Phenomenally done and more necessary than ever.
A collective biography of nine women who took on important roles during World War II but whose courage and contributions have been overlooked.
Regina Jonas, the first female rabbi; Faye Lazebnik Schulman, a photographer documenting Jewish resistance in White Russia; and writer and journalist Rachel Eiga Auerbach, who helped record the lives of Polish Jews under the Nazi occupation: These women and the others featured in Swartz’s book came from different backgrounds (including social class, religion, nationality), spoke different languages (though many, crucially, were multilingual), and took different paths during and after the war. However, common threads run through their stories, and many made it their life goal to preserve personal accounts of the Holocaust for future generations. Each chapter begins with an attractive, stylized portrait that effectively evokes the time period; the woman’s name and dates of birth and death; and a capsule description. These personal stories are illuminating and powerful, offering ways for readers to connect with and understand the past. Swartz writes from a feminist perspective, questioning why these heroic figures went unsung and frequently even unmentioned while male heroes received praise and recognition. With one exception, she chose to focus on women who survived the war, and her personal connection becomes poignantly clear in the final chapter about her mother and aunt, Regina Zlotnik Silberstein and Ruth Zlotnik Altman, Holocaust survivors who were active in the resistance in Warsaw.
Phenomenally done and more necessary than ever. (author’s note, timeline, map, glossary, suggested reading) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77260-262-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Second Story Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
