A thoroughly researched, unusually close-to-the-ground glimpse into one of World War II’s most notoriously brutal battles.
A soldier’s-eye view of the snowy Battle of the Bulge—“the largest single battle ever fought by the U.S. Army.”
Sticking entirely to the Allied side (but consulting a great range of reports and oral histories), Hopkinson presents a kaleidoscopic view of the immense conflict, which stretched out over six weeks beginning in December of 1944 and involved (on both sides) over 1,000,000 soldiers. Voluminous backmatter joins sheaves of battlefield photos and drawings and a few schematic maps and general comments to provide glimpses of the big picture, but rather than attempting to tell the full story, her goal is to “share the true stories of just a few soldiers who were there.” This emphasis on localized, personal stories brings two main themes into sharp focus: the fog of confusion and uncertainty as unready GIs suddenly found themselves facing (and sometimes surrounded by) massive numbers of German troops and tanks, and the courage, cohesion, and optimistic spirit that fueled the eventual Allied victory. The veteran, much-lauded author of nonfiction and historical fiction draws various kinds of servicepeople (including women, immigrants, and Black people) into her large cast of eyewitnesses and participants; some she follows all the way to the ends of their (often long) lives, reinforcing the personal angle and providing a valuable complement to traditional military and political histories.
A thoroughly researched, unusually close-to-the-ground glimpse into one of World War II’s most notoriously brutal battles. (timeline, resources and links, bibliography, source notes, photo and illustration credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781338882360
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic Focus
Review Posted Online: July 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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
A balanced, well-written, and compelling survey of broad significance and usefulness.
Fairbanks (Anishinaabe) skillfully narrates the complex history of the treatment of Indigenous people in the present-day U.S. from the pre-colonization era to contemporary cultural revitalization.
Although this book is focused on boarding schools, the author begins the narrative long before their creation, offering crucial background knowledge by introducing readers to cultural values that guided daily life and intertribal relations in the Americas before the arrival of European colonizers. She carefully outlines the frameworks that affected the relationships between tribes and early explorers, settlers, and the federal government, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny. Next, breaking down the treatment of Indigenous peoples into seven eras from the 1770s through today, she discusses the many shifts in attitudes, treaties, and laws, including harsh efforts to “civilize” Native children. Written in a conversational style, the substantive narrative helps readers comprehend the policies that led to the establishment of boarding schools and understand how they were run. While Fairbanks doesn’t shy away from describing children’s mistreatment in the schools, she includes stories of survivors who went on to excel in their careers despite these experiences. The narrative is interspersed with occasional historical photographs, vignettes, and poems that add to an understanding of the boarding school experience. Each chapter ends with engaging questions that support deeper discussions. Text boxes furnish definitions of terms like Indigenous, genocide, treaties, assimilation, and self-determination.
A balanced, well-written, and compelling survey of broad significance and usefulness. (author’s note, list of boarding schools, resources, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780593811399
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
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