Rosenberg again brings contemporary “adult” poems to a younger audience, in an appealing and intriguing format. A “companion” to The Invisible Ladder (1996), this also introduces the reader to the poets through their commentaries, which precede each selection. A b&w photo of each poet with her or his family accompanies the commentaries, making vividly clear that there are many different kinds of people alive today who happen to be poets. Those that Rosenberg has gathered (40 in all) are all American, of various cultures and experiences. The poems are narrative and lyric in style, bearing on the infinitely diverse relationships in families. Though many of the poems are from a parent’s perspective, they are accessible to younger readers, too. Stephen Dobyns writes, of his son, “Far from my house he will open his presents— / a book, a Swiss Army knife, some music. Where / is his manual of instructions? Where is his map / showing the dark places and how to escape them?” Other poets touch on feelings that many kids will relate to instantly: “When I see my father lying in bed, reading / I want to pass by and say, / be my happy father.” Robert Bly, Naomi Shihab Nye, Stanley Kunitz, Gary Soto, Linda Pastan, Marie Howe, and Donald Hall are among the well-known poets here, and they are in the excellent company of others that Rosenberg has brought together in this engaging collection. (biographical notes, suggested reading and listening, permissions, index of first lines) (Poetry. 12+)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6433-8
Page Count: 242
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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
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