A quick once-over best for sparking interest in debating, but look elsewhere for a richer treatment.
A basic introduction to formal debating.
Pairing off 10 young speakers—depicted as racially diverse in Nibbelink’s stylized artwork—to tackle such bland propositions as “Kids should clean their rooms” and “Kids should do their homework,” Kyi lays out opening statements, rebuttals, and conclusions for each exchange of views. These are accompanied by analytical notes on chains of logic, evaluation of authorities and information sources, and types of arguments as well as pointers on proper delivery. Readers are unlikely to find any of the presentations actually persuasive one way or the other, but as samples they do show how to frame and counter arguments, present factual data, and sum up. Still, despite incorporating catchy slogans into some arguments (“Mess-free is stress-free”), she never challenges her underlying premise that rational discourse alone is enough to effect opinions in the real world—so her promise to impart “persuasion superpowers” to her audience will more likely come to pass using more detailed and nuanced handbooks like Claire Duffy’s The Teen’s Guide to Debating and Public Speaking (2018). Kyi does offer a list of meatier topics to tackle, along with a generalized description of what to expect at an academic-style debate, at the end.
A quick once-over best for sparking interest in debating, but look elsewhere for a richer treatment. (glossary, selected sources, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781525305481
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
Ultimately adds little to conversations about race.
A popular YouTube series on race, “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man,” turns how-to manual and history lesson for young readers.
Acho is a former NFL player and second-generation Nigerian American who cites his upbringing in predominantly White spaces as well as his tenure on largely Black football teams as qualifications for facilitating the titular conversations about anti-Black racism. The broad range of subjects covered here includes implicit bias, cultural appropriation, and systemic racism. Each chapter features brief overviews of American history, personal anecdotes of Acho’s struggles with his own anti-Black biases, and sections titled “Let’s Get Uncomfortable.” The book’s centering of Whiteness and White readers seems to show up, to the detriment of its subject matter, both in Acho’s accounts of his upbringing and his thought processes regarding race. The overall tone unfortunately conveys a sense of expecting little from a younger generation who may have a greater awareness than he did at the same age and who, therefore, may already be uncomfortable with racial injustice itself. The attempt at an avuncular tone disappointingly reads as condescending, revealing that, despite his online success with adults, the author is ill-equipped to be writing for middle-grade readers. Chapters dedicated to explaining to White readers why they shouldn’t use the N-word and how valuable White allyship is may make readers of color (and many White readers) bristle with indignation and discomfort despite Acho’s positive intentions.
Ultimately adds little to conversations about race. (glossary, FAQ, recommended reading, references) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-80106-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
It’s an eye-opening case study in how history and folklore can intertwine.
With assistance from Aronson, a veteran author/editor and nabob of nonfiction, Nelson recasts his adult title Steel Drivin’ Man: The Untold Story of an American Legend (2006) into a briefer account that not only suspensefully retraces his search for the man behind the ballad, but also serves as a useful introduction to historical-research methods.
Supported by a generous array of late-19th- and early-20th-century photos—mostly of chain-gang “trackliners” and other rail workers—the narrative pieces together clues from song lyrics, an old postcard, scattered business records and other sources, arriving finally at both a photo that just might be the man himself, and strong evidence of the drilling contest’s actual location. The author then goes on to make speculative but intriguing links between the trackliners’ work and the origins of the blues and rock-’n’-roll, and Aronson himself closes with an analytical appendix.
It’s an eye-opening case study in how history and folklore can intertwine. (maps, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-13)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4263-0000-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007
© 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.
