Working with an attorney, McKissack focuses on significant Supreme Court decisions in this revealing study of the US Constitution’s long, evolving role as an instrument for the promotion of civil and human rights. In topical, but also generally chronological, chapters, the authors move from the Cherokee Removal to the growth of “apartheid” after the Civil War, through the creation of “concentration camps” for Japanese-Americans in WWII, to controversies over voting rights, and, more recently, rights of gay, lesbian, and disabled people. Pointing out several instances in which the Court has issued contradictory judgments—sometimes only a few years apart—or worked to narrow individual rights rather than broaden them, the authors present a compelling mix of analyses and quoted passages from judicial opinions to demonstrate that the Constitution and the Court are both flexible entities, sometimes ahead of the curve of change, sometimes behind. Current enough to include the rejection in 2003 of the Texas sodomy law, illustrated with a mix of telling photos, documents, and political cartoons, this will give serious students of this country’s legal foundations plenty of food for thought. (documents, reading lists, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)
Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2004
ISBN: 0-679-89308-3
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Can too much information give readers intellectual indigestion? When is it better to graze through a book rather than consuming it in one sitting? Is it possible to make good-for-you information as delicious as (guilty) pleasure reading? The adapted version of Hungry Planet: What the World Eats (2005) raises all of these questions. Intended to inform middle-schoolers of the wide variety of food traditions as well as discrepancies in access to adequate nutrition, this collection of photos, essays and statistics will require thoughtful concentration. Adapted and abridged text, a larger font size, the addition of small maps and basic facts about each country and the deletion of some photos that might have been judged inappropriate or disturbing help to make the wealth of information accessible to this audience. The plentiful photos are fascinating, offering both intimate glimpses of family life and panoramic views of other lands. Whether used for research or received as a gift from socially conscious adults, this version offers children plenty to chew over—but it’ll take them some time to truly digest. (Nonfiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-58246-246-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Tricycle
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2008
Few topics are more intrinsically interesting to young readers than disasters. Guiberson casts her net wide to examine ten natural and man-made disasters chronologically from smallpox in colonial America to Hurricane Katrina. The 20-page chapters, broken into subsections, describe the events with quotations from contemporary accounts and plenty of grim details. Photographs, drawings and diagrams, all usefully captioned, extend the lively text. The author analyzes causes of the disasters and factors that exacerbated them, such as building on landfill in 1906 San Francisco. In most chapters, she explores steps that could prevent or reduce future catastrophes, although only a brief introduction ties the chapters together. A Notes section highlights major sources for each chapter, without specific references, followed by an extensive bibliography but no further reading suggestions as such. Good for pleasure reading and as a starting point for research. (index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: June 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8170-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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