Category Archives: Nonfiction

Review: Trashing the Planet by Stuart A. Kallen

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, , , , , , ,

Trashing the Planet by Stuart A. KallenTrashing the Planet: Examining Our Global Garbage Glut
Stuart A. Kallen
Twenty-First Century Books
Available August 1, 2017

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Humans produce an incredible (or incredibly gross) amount of trash each year. Garbage ends up in landfills, rivers, oceans, and even in space. Controlling this waste to keep it from polluting air and water supplies is a monumental task. Scientists continue to learn more about the impact of waste and chemicals on the environment. Exciting new inventions create opportunities for cleanup to proceed quickly, allowing humans to undo some of the damage done to the environment. But as the mess took a global effort to make, it will take a massive effort to clean up, and understanding how garbage is managed is an important step in that process.

This book made me think much more deeply about the problems we face in terms of disposing waste. It describes some of the complications many landfills wrestle with on a daily basis and what will happen if toxins from these sites leach into our water supply.

There’s been a lot of focus within the current government about rolling back regulations to allow for more unhindered growth of businesses and industries. Without really going into that debate, I’ll say this book raised some important examples from history on why we developed many of those regulations to begin with. One of the things which surprised me was how often the EPA intervenes not just for wildlife protection but for protection for human lives from toxins which have had terrible impact on our health.

My favorite part of the book, though, was learning about some of the amazing solutions being developed to combat the garbage problem. From cities using methane produced by landfills as trash decomposes for an energy source to a trash filtration system which aims to use the oceans’ naturally occurring currents to remove garbage from the water. We may have made a big mess, but we have some amazing people with some incredible ideas working hard to help reduce and hopefully eliminate these problems. It doesn’t mean we can afford to sit back and let them handle things. It’s still so important to get educated—and this book is an excellent starting point. But it’s comforting to know there are solutions, and we can make a difference.

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Cultural Elements
The book focuses a lot on the way trash is dealt with in America but contains sections dedicated to inventors from other countries who’ve had really cool ideas for ways to better manage garbage.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Prom by Jill S. Zimmerman Rutledge

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

Prom
Jill S. Zimmerman Rutledge
Twenty-First Century Books
Published January 1, 2017

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Prom serves as an important tradition for youth in America today. This book explores the history of the social event as well as its evolving trends while giving a spotlight to students and community members who worked hard to create integrated proms which protect and encourage LGBT student participation. Adults reflect on their prom experiences, some dating back to the Great Depression, and share tips and memories for today’s Prom attendees. Current trends like “promposals” and dress registries get a nod as well as some creative prom dress-making challenges and programs to provide dresses for girls who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend the dance.

While the history of Prom contains a lot of fascinating details, the book feels low on other elements. The section containing tips and memories from former attendees is organized so that each responder gets a section. This made the section more personal, but also sort of muddied the information. A clear bulleted list or chapter detailing safety tips, ideas for saving money, or clever ways to make the dance more fun might have made this section more dynamic. Overall, though, it makes a nice overview. This book will probably be most useful to middle school and early high school students who are curious about what they have to look forward to when they have a chance to attend Prom.

Recommended for Ages 12 to 16.

Cultural Elements
The book discusses battles fought by African American and Caucasian students to have integrated proms.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
The author encourages attendees not to feel sexual pressure on prom night. Other contributors reflect back on prom experiences, one describing a friend who ended up in a scary situation. Her date treated her like he expected her to have sex with him, and she ended up needing help and protection from others to stay safe.

Spiritual Content
There are a couple of references to Christian schools which would not allow students to bring same gender dates, and a girl who wanted to bring a transgender boy as her date.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
The author and contributors also encourage teens not to feel pressure to drink alcohol or use drugs on prom night. One contributor states that it’s a smaller group of people who actually drink than you think it is. One girl recalls being sent home after drug paraphernalia was found in her boyfriend’s bag.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Racial Profiling by Alison Marie Behnke

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, ,

Racial Profiling: Everyday Inequality
Alison Marie Behnke
Twenty-First Century Books
Published January 1, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Media and political activists have worked hard to bring attention to the issue of racial profiling in America. Profiling occurs when details about someone’s racial identity are used as reason to treat them differently. Sometimes this happens when police assume a person of a particular race must be guilty of a crime before any investigation takes place. The real statistics about how many people experience racial profiling can be staggering. In this book, Behnke carefully defines racial profiling and explains what it is and areas of the community where profiling can occur. Though it can be a charged political topic, Behnke’s clear, straightforward narrative presents a calm and thorough investigation supported by statistics and further illustrated by stories shared by victims and their families, making it a great resource for students and teachers interested in educating themselves about this topic.

One of the things I really liked about this book is how easy the author has made it to find additional information. The chapters are peppered with case studies and historical facts as well as full-color illustrations supporting the narrative. Extensive source notes as well as suggestions for further study in books, documentaries, and websites make this a high-powered, informative, resource.

I feel like this is a tough topic to talk about because it’s one I think we all wish were not a reality and certainly not one nearly so pervasive and devastating as it seems to be. It has been interesting as a parent watching my daughter discover some of these things about the world and wrestle with the frustration we feel when we find the world to be different than we believe it should be.

I think it’s also an important issue to be educated about. I’ve flagged some of the resources Behnke used and some of the recommended texts as well so that I can continue to learn more. I found this to be an accessible, easy-to-understand book, so if you’re looking for a place to begin, this could be it.

Recommended for Ages.

Cultural Elements
The book focuses mainly on issues faced by people of color, including African Americans, immigrants (particularly from Mexico and Latin America), and Muslims.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The book briefly talks about prejudice faced by Muslims or those mistaken for Muslim.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Memoir, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, Poetry, , , , , , , ,

Brown Girl Dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published August 28, 2014

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From Goodreads
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

My Review
After reading her novel-in-verse Locomotion, I knew I had to read Brown Girl Dreaming. I loved the descriptions of character and emotions in each poem. It’s easy to feel the family connections and the love of places, especially her grandmother’s home in South Carolina.

It’s funny—I think there’s this idea that reading and writing always come easily to people who grow up to be writers. Sometimes that’s really not the case. As a little girl, Jacqueline’s relationship with story far exceeds her ability to read or write, something that I think gives a lot of hope to young readers who struggle. There’s a strong element of courage that runs through the whole story. I loved feeling the connections between family members and the strength each one carried and how those relationships affected Jacqueline in her life and her quest to understand her place in the world.

Brown Girl Dreaming would be a great pick for a child struggling with reading, both because of the way it’s told and the struggle in the story itself. It’s also a great place to begin introducing the Civil Rights movement to younger readers.

Recommended for Ages 8 up.

Cultural Elements
Jacqueline Woodson writes about growing up as a young African American girl in South Carolina and later in Brooklyn in the 1960s.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Jacqueline’s grandmother brings her and her siblings to services to learn about being a Jehova’s Witness. They attend classes and go door to door to spread their faith.

Violent Content
She learns about a woman who fell down stairs and died.

Drug Content
Her grandfather smokes cigarettes.

Review: Liked by Kari Kampakis

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, , , , ,

Liked: Whose Approval are You Living For?
Kari Kampakis
Thomas Nelson
Published November 15, 2016

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Maintaining an online presence through social media can be tricky to navigate no matter your age. Author Kari Kampakis presents advice to teen girls about using social media in a way that’s godly and healthy, too. She discusses ways to keep priorities straight—making sure life doesn’t become about how many “likes” you accrue on a post or photo. She discusses how to handle relationship issues that can arise from miscommunication or thoughtlessness on social media. Through each page, Kampakis shares her wisdom like a cheerleader, making the reader feel like she’s totally on your side and wants the best for you.

We haven’t quite crossed the kids-on-social-media barrier yet in our house, but it’s fast approaching. I found this book as I began to look for resources on good guidelines and recommendations for keeping a balance of freedom and supervision as well as something that my girl and I can read and talk about before starting that wild foray into the online community. Okay, that sounded bad. I hope it won’t be a wild foray. She’s a good kid, so I’m not worried, but it’s a lot of responsibility, you know? In just a few seconds you can post something that can lead to massive regrets later. So yeah, I definitely wanted someone who has been through the trenches (Kampakis has four daughters of her own) to offer some counsel and wisdom.

Which is exactly what I found in this book. Each chapter has bulleted lists exploring some of the ideas, like twenty ways to grow an active faith, or eight ways to be a world changer. They’re big ideas, but the author breaks them down into bite-sized, practical steps. Each chapter also features discussion questions and highlighted Bible verses. The book would make a great small group study or a one-on-one resource for accountability partners or a mom and daughter team to share.

The only thing that occurred to me about the book is that it’s so clearly meant for girls, and I didn’t think it necessarily needs to be that way. A lot of the concepts really come down to identifying insecurity and good friendships versus bad ones, and all that information seems relevant to boys, too. If it had been less girl-geared, it would maybe made a good resource for mixed groups.

Other than that thought, I really enjoyed this book and have already talked to my daughter about studying it together. I definitely recommend this for parents and especially younger teens who are beginning to explore the social media world.

Recommended for Ages 11 up.

Cultural Elements
No race information given in the snippets of stories about girls that open each chapter.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
There’s one very brief and gentle mention that references girls having regrets about posting compromising pictures online afterward. Kampakis also recommends having someone check any photos uploaded to be sure there’s nothing inappropriate in them. She uses the example that someone wanted to share a picture that had, in the background, a girl who was changing clothes. The girl taking the picture hadn’t noticed it.

Spiritual Content
The book focuses a lot on how a girl’s relationship with God should shape the rest of her life, including her social media presence. Uses NLT version for Bible references.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Review: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Book Review and Content, Memoir, Nonfiction, , , , , ,

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things
Jenny Lawson
Flatiron Books
Published September 22, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  Goodreads

It doesn’t seem possible to write a hilarious book about depression and anxiety, but that’s exactly what author Jenny Lawson has done in Furiously Happy. Her wacky adventures fill the pages and her unique view of herself and the world around her challenge readers to embrace their own weird. She has a keen sense of irony and writes in a rambling-yet-engrossing way. She takes readers through the highs and lows of book tours, a trip to Australia, and the challenges of depression and anxiety in daily life.

I think I read this book at exactly the right time. I’d seen it on several blogger’s Top Ten Tuesday lists for various reasons, and had it on my wish list. This fall, as my own anxiety levels rose, I felt like maybe the time had come to read something funny and perhaps to add some additional coping skills to my arsenal.

Reading the book challenged me to think about my own life and the areas in which I pressure myself to be perfect or to perform a certain way. There are a lot more than I realized. I love the openness in Furiously Happy and the way Lawson sort of throws things out there, acknowledges her shortcomings but embraces even the difficult parts of who she is. I think we all need more of that in our lives.

Parts of the book made me laugh out loud—actually, much of the book did exactly that. Sometimes that’s all we can do, right? Laugh at the difficult times and find the irony or bizarre humor in the way events unfold around us. Life’s too short not to enjoy the quirks and weirdness that makes us tick. I definitely needed that message, and I recommend this book for anyone struggling with similar feelings.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
Jenny receives a small handmade model of a vagina with a doll inside that’s meant to be used as an educational aid for kids learning about childbirth.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Several mentions of drinking alcohol or being drunk.

 

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