Engrossing.
A stirring roundup of notable World Cup upsets, comebacks, and hard-fought matches since the first competition in 1930.
Streissguth introduces readers to this quadrennial event, which is “the most popular athletic competition in the world,” through a highlight reel of spectacular feats and flubs. Between the first chapter (“Best Comeback Victories”) and the final one (“Highest-Scoring Matches”), he gathers short but dramatic recaps of lopsided victories, memorable underdog wins, notable championship games, and strong individual performances. The events he covers include Australia’s 31-0 drubbing of American Samoa in qualifying matches in 2001 (in part due to passport issues on Samoa’s part that led to a serious imbalance in experience levels between the teams) and, when it comes to finals, “the most lopsided of them all”—the 13-0 defeat of Thailand by the U.S. in the 2019 Women’s World Cup (the overall focus of the book is primarily on men’s teams and their players). Unsurprisingly, Pelé and Lionel Messi are among the iconic athletes whose skillful maneuvers appear in the chapters on individual feats. Readers learn about a few controversies, like the goal Diego Maradona scored with his hand in 1986. Mostly, though, Streissguth focuses on giving the Cup’s history a worthy luster that will leave readers eager to learn more and catch upcoming matches. Interspersed photos depict international stars of both present and past in action.
Engrossing. (timeline, source notes, for further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781678210786
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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