Rush Hour

Publishers Weekly

Volume three of Rush Hour: A Journal of Contemporary Voices, edited by Michael Cart, takes on the theme of Face. A pensive William Steig drawing, "Hope," and stark photos by Judy Dater punctuate short stories by the likes of Aidan Chambers and a poem by Marc Talbert, all of which expose the vulnerability of their human characters. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

The word "face" has numerous meanings. It could mean the location of the eyes or to confront something fearsome head on. This new anthology, the third edition in the "Rush Hour" series, examines all different aspects of the word. When faced with the word, each of these well-known authors and artists has a different view. Davis Yoo tells the story of an Asian-American woman too afraid to tell her boss that she is Korean and not Japanese when asked for language lessons. Artist Pascel Lemaitre combines the faces of man and animal to create humorous drawings. Cartoonist Eric Shanower illustrates the story of a mother who regresses through her past with the help of an age-reduction treatment. Like most anthologies, some of the stories are better than others, but the strength of this anthology is its diversity. No story or piece of art is like another. Teachers should be aware, however, that some stories contain descriptions of drug use and sex. While they are not too risque, it is important to read it prior to recommending it. Other than that, it is definitely a book that may appeal to more advanced readers and readers who like things outside of the mainstream. 2005, Random House, Ages 14 to 17.
—Heather Robertson

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Many of the entries in this journal will appeal to teens and adults alike. K. L. Going's "Samuel" renders the Biblical myth of the boy prophet into a modern exploration of religious and familial identity. Other highlights include Judy Dater's powerful black-and-white photographic portraits and an excerpt from The Center of the World, a novel by Andreas Steinh fel (Delacorte, 2005), which introduces readers to two teens who meet in a hospital as children, both recovering from plastic surgery on their ears. Claiborne Smith's essay "The Wrong Body" touchingly portrays the struggles transsexuals face in accepting themselves and seeking acceptance. Eric Shanower's "Behind the Lines" is a beautifully written and illustrated story of a post-op mother whose face-lift erases her wrinkles and her memory of motherhood, as she emotionally abandons her daughter after rediscovering her youth. Lawrence David's "Mannequin," which focuses on a young man's self-behavior, including a sexual affair with an older man and an eating disorder, is particularly dark and disturbing. While there is a variety of top-notch writing in the journal, some of the pieces hold more teen appeal than others.-Jane Cronkhite, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Cart combines short stories, photographs, nonfiction essays, drawings, poems and one graphic story in this edgy and eclectic third installment of his series of literary journals-this one focused on the ambiguous topic of "face." Several contributions interpret the theme literally: Kelly Milner Halls's piece about piercing and body modification sheds light on why so many teens choose to alter their faces; in "Turning Japanese," David Woo portrays a Korean character mistakenly assumed to be Japanese simply because of his appearance. Some contributions are about characters facing difficult circumstances: Pat Hughes's "Open Ice" features an injured athlete unwilling to face a life without hockey, while Eric Shanower's graphic story "Behind the Lines" illustrates a mother reluctant to face the aging process. Other interpretations of the topic include saving face, coming face-to-face with challenges, and being two-faced. Each piece is excellent, but the many different portrayals of such a nebulous theme result in a thread that teens may have trouble following. Older, more sophisticated readers, however, will appreciate the first-rate writing. Fresh and innovative. (Anthology. YA)