a Ph.D. in transpersonal psychology, offers a calm look at dealing with loss that acknowledges people’s widely varying reactions.
Early on, the author acknowledges many different sources of grief, including divorce, displacement and separation, medical diagnoses, and even environmental concerns, but the book largely presents responses to death. Leigh explains that losses can be ambiguous, intergenerational, or anticipatory. She identifies the different aspects of self that can be affected by grief, including emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and relationships with others. Later portions of the book deal specifically with each of these elements. Brief first-person descriptions of some teens’ own experiences (and even some of their artwork) punctuate the author’s clear, warm, expert voice. She suggests many opportunities for readers to examine and express their feelings and preserve memories. In addition to describing what grief is and how it feels, sections of the book provide both reassurance and practical ideas on how to find meaning in grief, how to redefine yourself and construct a new life following a loss, and more. Small icons indicate recurring features in the book labeled “Reflect,” “Give It a Try,” “Intention,” and “Feel.” Leigh directly addresses grieving readers, although other readers, who might simply be seeking insight on how to support a bereaved friend or relative, will find much to appreciate here.
A useful, jargon-free guidebook to navigating sorrow’s undiscovered country. (activities, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798885543842
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
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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