An engaging overview of Lewis Latimer’s life and work.
Lewis Latimer, born free to formerly enslaved parents, served as a soldier in the Civil War and taught himself the skills to become a draftsman, polyglot, inventor, author, and poet.
Though he left school at the age of 10 to help his father support their family, Latimer became an important figure in Alexander Graham Bell’s attempt to secure a patent for the telephone and the invention of the filament in incandescent light bulbs that made them safer to use. Later, he worked in Thomas Edison’s company, and after retiring, he turned to civil rights work. Though brief, this biography is both engaging and well researched. Patrick draws on Latimer’s private papers as well as secondary sources, crafting a narrative that entwines his professional accomplishments with personal milestones. She punctuates it with historical notes, introductions to other inventors both African American and White, and general information that helps to contextualize the subject matter, such as an explanation of patents and another of the Industrial Revolution. Duncan’s black-and-white illustrations make it approachable for young readers transitioning to nonfiction chapter books, and they make it clear that Latimer achieved what he did in spaces dominated by White men. The backmatter includes a list of Latimer’s patents, a timeline, brief introductions to four contemporary African American inventors, and a bibliography. Series companion Dr. Mae Jemison: Brave Rocketeer, by Heather Alexander and illustrated by Jennifer Bricking, publishes simultaneously; together they launch the VIP biography series.
An engaging overview of Lewis Latimer’s life and work. (Biography. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-297807-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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