A well-organized and thoroughly researched account of a remarkable historical figure.
A biography for middle-grade readers tells the story of the first woman elected to federal office in the United States.
Aronson (Bronislaw Huberman, 2018) introduces young readers to Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973), who was elected to Congress twice and voted against the United States’ entry into both world wars. The book takes readers on a chronological tour of her life, from her childhood on a Montana ranch to her work as part of the women’s suffrage movement and social work, moving into her political career and anti-war activism. It brings the story full circle with her late-in-life opposition to the Vietnam War, when a new generation of activists looked up to her as a role model. Through well-documented research—the backmatter includes citations, a bibliography, and a timeline of Rankin’s life—Aronson provides a thorough overview of her subject. He includes plenty of specific detail (“She was handed a bouquet of flowers and then driven down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol in an open car, waving to supporters as she was escorted by 25 flag-draped cars”) while sticking to documented facts, and the numerous photographs and scanned newspaper images add to the reader’s understanding of the various time periods. Aronson’s prose is straightforward, conveying information without rhetorical flourishes: “On November 6, 1916, Rankin had the opportunity to vote for the first time in her life in a main election—and she voted for herself.” He does a good job of establishing Rankin’s historical noteworthiness but not overselling her legislative accomplishments, acknowledging the symbolic value of her initial election and her votes against the wars but also noting that the votes cost her re-elections in both cases. He also draws links between her relatively short congressional career and her lifelong activism. The concise narrative provides an age-appropriate amount of information, and it will be a useful addition to middle-school library shelves—particularly in light of the historic number of women elected to Congress last November.
A well-organized and thoroughly researched account of a remarkable historical figure.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-73207-755-3
Page Count: 126
Publisher: Double M Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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