An engaging deep dive into the life of a rising basketball superstar.
Details the journey of powerhouse Caitlin Clark, whose talent and drive have reignited interest in women’s basketball.
Currie-McGhee’s account unfolds in chronological order from her subject’s origins as a talented child baller to being the WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick in 2024. Along the way, readers learn about her life in high school and college and her pro career so far. Clark has been clearly focused on her goal of playing professionally since age 9. Her journey to the top has included practicing yoga for “increasing flexibility and preventing injuries,” taking piano lessons and playing other sports to help prevent “burnout at a young age,” and participating in therapy to protect her mental health given the high pressures athletes face. The author describes Clark’s roots in her close-knit family, whose Roman Catholic faith was central to her upbringing. Quotes from Clark and her relatives, along with vivid descriptions of sports action, bring the text to life. This highly positive account contains an interesting twist in the form of references to Clark’s learning to healthily channel feelings of anger and frustration, often stemming from “her passion for winning.” The text in this colorful and visually appealing work is broken up with photos and text boxes, including one describing Clark’s direct criticism of people who used her identity as a white woman to further their own “racism and misogyny.”
An engaging deep dive into the life of a rising basketball superstar. (picture credits, source notes, timeline, for further research, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781678210007
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
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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