Women behind the music take center stage.
Upbeat minibiographies of women in the music industry.
Expanding well beyond vocalists, the authors highlight composers, songwriters, producers, improvisational performers, an instrument designer, and others who have found successful career paths in music. They describe the contributions of those who work behind the scenes in sound engineering, cinematic scoring, and similar pursuits through attention to a globally diverse range of celebrated women in music. Drawing upon interviews with their subjects, Walker and Charles provide an antidote to the erasure that can limit young people’s conceptions of what is possible by centering the achievements of those who inspire, inform, and expand the world of music. Covering many musical styles and genres, the ambitious scope and inclusive lens largely succeed at showing the talent, drive, determination, ingenuity, passion, and creativity of each mover and shaker. Unfortunately, the prose is rather trite and repetitive, and the brief portraits don’t quite address hurdles so much as they gloss over them, framing stories in terms of a heroic arc in which a key, life-defining twist of good fortune yields an opportunity that changes everything. Nevertheless, the simple structure conveys optimistic narratives and helpful career options for young music lovers to consider.
Women behind the music take center stage. (tribute to Sophie Xeon, authors’ notes, playlist, resources, notes) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64160-723-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
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
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