“His ideas were so powerful and so full of wisdom that his words are alive after twenty-five centuries, and often, he seems to be speaking directly to us.” Yet, in his own time, Confucius failed to realize his ambitions, and he never had much effect on leaders in a China of corrupt feudal lords and warring independent states. Confucius believed he was living amid the collapse of China’s civilization. One surprise of this work is how familiar the political ideas of Confucius and his successors seem: the purpose of government is to promote the welfare of the people; character and ability, not heredity, determine the right to govern; rulers must have the consent of the governed; the people have the right to dispose of oppressive rulers. And, sure enough, readers find that these ideas influenced 18th-century philosophers, including Thomas Jefferson, who incorporated them in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. This is Freedman’s (In the Days of the Vaqueros, 2001, etc.) first Asian subject and his work set furthest back in history, and it is a tribute to his writing that he can make the ideas of an ancient philosopher seem so modern and fascinating to young readers. His writing is fluent, clear, lively, and specific. Readers learn that Confucius was “very ugly, a huge bawling infant with a twisted nose and a strange bulge on his skull.” They learn that vendors in Qufu, the capital city, sold bears’ paws, shark fins, the livers of peacocks, bees fried in their own honey, and other delicacies, and that political dissidents, such as Confucius and his followers, ran the risk of being arrested and boiled alive. Clément’s ancient-looking paintings are a beautiful match for the text in this handsome volume. Not a topic that will naturally draw readers, Confucius will fascinate readers who give him a try, and they may end up wiser for the effort. A must for all collections. (Nonfiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-439-13957-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2002
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)
A multiaward–winning author recalls her childhood and the joy of becoming a writer.
Writing in free verse, Woodson starts with her 1963 birth in Ohio during the civil rights movement, when America is “a country caught / / between Black and White.” But while evoking names such as Malcolm, Martin, James, Rosa and Ruby, her story is also one of family: her father’s people in Ohio and her mother’s people in South Carolina. Moving south to live with her maternal grandmother, she is in a world of sweet peas and collards, getting her hair straightened and avoiding segregated stores with her grandmother. As the writer inside slowly grows, she listens to family stories and fills her days and evenings as a Jehovah’s Witness, activities that continue after a move to Brooklyn to reunite with her mother. The gift of a composition notebook, the experience of reading John Steptoe’s Stevie and Langston Hughes’ poetry, and seeing letters turn into words and words into thoughts all reinforce her conviction that “[W]ords are my brilliance.” Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned.
For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-25251-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
Though a bit loose around the edges, a charmer nevertheless.
Tales of a fourth grade ne’er-do-well.
It seems that young Jordan is stuck in a never-ending string of bad luck. Sure, no one’s perfect (except maybe goody-two-shoes William Feranek), but Jordan can’t seem to keep his attention focused on the task at hand. Try as he may, things always go a bit sideways, much to his educators’ chagrin. But Jordan promises himself that fourth grade will be different. As the year unfolds, it does prove to be different, but in a way Jordan couldn’t possibly have predicted. This humorous memoir perfectly captures the square-peg-in-a-round-hole feeling many kids feel and effectively heightens that feeling with comic situations and a splendid villain. Jordan’s teacher, Mrs. Fisher, makes an excellent foil, and the book’s 1970s setting allows for her cruelty to go beyond anything most contemporary readers could expect. Unfortunately, the story begins to run out of steam once Mrs. Fisher exits. Recollections spiral, losing their focus and leading to a more “then this happened” and less cause-and-effect structure. The anecdotes are all amusing and Jordan is an endearing protagonist, but the book comes dangerously close to wearing out its welcome with sheer repetitiveness. Thankfully, it ends on a high note, one pleasant and hopeful enough that readers will overlook some of the shabbier qualities. Jordan is White and Jewish while there is some diversity among his classmates; Mrs. Fisher is White.
Though a bit loose around the edges, a charmer nevertheless. (Memoir. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-64723-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
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