An astounding array of poems about the American identity, representing the events and attitudes that have helped shape a unique history, by the compiler of Fairy Tales from Eastern Europe (1991). War, race, injustice, the American language and landscape all inspire deeply felt emotions, from fierce patriotism to fiery outrage. ``The Battle Hymn of the Republic'' co-exists with e.e. cummings' ``heroic happy dead.'' Walt Whitman sings America, and Langston Hughes, Ezra Pound, and Allen Ginsberg sing Walt Whitman. There's John Greenleaf Whittier's brave ``Barbara Frietchie,'' and Ogden Nash's Barbara Frietchie, who ``. . .scratched/When she was itchy.'' The selections are diverse, incisive, and crisply written; some feature McCurdy's sturdy images, carved in black against the white page, more decoration than scenery, and mutely leaving readers to fall upon the poems with their own interpretations intact. In art and word, the America that emerges is compelling in all its contradictions. (further reading, indices of first lines, titles, subject, and poets) (Poetry. 10-14)
Pub Date: June 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-670-86150-2
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1995
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles.
Fifteen-year-olds June and Day live completely different lives in the glorious Republic. June is rich and brilliant, the only candidate ever to get a perfect score in the Trials, and is destined for a glowing career in the military. She looks forward to the day when she can join up and fight the Republic’s treacherous enemies east of the Dakotas. Day, on the other hand, is an anonymous street rat, a slum child who failed his own Trial. He's also the Republic's most wanted criminal, prone to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When tragedies strike both their families, the two brilliant teens are thrown into direct opposition. In alternating first-person narratives, Day and June experience coming-of-age adventures in the midst of spying, theft and daredevil combat. Their voices are distinct and richly drawn, from Day’s self-deprecating affection for others to June's Holmesian attention to detail. All the flavor of a post-apocalyptic setting—plagues, class warfare, maniacal soldiers—escalates to greater complexity while leaving space for further worldbuilding in the sequel.
This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes . (Science fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25675-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: April 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
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BOOK TO SCREEN
A mermaid braves the human world to find her lost sister and to seek her only love in this new fantasy.
Esmerine has only just become a siren when her older sister Dosia, also a siren, disappears into the human world. Mermaids can grow legs temporarily and live on land although, as in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, walking is terribly painful for them. But Esmerine not only longs for her sister, she’d like to locate her childhood friend Alander, a winged man-creature, for whom she secretly longs. Esmerine quickly finds him in the bookstore he runs, and although she’s sure no romance is possible, she can’t seem to tear herself away from him. He agrees to carry her on his back in a flight to the mountains to find Dosia, and adventures ensue. Dolamore writes in a simple style that feels more middle-grade than teen, but her story should also appeal to middle- and younger high-school readers, making this a good hi-lo choice. She displays plenty of imagination, especially in her setting, with its 19th-century-style clothing and quaint towns. The portraits of her two leads will convince readers, and several of her minor characters, such as ex-mermaid Belawyn and Alander’s father, stand out as quirky and individual.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59990-434-4
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
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