#IMWAYR January 25, 2016

#IMWAYR is when bloggers write about the titles they have been reading the previous week. Originally it focused on adult literature. Then Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers created a kidlit version of this meme. If you are interested in finding out what's what and who's who in children's literature, you will want to read these blogs even if you are not a  blogger yourself. 


Thankfully my mother is out of the hospital and back in her own home with a bit more support. We hope this will help her function while we look around for alternative care that will eventually become inevitable.

My reading life this week has been mostly delightful. 

I perused many picture books in search of books to support one of our teacher's anti bullying unit. I'm going to have to group this collection together so I don't have to search for books each time. On top of that, books that should have been on the shelf were not. Other librarians will most likely understand my frustration when I discover that important books have gone missing. Grrr..

On a more positive note, one of my super library monitors did a guest post for me last week. Check out what Maya S (I really love this kid) thought of Bird and Squirrel On The Edge. I'm hoping to get more students to take on guest hosting my blog for me. They get first dibs and new titles so I figure we are all happy, and after all, it is impossible for one person to read all the books that come into our library!

NON FICTION

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford & Ekua Holmes (Illustrations)

5 stars

I am so grateful to Tara Smith at A Teaching Life for introducing me to this book. I suspect that Fannie Lou Hamer will continue to be an inspiration for many people long into the future. This quote of Hamer's that marks the beginning of the rest of the text, told me I was going to love this woman. 

The truest thing that we have in this country at this time is little children.... If they think you've made a mistake, kids speak out.

Anyone who has ever worked with children in any capacity understands this truth. 

Weatherford's poetry is beautiful and powerful. With reference to Lyndon B. Johnson's signing the Civil Rights Bill into law, she says, "The blood of freedom fighters was in his pen." Ekua Holmes illustrations augment and enhance Johnson's words. 

While I'm trying to find more picture books to reflect Canadian black history, Fannie Lou Hamer's story will provide a glimpse into the larger context. 

4 stars

Emu by Claire Saxby & Graham Byrne (Illustrations)

One of my library monitors exclaimed, "Wow, what an artistic book with lots of interesting information." I couldn't have said it better myself. I was particularly fascinated to learn that it is the male emu who sits on the nest and looks after the chicks for the next six months until they are old enough to look after themselves.

I'm so looking forward to whatever this team come up with next.  

5 stars

The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond 

WOW! This is some amazing nonfiction writing. I especially appreciate the comparisons that are shown in the text and the images. For example: as well as informing the reader that a blue whale can measure up to 100 feet, it goes on to explain that "this is the same length as a truck, a differ, a boat, a car, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a van and a tractor-all lined up." The accompanying illustrations shows all these vehicles lined up in a row. I love that the page discussing the eye explains that it is 6 inches wide, and the image of the eye is 6 inches. The language is so straightforward and beautiful it will make fantastic mentor text for nonfiction writing. 

NOVELS

5 stars

Stella By Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

I enjoyed this story of a young black girl growing up in the 1930's. The audiobook was extra special because of being able to listen gospel music. I love reading historical fiction because of what it reveals about time and place and the people who lived there. I was worried that this novel would be a harder read because I am not unaware of the horrific challenges faced by black people in the states and here in Canada at this time. ( I wish we could say it was over) Instead, this book is inspirational. It is filled with love and purpose and the enduring power of community.  

I went looking on the internet to see if there might be a playlist of the music and instead I found this lovely book trailer where Sharon M. Draper explains her inspiration for this story. Discovering that it comes from the true story of Draper's grandmother just made this book more poignant for me.  

3 stars

The Fugitive (Theodore Boone #5) by John Grisham

The truth is that I started listening to this book because I didn't have anything else ready to go and it was available from the library. It is an ok read, but I think I might have just had enough of Theodore Boone. In this one, a culprit from an earlier novel makes an appearance and finally gets his comeuppance. 

CURRENTLY

I finally started Tomboy by LIz Prince. It has been on my to read list for ages, but last friday another of my library monitors convinced me that I should read it over the weekend. So far I am completely enamoured with this book. The reason I haven't already finished it is that Manners and Mutiny as both a book and an audiobook became available from the public library. As I get into this story I am both delighted and distressed as this is the last book in the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger. I will have to go back to reading her adult fiction I think. I'm loving Moira Quirk's narration so much that I'm pretty sure I did much more housework today just to have an excuse to continue listening. I have abandoned Pickle by Kim Baker, but I'm still reading The Pirate Code by Heidi Schulz.  

UP NEXT
It will depend on what becomes available but I'm thinking it might be time for an adult read of some kind. I'm waiting as patiently as is possible for me for All American Boys to become available.