Tag Archives: Current Events

Review: Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle by Robin Stevenson

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Pride by Robin Stevenson

Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle
Robin Stevenson
Orca Book Publishers
Published March 24, 2020

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About Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle

Like the original version, this new edition of Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle celebrates the LGBTQ+ community’s diversity and the incredible victories of the past 50 years–but it also has a larger focus on activism, the need to keep fighting for equality and freedom around the world and the important role that young people are playing.

The new edition has been updated and expanded to include many new Proud Moments and Queer Facts as well as a profile of LGBTQ+ refugees from Indonesia, a story about a Pride celebration in a refugee camp in Kenya and profiles of young activists, including teens from a Gender and Sexuality Alliance organizing Pride in Inuvik and a trans girl from Vancouver fighting for inclusion and support in schools. There is also a section on being an ally, a profile of a family with two gay dads (one of them trans) and much, much more!

Praise for the first edition, Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community

“LGBTQ culture and rights are covered through the prism of Pride in this timely work…This attractive work will be welcomed by readers searching for guidance and hope.”–Kirkus Reviews

“Informative…Positively festive in its attitudes and outlook, this book more than lives up to the word celebrating in its subtitle.”–Booklist

“Upbeat and matter-of-fact…These stories, sad and happy, are where vulnerable preteen kids may see themselves.”–Quill & Quire

“An excellent and necessary addition for all collections.”–School Library Journal

My Review

I haven’t read any other books about the history of Pride, so I don’t have anything to compare this one to, but I really enjoyed reading the book. I love that it’s a book for kids, and I think it’s written in a really accessible, engaging way.

The opening of the book focuses on the history of Pride celebrations and protests, and I felt like it gave tribute to a lot of specific people who made big differences in the movement. The margins contain powerful and inspiring quotes. Sometimes a bar at the bottom of the page would show “Queer Facts” or important definitions.

One of the chapters that really sticks with me is the one about how Pride is celebrated around the world. Not only does the book teach about places where positive steps are being made for freedom and equality, but it also highlights places where Pride has been outlawed, or where identifying as LGBTQIA+ is dangerous or illegal.

I feel like I learned so much reading this book. It made me want to find the nearest Pride parade and join. It made me want to learn even more about the history of gay rights. Reading this book, I felt more connected to what’s happening right now not just in the US where I live but across the world. This is one of those books I want everyone to read. Not just those identifying as queer and allies, but everyone.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The book focuses on some members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their contributions to Pride protests and celebrations.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
No explicit sexual content.

Spiritual Content
Some pages talk about LGBTQIA+ people of different faiths, mainly Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

Violent Content
References to police brutality or violence against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Poisoned Water by Candy J. Cooper and Marc Arsonson

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

Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation
Candy J. Cooper and Marc Aronson
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published May 19, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation

Based on original reporting by a Pulitzer Prize finalist and an industry veteran, the first book for young adults about the Flint water crisis.

In 2014, Flint, Michigan, was a cash-strapped city that had been built up, then abandoned by General Motors. As part of a plan to save money, government officials decided that Flint would temporarily switch its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Within months, many residents broke out in rashes. Then it got worse: children stopped growing. Some people were hospitalized with mysterious illnesses; others died. Citizens of Flint protested that the water was dangerous. Despite what seemed so apparent from the murky, foul-smelling liquid pouring from the city’s faucets, officials refused to listen. They treated the people of Flint as the problem, not the water, which was actually poisoning thousands.

Through interviews with residents and intensive research into legal records and news accounts, journalist Candy J. Cooper, assisted by writer-editor Marc Aronson, reveals the true story of Flint. Poisoned Water shows not just how the crisis unfolded in 2014, but also the history of racism and segregation that led up to it, the beliefs and attitudes that fueled it, and how the people of Flint fought-and are still fighting-for clean water and healthy lives.

My Review

I didn’t know much about what happened in Flint, Michigan with the water crisis. I remembered hearing something about lead in the pipes and seeing shocking footage of a resident turning on her tap and brown, gross water coming out of it. But that was about the extent of my knowledge.

Then I read POISONED WATER. And I kept thinking, this is happening in my country. I kept waiting for some leader somewhere within the government to take a stand for the rights of the citizens. For their children. Because having access to clean drinking water is such a basic human right that until reading this book, I had taken it completely for granted.

As the residents organized and raised alarm bells and continued to report problems, I kept thinking, surely this time it will bring about some change.

I can’t help admiring the citizens who continued to speak out, kept making phone calls, persisted in reaching out to anyone who would listen. The author makes it clear that those are the real heroes in the story of Flint.

I think this is a must-read book for teens and adults. It’s really accessible and straightforward, easy to read, but in no way dumbed-down. It’s packed with personal stories, facts, timelines, and references to other resources. I highly recommend POISONED WATER.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The author is white. The text contains many personal stories of people of color who make up the majority of the population of Flint.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used a couple times.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to church and religious organizations. Pastors played a significant role in organizing the citizens and protesting.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of POISONED WATER in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Them by Ben Sasse

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Nonfiction, , , , , ,

Them: Why We Hate Each Other and How to Heal
Ben Sasse
St. Martin’s Press
October 16, 2018

Amazon | Goodreads | Book Depository

About THEM

Something is wrong. We all know it.

American life expectancy is declining for a third straight year. Birth rates are dropping. Nearly half of us think the other political party isn’t just wrong; they’re evil. We’re the richest country in history, but we’ve never been more pessimistic. What’s causing the despair?

In Them, bestselling author and U.S. Senator Ben Sasse argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, our crisis isn’t really about politics. It’s that we’re so lonely we can’t see straight—and it bubbles out as anger. 

Local communities are collapsing. Across the nation, little leagues are disappearing, Rotary clubs are dwindling, and in all likelihood, we don’t know the neighbor two doors down. Work isn’t what we’d hoped: less certainty, few lifelong coworkers, shallow purpose. Stable families and enduring friendships—life’s fundamental pillars—are in statistical freefall. 

As traditional tribes of place evaporate, we rally against common enemies so we can feel part of on a team. No institutions command widespread public trust, enabling foreign intelligence agencies to use technology to pick the scabs on our toxic divisions. We’re in danger of half of us believing different facts than the other half, and the digital revolution throws gas on the fire. 

There’s a path forward—but reversing our decline requires something radical: a rediscovery of real places and real human-to-human relationships. Even as technology nudges us to become rootless, Sasse shows how only a recovery of rootedness can heal our lonely souls.

America wants you to be happy, but more urgently, America needs you to love your neighbor. Fixing what’s wrong with the country depends on you rebuilding right where you’re planted.

My Review

I think I heard about THEM on a news program where the author, Senator Ben Sasse, was interviewed, and the concept of the book really struck a chord with me. I’m definitely more of a peacemaker type of personality, so I don’t like conflict. It tends to make our current political climate a bit scary to me. Lots of people (myself included) have really strong feelings about issues, and that can make for volatile and stressful family get-togethers. (One time, after trying unsuccessfully several times to end a political debate between two family members, I literally changed the subject and shouted over them, telling a story about a girl scout trip I took with my daughter. I just kept shouting until everyone else stopped talking. It was very rude and embarrassing and also apparently totally necessary.)

At any rate, I was really curious what Sasse would have to say about how to move toward more civil exchanges with people and how to maintain relationships across political divides. He said a lot of smart things– some just about the evolution of the culture and the changes to communities that technology has brought. I agreed with his synopsis of the way communities are not as deeply connected now as people use phones and tablets for everything from social media to movies and TV.

There were some things I didn’t agree with. I believe in civil discourse, so I agreed that we need dialogue and to be able to talk with people who have different viewpoints than we do. But it’s not always safe to do that. Sometimes, when it’s not safe, it’s better to suspend those conversations. I felt like he wasn’t very realistic about that.

I did like a lot of what he had to say, though. There were no easy solutions. A lot of it comes down to crafting a diverse community for yourself, one that includes a variety of political ideas. The idea is that this helps you remember that good people belong to both political parties. We both want the same things: a thriving democracy that allows us and our children to live healthy, happy lives, with an optimistic financial future. But we often differ on how to get to that result and what the government’s role should be in getting us there.

I recommend THEM for readers who are frustrated with politics. It’s one of those books I think everyone should read, regardless of your party affiliation. It’s less about his ideology and more about our culture and why we’ve become so polarized in political views and what to do about it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
This book is written by a Conservative Republican Senator.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used twice or so.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Sasse mentions church attendance on Sunday.

Violent Content
Some references to a riot on a college campus.

Drug Content 
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but which help support this blog.

Review: Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Escape from Sudan
Amanda DiCianni
CreateSpace Independent Platform
Published April 24, 2014

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When soldiers attack his village, fifteen year-old Elijah Bwoko and his best friend become separated from family members. They receive word that Elijah’s sisters have been taken as slaves to a village several days’ journey away. In order to reach the girls, the boys must sneak past the soldiers who enslaved them and find a way to set them free. Then the group will have to escape across the border of Uganda. If they can get to the refugee camp there, they can apply for passage to America for freedom and safety.

In straightforward prose, DiCianni relates the story of a young boy in a war torn nation. Elijah is easy to relate to through descriptions of his love for soccer, his friendship with Thomas, and his love for his missing sisters. Though it addresses a heavy topic, the story doesn’t go into a lot of graphic detail in scenes depicting soldiers and child slavery. The content is mild enough for older elementary readers. It’s a relatively short novel at 122 pages, and would make a great resource for the classroom as part of a world cultures or current events study.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
As Christians, Elijah and Thomas pray when scary or dangerous situations arise. Earlier in the story, Elijah reminds his friend that the trouble in Sudan began when Muslims from the north of the country tried to take valuable resources from the south and force the people to denounce Christianity.

Violence
Soldiers destroy a village and capture children to be used for slave labor. The boys run, so they don’t really witness this firsthand. They see the destruction left behind, though.  A village boy is missing a leg from an incident with a land mine. Gunfire alerts the boys that soldiers approach. Some scary situations, but few descriptions of violence.

Drug Content
None.

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

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