Category Archives: Nonfiction

Review: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Book Review and Content, Coming of Age, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Memoir, Nonfiction, , , , , , , ,
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Gender Queer
Maia Kobabe
Lion Forge Comics
Published May 28, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Gender Queer

In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, GENDER QUEER is here.

Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, GENDER QUEER is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

My Review

I think what’s really cool about this book is that the author takes time to give clear, well-explored explanations of key moments in eir life when eir identity came into focus. Maia Kobabe diligently and openly explains eir relationship with eir body as a child, an adolescent, and later as an adult. Why did female pronouns feel so wrong for em? Why do sexual fantasies feel so much more satisfying to em than experiences do?

Having these conversations plainly and openly offers solidarity to others having similar experiences. It shows people who have similar questions that they’re not alone. They’re not the first ones to feel a disconnect with their bodies. It also provides a roadmap for people who do not identify as genderqueer. Reading a book like this, a story that details someone’s personal experience, allows readers to bring questions to a safe space where there’s no judgment or intrusion. Reading about Maia’s experience allows us to listen and cultivate empathy for others who may have a different life experience than we do.

Banning Gender Queer

One of the reasons I opted to read this book is because I hear it discussed so often in the context of being banned in schools. If you’ve been on my blog awhile, you probably already know that I’m not a fan of book bans, and it’s not a position I came to lightly. The core of the decision really is this: as a parent, my job is to be part of the decision-making about books my child reads. It is not my job to decide which books are okay for someone else’s child to read.

With that said, I think GENDER QUEER brings some important topics to the table for discussion. It does address some mature topics, so I think it would generally be more appropriate to older readers.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Maia identifies as genderqueer and uses Spivak pronouns (e/em/eir), which are a set of gender-neutral, grammatically singular pronouns. Some other people appearing in the memoir are queer as well.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to gay pornography. References to sex. In one scene, Maia very briefly outlines with a partner the things e would not feel comfortable doing sexually. One line later states that e and eir partner have made out and had sex. In one scene, Maia lists a snippet of a sexually explicit conversation e had with eir partner and the divergence of eir feelings about the fantasy of the experience versus the actual experience.

Maia is also very open about eir personal experience with arousal and masturbation. E explains these feelings as part of a larger explanation of eir asexuality and/or gender dysphoria. It didn’t come across as something meant to be sexy. Instead, it appeared to be a thoughtful examination of how eir body reacts to touch and visual stimulation and how that might differ from others’ experiences.

There are a few panels that show some cartoon nudity. One panel shows two men kissing from their hips upward. One shows two men facing each other, referencing a fantasy Maia had based on Plato’s SYMPOSIUM. A couple show Maia from the side, sitting on a toilet, after e has discovered the start of eir period. One page shows Maia undressing for an examination with a gynecologist. One panel shows em naked from the front.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Maia describes the pain of a gynecological exam as feeling like e has been stabbed through the abdomen. The illustration shows a torso without gender details with a blade stabbed through the abdomen. Another illustration shows a similar image, but from a side view.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Mine Wars by Steve Watkins

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Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coal Fields
Steve Watkins
Bloomsbury
Published May 14, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mine Wars

For fans of Steve Sheinkin and Deb Heiligman, a riveting true story of the West Virginia coal miners who ignited the largest labor uprising in American history.

In May of 1920, in a small town in the mountains of West Virginia, a dozen coal miners took a stand. They were sick of the low pay in the mines. The unsafe conditions. The brutal treatment they endured from mine owners and operators. The scrip they were paid-instead of cash-that could only be used at the company store.

They had tried to unionize, but the mine owners dug in. On that fateful day in May 1920, tensions boiled over and a gunfight erupted-beginning a yearlong standoff between workers and owners.

The miners pleaded, then protested, then went on strike; the owners retaliated with spying, bribery, and threats. Violence escalated on both sides, culminating in the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in United States history.

In this gripping narrative nonfiction book, meet the resolute and spirited people who fought for the rights of coal miners, and discover how the West Virginia Mine Wars paved the way for vital worker protections nationwide. More than a century later, this overlooked story of the labor movement remains urgently relevant.

My Review

It’s a short book, I thought. I’ll be able to read it quickly, I thought. Wrong!

Okay, so it is a short book at just over 200 pages, but this was not a quick read for me, probably in large part because it’s a heavy topic, so I needed to break up my reading into more short sessions rather than read straight through the way I could have done with a milder nonfiction or fiction title.

However, it reveals a critical part of West Virginia history and the history of the labor movement in the US. Like some of the educators and people referenced in a late chapter in the book, I kept wondering how I hadn’t heard about this. Honestly, I can’t even remember learning anything about Mother Jones in school, which seems wild to me thinking about it now. It’s possible that her contributions were mentioned in a line or two and quickly moved past. Hard to say. I don’t think my history curriculum included very many women’s stories or much coverage of the 20th century other than the World Wars. But I digress.

Anyway. So, The Mine Wars. Some of the events described seem almost unfathomable in the calculated cruelty with which the coal mine owners and the men they hired to violently put down unrest among mine workers behaved. The escalation of warfare between the two sides can’t help but be genuinely shocking.

As I read, I kept thinking of a conversation I had with someone not all that long ago in which this person insisted that we don’t need unions in America because corporations will do the right thing for their workers. I had healing fantasies (see Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents) about pushing this book across the table to this anti-union person and asking him to repeat that sentiment to me after reading The Mine Wars. Because, uh, NO. The coal mine owners acted only in their own best interests and almost without exception at the expense of their workers.

The book introduces and follows a wide range of historical figures, from law enforcement officers to hired gunmen to mine workers to union leaders and politicians. It focuses on the coal industry and workers’ fight for equitable pay and reasonable safety measures from the early 1910s to the early 1920s.

The only real complaint I have about the book is that it jumps around in the timeline quite a bit, using statements like, “seven years later,” etc. Sometimes it was hard to tell when things happened. I would have loved to see a timeline of events included in the backmatter of the book. The backmatter does contain, however, a pretty extensive list of resource material, including at least one documentary. I’m excited to check that out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The text primarily features white men, but includes the stories of a few women and people of color.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to assault convictions of people mentioned in the text.

Spiritual Content
One man profiled was a part-time pastor and part-time mine worker. At one point, he spoke of putting down his Bible and taking up his gun.

Violent Content
Several chapters relate scenes involving gunfire. Sometimes, armed combatants attack one another. At other times, aggressors gun down unarmed opponents or civilians, including women and children.

Drug Content
References to alcohol use and drug abuse. One person profiled gets very drunk during a battle. Someone reports that a large number of armed men were drunk during a battle.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

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The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives
Dashka Slater
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published October 17, 2017

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The 57 Bus

One teenager in a skirt.
One teenager with a lighter.
One moment that changes both of their lives forever.

If it weren’t for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my TBR for a long time, and I seriously can’t believe I waited so long to read it. What an incredible book! It blew me away.

What’s funny is that I’ve read several picture books by Dashka Slater (the Escargot books are a favorite in my house). This book is so different than those, and each is so well done.

It’s obvious that the author put so much care and thoughtfulness into the book’s structure. It’s got a ton of short sections. One defines some different queer identities. Another spells out the rights of a prisoner at a juvenile detention center. Others contain short stories or observations by Sasha or Richard or people close to them.

The narrative explores the lives of Sasha (victim) and Richard (perpetrator) with dignity and fairness. Nowhere does the author minimize or dismiss the seriousness of what happened to Sasha. She also includes interviews and statements from Richard’s friends and family, along with some biographical information about and statements from Richard himself. This way we get a more complete picture of both of the teens involved that terrible day on the 57 Bus.

Slater discusses how different people become targeted in hate crimes and the advancement and rolling back of protections for LGBTQIA+ people and the impact that has had. She also talks about the justice system, particularly in the process of juvenile offenders being charged as adults, and how that impacts the lives of young people and the community as a whole.

It’s such a powerful book. The points and information are clearly stated and related in a way that made me feel like I knew each of the people the narrative followed. I think this is a really important book for people to read.

Conclusion

Fans of true crime books and readers looking for compelling nonfiction or stories about LGBTQIA+ youth need to grab a copy of this one. Put it on your Pride Month reading list or read it on a weekend– the short sections and compelling writing make this a super quick read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sasha is agender and uses they/them pronouns. Some of their friends have LGBTQIA+ identities as well. Richard is Black. His family members and some of his friends are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently. The N-word is used, usually by a Black boy to his Black friends. There are a few homophobic statements.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some discussion of various sexual and gender identities and what the labels mean to the people using them.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Contains brief but graphic descriptions of the burns sustained by Sasha when their skirt was set on fire on a bus and brief but graphic descriptions of the treatment of the burns.

Drug Content
References to the smell of pot smoke in bathrooms at school. Doctors prescribe morphine for Sasha during their recovery from burns and surgeries.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but help support this blog. All opinions my own.

Book Bans and The 57 Bus

THE 57 BUS is a frequently challenged or banned book. Author Dashka Slater offers this statement about book bans in general and in reference to this book.

Review: Hurdles in the Dark by Elvira K. Gonzalez

Book Review and Content, Memoir, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Hurdles in the Dark: My Story of Survival, Resilience and Triumph
Elvira K. Gonzalez
Roaring Brook Press
Published May 28, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hurdles in the Dark: My Story of Survival, Resilience and Triumph

A Mexican-American teen girl dreams of winning an athletic scholarship against all odds in a Texas border town. This true story of survival, strength, and triumph is perfect for fans of Educated and Athlete A.

Twenty-four that’s how long fourteen-year-old Elvira Gonzalez is given to come up with the $40,000 she needs to save her kidnapped mother from a drug cartel. It’s 2006 and Elvira’s hometown of Laredo, Texas, has become engulfed by the Mexican Drug War. Elvira’s life is unraveling around her—setting her on a harrowing path that leads her to being locked up in one of South Texas’s worst juvenile detention centers.

After Elvira’s released from juvie, she’s resolved to never go back. That’s when her unexpected salvation arrives in the form of 33-inch-high plastic hurdles. Determined to win a track scholarship out of Laredo, Elvira begins breaking into the school, alone, at 5:30 in the morning to practice hurdling. Soon, she catches the attention of a renowned high school coach, an adult man in his 30s. As they train, their coach-student relationship begins to change, becoming sexual. At just seventeen years old, Elvira experiences the dangers many young athletes face, especially those who are marginalized. In spite of these towering obstacles, Elvira eventually propels herself to become one of the top ranked hurdlers in the USA and the first in her family to go to college.

This inspiring true story of grit, tenacity, and hope traces Elvira’s path as she overcomes impossible hurdles in her race to freedom.

My Review

I was briefly confused as I started reading this book because it’s about a girl named Kristy, but the author’s name is listed as Elvira. Kristy is her middle name and the name she went by during the time the memoir relates, so that makes sense.

The memoir focuses on her life from sixth grade to her last track and field event as a senior in high school. She experiences lots of hardship, including her mom being kidnapped in Mexico and held for ransom. She also has a long relationship with an abusive coach.

Especially in the early part of the book, a lot of conversations are written in Spanglish, which Kristy jokingly refers to as her first language. Those conversations feel really natural, and she offers plenty of context clues for readers unfamiliar with Spanish to follow.

Several scenes describe her running in races, and I really enjoyed the breakdown of a hurdle race and the physics of how to jump hurdles effectively and quickly. I knew almost nothing about the sport when I started reading the book. She explains everything in easy-to-understand terms and draws readers into the intensity of the moments before and during races.

At the end of the book, the author revisits some of the hardships she endured with an eye toward solutions and better support for today’s young athletes. She does a great job advocating for change and explaining why changes are desperately needed.

Conclusion

All in all, Hurdles in the Dark is a challenging read. It exhumes trauma and hardship, but ultimately tells a story of hope and triumph. I recommend this especially for young athletes and people who work with them, but I think anyone looking for a gripping memoir will find this one engaging.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Kristy is Mexican American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
About a half-dozen instances of the F-bomb. Other profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A coach confesses inappropriate behavior to Kristy. No details about his confession. Later, another coach assaults Kristy multiple times. Again, no details. He displays other grooming behaviors, like giving her gifts. She references him stalking her and controlling who she sees and when.

Kristy briefly dates a boy, but only one scene shows them together, and it doesn’t focus on the romance between them.

Spiritual Content
Kristy prays for her mom’s safe return. She listens, hoping that if her mom dies, she’ll send a sign, as she promised before.

Violent Content
Kristy learns that her middle school friend has been shot and killed. Kidnappers abduct Kristy’s mom and threaten to kill her unless Kristy can get them $40,000. Kristy speaks to her mom on the phone several times. Kristy is sent to juvie after telling her mom she’s suicidal.

Kristy’s track coach assaults her (no description) and, when Kristy tries to end the relationship, becomes violent.

Drug Content
Kristy’s relative is an alcoholic. She sells the family’s belongings without permission to finance her drinking.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Balto and Togo: Hero Dogs of Alaska by Helen Moss

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Balto and Togo: Hero Dogs of Alaska
Helen Moss
Godwin Books
Published November 28, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Balto and Togo: Hero Dogs of Alaska

It’s the winter of 1924, and a diphtheria outbreak is threatening the population of Nome, Alaska. The only way to stop the deadly illness from causing a full-blown epidemic is to immediately deliver one million units of the diphtheria antitoxin to the affected communities ––a task that seems impossible given that the only way to reach any place in Alaska at this time of year is by dog sled. The stakes are high, and the snow is piling higher. Will the antitoxin make it in time? Or will the infection spread faster than they can treat it…

Follow along as Balto and Togo lead the way in this race against time to get the antitoxin and save lives.

My Review

I thought the writing in this book was really cool. It’s told in narrative nonfiction, which makes it read a lot more like a novel, with scenes in which characters who were real people take action we know from historical records that they took and have conversations that align with the facts about them that we know but are made up.

The story follows the diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska in 1924-1925 and the desperate journey to bring medicine to the town and stop the spread of this terrible illness.

This is the first nonfiction version of events I’ve ever read. I grew up with the cartoon movie called BALTO, which is obviously not a historical account. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised at the huge differences between the real history and the children’s animated movie, there were definitely some moments that I was!

The author also includes a note about writing the book as well as notes on each chapter that specify which elements are historical facts and which are fictionalized. I loved this!

I think both animal lovers and readers who enjoy learning about history will enjoy this book. The chapters and scenes are pretty short, so it’s an easy read. I recommend it– especially as we near the 100th anniversary of the Serum Run.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Some characters are members of indigenous Alaskan tribes. Many characters are dogs, specifically Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of illness and references to children dying from diphtheria. Some descriptions of frostbite and hypothermia. A few descriptions of injuries caused by the cold to dogs. References to the deaths of a few dogs from exposure to the cold as they worked to bring the medicine to Nome.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of BALTO AND TOGO in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: I Like Machines… What Jobs Are There? by Robin Pridy and Elise Gaignet

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I Like Machines… What Jobs Are There? (That’s a Job Series)
Robin Pridy
Illustrated by Elise Gaignet
Kane Miller
Published December 1, 2023

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I Like Machines… What Jobs Are There?

Whether they love operating them, designing them, or building and repairing them, there’s something for everyone in this accessible guide for children who are fascinated by machines! From being a train driver to a robotics engineer, readers are taken through a day-in-the-life of 25 workers and shown the different skills and qualities needed for each exciting job. The book will include a variety of machines (big, small, vehicles, devices, electrical, mechanical) and highlight some fascinating STEAM careers, getting children excited for their futures.

My Review

I’m such a fan of this series. I love that it breaks down different careers in a certain area of interest, offering inspiration to young readers for possible future jobs. This title in the series explores jobs that involve machines, such as wind turbine technician, ocean engineer, boatbuilder, mechanic, plumber, and quality assurance inspector. It was really cool to read about the different careers and educational backgrounds of each one. It seems like the educational backgrounds refer to a particular person’s life, so they may not be the most direct path to that career. For example, the patent attorney tells readers that she first got her Ph.D. in biology before getting a law degree.

Each spread or page shows a step-by-step example of an eventful day on the job. This gives readers a chance to think about the kinds of work a particular job involves and what time a typical day might start. The book also lists the best and worst parts of each job.

One of my favorite parts is at the back of the book. A two-page spread shows a chart that directs kids with certain areas of interest and personalities to certain jobs. For example, the chart has areas that ask about goals, skills, and personal qualities. There are sample answers that then direct readers to a list of possible jobs for someone with a certain goal or skillset. For example, someone who loves machines and is great with people might be interested in careers like car salesperson, quality assurance inspector, or patent attorney.

This series has so much information presented in a visually appealing way. I think it would be great for late elementary school readers who want to dream about career possibilities.

Age Recommendation

For readers eight to twelve.

The cartoony style probably makes this better suited to fourth or fifth-grade level, but the pages have so much information that I think older kids would benefit, too.

Content Summary

The pages show inclusive cartoon images of the workers.

Additional Titles in the That’s a Job Series

I Like Space… What Jobs Are There?

I Like Helping People… What Jobs Are There?

I Like the Performing Arts… What Jobs Are There? (Review to Come)

Titles I Haven’t Reviewed

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.