A useful addition to the nonfiction shelves, if not as charismatic as it subject.
This slim graphic biography of the former NFL player begins at his birth and adoption and ends with his life as an activist.
Hoena shows Colin’s childhood: Born to an unwed white mother and a black father, he is adopted as a baby into a white family. He excels academically and in sports, starting football at age 8 and standing out for his strong arm. Readers then see Kaepernick playing football, baseball, and basketball in high school. He is later recruited to play college baseball, but his heart is in football, and he finds success on the college gridiron before the San Francisco 49ers pick him in the 2011 draft. The fourth and final chapter moves from routine athletic coverage when Eric Garner and Michael Brown are killed by police. Amid Black Lives Matter protests, Kaepernick takes the stand for which he has become famous—or infamous, depending on the circle: kneeling during the national anthem at games. Reactions to his controversial actions, including the spread of #takeaknee, his exit from the league, and his work with youth occupy the final pages. Each volume in Hoena’s Athletes Who Made a Difference series is structured similarly, using a graphic-novel presentation that works well to showcase the active sports and news content, although it is unfortunate that the simplified cartoon style sometimes obscures the iconic features of these famous athletes. The Kaepernick volume balances biography and sports in a way that will interest all readers, particularly in contrast with Serena Williams, also illustrated by LeDoyen, which is heavy on sports facts and offers less-satisfying biography. Rounding out the set are Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens, both illustrated by David Shephard.
A useful addition to the nonfiction shelves, if not as charismatic as it subject. (afterword, key facts, sources, glossary, further information) (Graphic biography. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5415-7817-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tighter focus would make this fascinating life story even more intriguing.
In this graphic memoir by sports journalist Shah, a ninth grader pursues his passion in the face of familial expectations pushing him toward a medical career, while also navigating the perils of high school social life.
It’s 1995, and Indian American Amar is desperate to meet the Chicago Bulls—Michael Jordan, in particular—when they stop by his Orlando, Florida, school. A lucky break leads him to his first sports interview, with Phil Jackson, and his tenacity takes him further, leading to multiple conversations with Shaquille O’Neal. But Amar’s luck in journalism doesn’t spill over to his relationship with his crush, blond Kasey Page (“like a mixture of Cameron Diaz, Tinkerbell, and heaven”), or his efforts to remain close with best friends Rohit and Cherian, who start spending more time with other classmates. The work relies on captions as much as plot developments to propel the story. It also follows a broad cast of characters—close and former friends, antagonists, supportive adults, and famous athletes—who appear in multiple storylines. The story accurately depicts the complexities of life as a young teen, though overlapping life challenges pull it in multiple directions, leaving some threads underexplored and hastily wrapped up. Doucet illustrates the characters using loose, disjointed outlines that give the artwork a sense of movement, and the colorful backgrounds use patterns and action lines to indicate a wide array of emotions.
A tighter focus would make this fascinating life story even more intriguing. (author’s note, photographs) (Graphic memoir. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781546110514
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An apt choice for collections that already have stronger alternatives, such as R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012).
A memoir of the first 14 years in the life of Australian Robert Hoge, born with stunted legs and a tumor in the middle of his face.
In 1972, Robert is born, the youngest of five children, with fishlike eyes on the sides of his face, a massive lump in place of his nose, and malformed legs. As baby Robert is otherwise healthy, the doctors convince his parents to approve the first of many surgeries to reduce his facial difference. One leg is also amputated, and Robert comes home to his everyday white, working-class family. There's no particular theme to the tale of Robert's next decade and a half: he experiences school and teasing, attempts to participate in sports, and is shot down by a girl. Vignette-driven choppiness and the lack of an overarching narrative would make the likeliest audience be those who seek disability stories. However, young Robert's ongoing quest to identify as "normal"—a quest that remains unchanged until a sudden turnaround on the penultimate page—risks alienating readers comfortable with their disabilities. Brief lyrical moments ("as compulsory as soggy tomato sandwiches at snack time") appeal but are overwhelmed by the dry, distant prose dominating this autobiography.
An apt choice for collections that already have stronger alternatives, such as R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012). (Memoir. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-425-28775-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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