The cause cÇläbre that dominated turn-of-the-century French politics; the author argues plausibly that the virulent anti- Semitism exhibited, then presaged the Holocaust. Dreyfus, an ardent patriot since being exiled from his native Alsace after the Franco-Prussian War, was an officer in training in 1894 when it was discovered that military secrets were being passed to the Germans. Seizing him on the flimsiest of evidence, confirmed in the popular mind because he was Jewish, the army court-martialed Dreyfus in secret, illegal proceedings and sentenced him to life on Devil's Island. The effort to reverse this injustice pitted the ``Dreyfusards,'' including such intellectuals as Zola and other left-wing figures, against rabid nationalism and the extensive coverup perpetrated by the army, allied with conservatives and clergy. In 1899, Dreyfus was convicted in a second trumped-up court-martial, then pardoned- -partly because of international indignation; not until 1906 was he fully exonerated. Though the complexity of the detail here may daunt students without a firm grounding in history, Finkelstein (The Other 1492, 1989) sets the myriad facts and players in admirably coherent order and makes clear their significance in the volatile French politics of the period and as an ominous portent of things to come. A significant, sobering piece of the past, well worth pondering today. Well illustrated with b&w photos, cartoons, etc. A timeline and lists of personalities help keep things straight; bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Nov. 7, 1991
ISBN: 0-399-22243-X
Page Count: 156
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1991
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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