An ambitious, appealing, and accessible work documenting and protecting valuable knowledge.
A comprehensive unveiling of the “rich scientific legacy” of Indigenous Peoples.
Havrelock (Saddle Lake Cree Nation) and Kay address misunderstandings about Indigenous Peoples and their ways of knowing. They reveal significant Indigenous contributions in the areas of ecology and sustainability, transportation, health sciences, mathematics, and more. Readers are called to action “to come together and build a mutually respectful and healthier future.” A conversational tone invites readers to engage with this monumental collection and explore the forward thinking of numerous Indigenous nations, each credited for their ideas by name. Curious readers will learn facts unique to individual tribal groups while gaining knowledge of STEM/STEAM concepts such as friction, biochemistry, papermaking, musical instruments, and more. Each chapter highlights how Indigenous inventions have long-lasting legacies. For example, the authors explore how Indigenous designers created the continent’s first metal fishhooks along with the precursors to anoraks and crampons, to name a few. Modern and historical photographs adorn the text seamlessly, enhancing the reading experience. An ancient counting system is hidden in plain sight throughout, which observant readers discover in a later chapter. Minibiographies of contemporary Indigenous role models shine in sidebars, including artists, scientists, and other innovators. Young readers will delight in simple science experiments sprinkled throughout. Final art not seen.
An ambitious, appealing, and accessible work documenting and protecting valuable knowledge. (cultural areas and peoples referenced, glossary, Indigenous science organizations, bibliography, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 9-16)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 9780316413336
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
A refreshed version of a classic that doesn’t hold up to more recent works.
A new edition of late author Zinn’s 2007 work, which was adapted for young readers by Stefoff and based on Zinn’s groundbreaking 1980 original for adults.
This updated version, also adapted by Stefoff, a writer for children and teens, contains new material by journalist Morales. The work opens with the arrival of Christopher Columbus and concludes with a chapter by Morales on social and political issues from 2006 through the election of President Joe Biden seen through the lens of Latinx identity. Zinn’s work famously takes a radically different perspective from that of most mainstream history books, viewing conflicts as driven by rich people taking advantage of poorer ones. Zinn professed his own point of view as being “critical of war, racism, and economic injustice,” an approach that felt fresh among popular works of the time. Unfortunately, despite upgrades that include Morales’ perspective, “a couple of insights into Native American history,” and “a look at the Asian American activism that flourished alongside other social movements in the 1960s and 1970s,” the book feels dated. It entirely lacks footnotes, endnotes, or references, so readers cannot verify facts or further investigate material, and the black-and-white images lack credits. Although the work seeks to be inclusive, readers may wonder about the omission of many subjects relating to race, gender, and sexuality, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, Indian boarding schools, the Tulsa Race Massacre, Loving v. Virginia, the Stonewall Uprising, Roe v. Wade, Title IX, the AIDS crisis, and the struggle for marriage equality.
A refreshed version of a classic that doesn’t hold up to more recent works. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-16)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781644212516
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality.
An examination of the history of Chinese American experiences.
Blackburn opens with a note to readers about growing up feeling invisible as a multicultural, biracial Chinese American. She notes the tremendous diversity of Chinese American history and writes that this book is a starting point for learning more. The evenly paced narrative starts with the earliest recorded arrival of the Chinese in America in 1834. A teenage girl, whose real name is unknown, arrived in New York Harbor with the Carnes brothers, merchants who imported Chinese goods and put her on display “like an animal in a circus.” The author then examines shifting laws, U.S. and global political and economic climates, and changing societal attitudes. The book introduces the highlighted people—including Yee Ah Tye, Wong Kim Ark, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, and Vincent Chen—in relation to lawsuits or other transformative events; they also stand as examples for explaining concepts such as racial hierarchy and the model minority myth. Maps, photos, and documents are interspersed throughout. Chapters close with questions that encourage readers to think critically about systems of oppression, actively engage with the material, and draw connections to their own lives. Although the book covers a wide span of history, from the Gold Rush to the rise in anti-Asian hate during the Covid-19 pandemic, it thoroughly explains the various events. Blackburn doesn’t shy away from describing terrible setbacks, but she balances them with examples of solidarity and progress.
Deftly written and informative; a call for vigilance and equality. (resources, bibliography, image credits) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780593567630
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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