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224 pp.
| Simon
| June, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-689-85637-7$$17.95
(4)
YA
These stories about racial identity, prejudice, and tolerance often feel more labored than inspired. However, Ellen Wittlinger's tale of a white student who sits at the self-segregated African-American table in the school cafeteria and M. E. Kerr's story of romance between an American girl and a Nicaraguan immigrant are among the handful of engaging pieces that don't feel overly purposeful.
279 pp.
| Dial
| January, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-8037-2982-0$$15.99
(3)
4-6
Although set in the future, this book has an old-fashioned tone, which provides a stable underpinning for the wild plot. Charlie, a boy who can speak Cat, sets off to track down his kidnapped parents. Along the way, he joins a floating circus and agrees to help the lions escape. An intriguing beginning written by an adult and child team, this is the first novel in a planned trilogy.
(4)
K-3
Amazing Athletes series.
These serviceable titles for reluctant readers pay tribute to two of modern baseball's most accomplished players. Coverage is primarily devoted to the players' baseball careers, with brief glimpses at their early years and personal lives. Controversial issues such as Bonds's negative relationship with the media and rumored steroid use are not addressed. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds.
(4)
1-3
Illustrated by
Amy Wummer.
Already nervous about his first big test, multiracial second-grader Tiger gets upset when he doesn't know what to answer for the question about his race. Though didactic, the story is also humorous--as are the illustrations--and will speak to the feelings of many mixed-race kids.
(4)
4-6
Mary Fletcher, daughter of a Tahitian woman and Fletcher Christian, who led the mutiny of the HMS Bounty, must hide her true identity to remain safe. The tale is highly predictable and some plot devices seem unnecessary, but the premise of the story will intrigue Rinaldi's many fans. Bib.
48 pp.
| Benchmark
| October, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-7614-1631-5$$27.07
(3)
4-6
Benchmark All-Stars series.
These sports biographies feature large color photographs and readable texts. While plenty of books about the profiled athletes already exist, these books are noteworthy for their interesting anecdotes and well-balanced accounts of the stars' lives. Photos and stories from childhood through current competitions are included. Kobe doesn't mention his recent legal troubles. Reading list, stats, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Benchmark All-Stars titles: Derek Jeter, Jeff Gordon, Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, and Venus Williams.]
48 pp.
| Benchmark
| October, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-7614-1626-9$$27.07
(3)
4-6
Benchmark All-Stars series.
These sports biographies feature large color photographs and readable texts. While plenty of books about the profiled athletes already exist, these books are noteworthy for their interesting anecdotes and well-balanced accounts of the stars' lives. Photos and stories from childhood through current competitions are included. Kobe doesn't mention his recent legal troubles. Reading list, stats, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Benchmark All-Stars titles: Derek Jeter, Jeff Gordon, Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, and Venus Williams.]
(2)
YA
Although Sonny Bear (first introduced in The Chief) is a heavyweight champ, he's depressed and apathetic. The only person who seems to understand him is an e-mail correspondent who calls himself "Warrior Angel" and is actually a disturbed teenager who fantasizes that he will be able to "save" his idol. Lipsyte's intriguingly enigmatic lead characters and hard-edged prose continue to pack a punch.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2003
137 pp.
| Delacorte
| June, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-385-7038-1$$15.95
(4)
4-6
Eleven-year-old Fiona Cheng, half Chinese American and half Scottish American, struggles with her grandparents' expectations of her and with her own confused feelings about her identity. In attempting to address all the issues that confront mixed-race kids, the novel ends up with some artificial-feeling characters and situations, but Namioka's protagonist and story are still engaging.
(3)
YA
Late 1960s Alaska is the evocative setting of this story narrated by four teenagers from varied cultural backgrounds. Each has some connection with Dove Lexie, a mixed-raced youth who mysteriously disappears after being imprisoned. Leisurely paced, this multilayered, sophisticated novel would be a good choice for young readers transitioning to more mature books.
165 pp.
| Dial
| September, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-8037-2735-6$$16.99
(1)
YA
A boy's grandmother recounts the story of her teenage years, when a steamboat brought two strangers to Grand Tower, Illinois--glamorous Delphine and her companion Calinda. The townspeople think these "Secesh gals" may be Confederate spies but the truth is far more complicated. The harsh realities of war are honestly related in the always surprising plot.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2003
219 pp.
| Bloomsbury
| June, 2003
|
TradeISBN 1-58234-822-7$$16.95
(4)
YA
Fourteen-year-old Shelley, beset with worries about her alcoholic, verbally abusive mother and the bullies tormenting her at her new school, writes long confessional letters to her favorite pop star. Despite the melodramatic ending, Shelley's matter-of-fact attitude about her mixed race ("I have a white mum and a black dad") and her realistic portrayal of home and school life ring true.
(4)
4-6
Amazing Athletes series.
After an introductory chapter, each of these formulaic profiles cover an athlete's childhood and early career. The remaining sections focus on professional accomplishments and highlights. Despite the perfunctory nature of these brief treatments, a colorful page design, crisp photographs, and large print should appeal to younger and reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Amazing Athletes titles: Venus & Serena Williams, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Gordon, and Tiger Woods.]
145 pp.
| Cavendish
| October, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-7614-5138-2$$15.95
(4)
YA
Pregnant Sophie is trying to finish high school, keep secret the identity of her baby's father, and find out the name of her own father from her secretive, angry mother. Through all this she remains consistent in her goal of supporting herself and her baby while attending college. A mystical Native American element fails to work, but Sophie's complex character and engaging voice will draw readers in.
(1)
YA
Fourteen-year-old Staggerlee's growing feelings for her cousin confirm her own suspicions that she might be gay. Resisting the less subtle exploration of girl meets girl and falls in love and lives happily ever after, Woodson crafts a more complex examination of gayness in the emerging adolescent in this welcome reissue of a reflective, lyrical story.
Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 1997
40 pp.
| HarperCollins
| April, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-06-028776-4$$15.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-06-028777-2$$15.89 1973
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Emily Arnold McCully.
McCully has completely redesigned and re-illustrated this new edition, and it both gains and loses in the process. The size of the book has almost doubled, so that the intimate feeling of the text is less apparent, but the full-color paintings of an interracial family going about its daily business are warm and joyful.
151 pp.
| Hyperion
| July, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-7868-0827-6$$15.99
(4)
YA
A teenager with Mohawk ancestry fights a losing battle against his high school's Indian mascot. Pathos sometimes degenerates into bathos as the narrator of this free-verse novel makes his case for cultural sensitivity. However, his voice is almost always compelling (a mix of self-righteousness and angst), and his cause is especially current in an era of increased multiracial identification.
242 pp.
| Atheneum/Jackson
| February, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-689-84729-7$$18.00
(2)
YA
Fifteen-year-old America has just tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself. Flashback chapters take readers through the heart-wrenching, nightmarish events of America's childhood, while alternating chapters follow his therapy sessions with Dr. B. The story is deeply disturbing, but readers will stick with it, wanting desperately to witness a happy outcome for the fully rounded, compelling protagonist.
(4)
K-3
All Aboard Reading series.
This easy reader records the experiences of Woods from the first time he swung a golf club as a toddler through his victory in all four of the sport's "grand slam" events. In its efforts to stay simple, the text occasionally becomes choppy. Illustrated with color photos of varying quality, the book focuses on Woods's successes, never mentioning his (few) losses, resulting in a one-sided portrait.
32 pp.
| Whitman
| March, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-8075-7822-3$$14.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Paige Billin-Frye.
When Gregory's family moves to Japan, he cheerfully accepts the new way of life--chopsticks, yen, sleeping on the floor--but adapting to school proves harder, especially lunchtime. His classmates find a way to share their own cross-cultural appreciation and make Gregory feel at home. Definitions and pronunciations of Japanese words are provided below the text. Lighthearted cartoonlike art suits the upbeat story.