#IMWAYR February 27, 2018

#IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. The adult version of this meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. The kidlit rendition is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

I read less this week because I've been very busy sewing. I managed to finish up the second phase of the quilt I have been working on. These 144 pieces translate into 576 seams and 576 cuts. I'm not thinking about how many still to go just to finish the next phase.

BLOG POSTS THIS WEEK

Missing Nimâmâ by Melanie Florence & François Thisdale (Illustrations)

Save Me, Kurt Cobain by Jenny Manzer

PICTURE BOOKS

  

4 stars

Missing Nimâmâ by Melanie Florence & François Thisdale (Illustrations)

This beautiful, award winning picture book is not for children. It's the haunting story of a young girl whose mother is one of Canada's missing and murdered women. François Thisdale's illustrations are spectacular. I would use this with older students and especially adults who work with indigenous youth.

5 stars

Spare Dog Parts by Alison Hughes & Ashley Spires (Illustrations) CL

This is such a lovely book about what makes a dog (or anything or anyone) perfect. It isn't about what is on the outside. It is all about whether the parts work and do what they should. I was in love with this book as soon as I read this section on the body: "There was an odd, tubby, stubby body that didn't fit any other dog. They used that, and covered it with leftover wiry, scruffy fur. It's a comfortable body, perfect for cuddling."

Ashly Spires illustrations (always stunning) show that the body has met all the important criteria. This is my second read of this book. I decided to give it another star.

4 stars

What Makes Us Unique?: Our First Talk about Diversity by Jillian Roberts & Cindy Revell (Illustrations) CL

This is a great resource for use in primary classrooms to initiate a conversation about how we are the same and how we are different. It's a must have to include in a unit on families and or culture. The text is straightforward and quite simple. Cindy Revell's dynamic illustrations celebrate diversity in her bold use of colour and the joyful expressions on faces of her characters

4 stars

Over-Scheduled Andrew by Ashley Spires CL

It's Ashley Spires. Need I say more?
Poor Andrew loved theatre so he joined drama club. Then in order to improve at drama he joined the debate club, the chess club, karate and dance class. Before he knew it, Andrew had too many extra curricular activities, and was good at none of them.
This is an important book for parents to read to remind them that it's most important for children to have unstructured play time with their peers.

NOVELS

3 stars

Save Me, Kurt Cobain by Jenny Manzer CL

I have a lot of conflicted feelings about this coming of age title. I appreciated reading about places I've been to and know. On the other hand, it took me a very long time to connect to the main character, and I never did come to really care for her. I'm also not sure that a novel about missing and murdered women can be construed as anything but YA fiction. I wouldn't hand it off to anyone under 12 to read.

4 stars

Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles #4.5) by Marissa Meyer & Rebecca Soler (Narrator)

I'm such a fan of this series. When I need to read for a break from real life, Marissa Meyer is one of my go to authors. I enjoyed listening to these back stories of the characters in the Lunar Chronicles this week while I was sewing up a storm . 

4 stars

The Skeleton Tree by Iain Lawrence CL

Fans of survival stories will probably love this one. Chris, his Uncle Jack, and a boy named Frank, set off to sail down the Alaskan coast into BC. Their boat capsizes and only Chris and Frank make it to the mainland. The two boys have to get over there antipathy for each other in order to survive. In the midst of taming ravens, fishing for salmon and escaping from grizzly bears, the two boys discover they have much more in common than imaginable.

5+ stars

Foxglove Summer (Peter Grant / Rivers of London #5) by Ben Aaronovitch & Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

When I get into a series, it's because of the characters. Sure the writing is good, but it's that writing that creates these individuals that my brain comes to think of as real. A new book is like a visit with an old friend. That's how I feel about Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant series. Peter is a bit young to be an old friend, so I think of him as a kid I've watched grow up. He's a police office who is also a wizard in training. I've just finished the fifth book and I'm ready to weep that I have to wait for the next one to become available. I've read some with my eyes, and listened to many as audiobooks. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is Peter Grant to me! If you are a fan of mysteries, fantasy and like clever wit in your reading life, I highly recommend this series!

4 stars

Unbound: A Novel in Verse by Ann E. Burg & Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

I have concerns when white author's write about black history, and it was only because Bahni Turpin narrated it, that I felt comfortable listening to this book. (Honestly, I will probably listen to Bahni Turpin narrate anything.) I find it difficult to read historical narratives of slavery, or any stories that highlight abuse and oppression. The better the writing the more I immerse myself in the characters and the more fearful I become. I had to take breaks in this one because of this. Information in the backmatter fills the reader in on the reality of communities living in The Deep Dismal Swamp.

CURRENTLY

I'm trying to finish up a Netgalley title, The Mesmerist, by Roland Smith. I have discovered that I left my copy of Do Not Say We Have Nothing at our Oliver home. I'm listening to Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. I've started Tank & Fizz: The Case of the Battling Bots by Liam O'Donnell and Mike Deas, another chocolate lily title. I'm listening to A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielson.

UP NEXT

I've got to get started on History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera and Flying Lessons & Other Stories because they are due at the library March 4th! I also need to read two novels from the chocolate lily box.

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MUSTREADIN2017 3/36, 1 in progress

#MUSTREADNFIN2017 1/12, 1 in progress

50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 10/50

Chocolate Lily (CL) 17/52

Goodreads Reading Challenge 74/333 

Save Me, Kurt Cobain by Jenny Manzer

I'm not sure what to think about this coming of age book. I put it aside to ponder, and have concluded that I'm left with a lot of conflicted feelings.

This book taught me a whole lot more about Kurt Cobain than I ever expected or wanted to know. I finished it because my sons grew up in the era and were hard-core fans.

I appreciated reading about places I've been to and know.

Nico's mother left her when she was four years old, and never came back. There was no word from her. She just disappeared. Her father loves her and works hard to support her and make ends meet. Nico is a fan of Nirvana and obsessed with reading about the grunge movement in general and Kurt Cobain in particular. When Nico finds a package in their attic that reveals that her mother was friends with Cobain, she starts to think that he is her real father.

On a trip back from visiting her aunt in Seattle, Nico see someone she identifies as Cobain. She manages to stowaway in his car and ends up staying with him at a cabin in the forest. It's all kind of creepy, but thankfully, the man is not dangerous. He helps her track down her mother's best friend and even goes so far as to take her to Whistler, the community her mother was headed for when she went missing.

If you haven't figured it out already, Nico is a pretty mixed up teen. I expect that losing a parent under such conditions would be liable to do that, but honestly, as much as I worried for her, I didn't like her very much. That is one of the reasons I'm conflicted. I'm also not sure that a novel about missing and murdered women can be construed as anything but YA fiction. It was given to me to read as a candidate for the chocolate lily collection. I wouldn't hand it off to anyone under 12 to read. 

Missing Nimâmâ by Melanie Florence & François Thisdale (Illustrations)

"Cree writer Melanie Florence and Quebec illustrator François Thisdale took home the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for the picture book Missing Nimâmâ during the Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards in Toronto on Nov. 17, 2016."

It's good that this book won this award, but it is not a picture book for children.

Melanie Florence's ancestry is Cree. Her grandfather is a residential school survivor. Her family's history is one more horrific story of how the country tried to destroy indigenous cultures. Florence has written numerous books about indigenous people as a response to this history and her disenfranchisement from it.

Missing Nimâmâ is a difficult book to read because it focuses on the issue of the murdered and missing indigenous women in Canada. It is told from the perspective of the child and her missing mother. Readers see the child grow up and become a young woman with her own child, all the while grieving the loss of her mother. The mother's perspective is very dark, including not only the grief of missing her child, but also memories of what happened to her.

Francois Thisdale's illustrations are one of the reasons I love picture books. These are both haunting and drop dead gorgeous. It's important to spend time absorbing them in order to fully appreciate the story. 

The back matter has additional information about the murdered and missing women. 

I don't recommend this book with students younger than 16, and even then, I would be mindful of who they are, and what the purpose is. Debbie Reese, in her blog, American Indians in Children's Literature, has written about this book here. While I concur with much of what she says about the appropriateness of this book, I want to acknowledge a purpose for picture books aside from their use with younger children. As a teacher librarian I had numerous picture books put aside to use in critical literacy lessons for older students. Still, I wouldn't include this book in my elementary school collection. I even suggested my local library remove it from the children's fiction section. 

That doesn't negate the importance of this book. It is a book older readers and adults should read. There are stories adults need to understand and sometimes a picture book is the most powerful way to convey it. I believe this book is one of those. 

-->

#IMWAYR February 20, 2017

Here in Canada, we are mourning the loss of one of our heroes. Stuart McLean, renowned storyteller and host of Vinyl Cafe, a CBC radio program celebrating the stories of ordinary people, has died. Not only have we lost Stuart, we've also lost some close friends in Dave and Morley, whose fictional family and community Stuart has been telling stories about for 22 years. 

Since Wednesday, the media, in all it's formats, has resounded with the sounds of our collective hearts breaking.

Shelagh Rogers wrote, "He was a Canadian ganglion, our connective tissue. He was our ear, our stethoscope." 

The following are a few snippets from A final story exchange: Fans honour Stuart McLean 

"It's not that he did not see the differences between us; it's that he found the truth common to us all."

"when we looked into that radio mirror and heard him talking, we recognised ourselves. And most of the time we were laughing—laughing at ourselves." 

Stuart McLean has indeed left "a hole in our neighbourhood."

Meanwhile, life goes on and #IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. The adult version of this meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. The kidlit rendition is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

PICTURE BOOKS

3 stars

Beach Baby by Laurie Elmquist & Elly MacKay (Illustrations) CL

These soft images are enchanting. Otherwise it is a sweet story that reminds a baby that everything will be here when it wakes up. There is not really a plot. It's the images that make the book. It's good for babies and toddlers, but not really appropriate for K - grade 3.

4 stars

Bear’s Winter Party by Deborah Hodge & Lisa Cinar (Illustrations) CL

I am a fan of both Deborah Hodge and Lisa Cinar, but I would appreciate this book even if I were not. Many readers will be able to connect to this story of a lonely bear who decides to invite his neighbours for a winter party. Bear is worried that they won't come, but then when they do, they realize that Bear is not so scary and they all become friends.

My only complaint with this book is that the text layout doesn't fit with the images and it's probably too small a font to start with.

4 stars

The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold by Maureen Fergus & Cale Atkinson (Illustrations) CL

Hilarious, sweet and endearing all at the same time. When Santa stops believing in Harold at the same time as Harold stops believing in Santa, Christmas gets to be a bit dreary. I laughed as Santa used the same rationale to justify his disbelief in Harold as children regularly do as they let go of their own beliefs in him. I'd like to say this book will be good for readers from K on up, but I suspect some parents will not want their children to entertain disbelief as early as 5. Still for sophisticated younger readers and older ones, this will be an entertaining read.

5 stars

If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki VanSickle & Cale Atkinson (Illustrations) CL

I enjoyed Cale Atkinson's bright and humorous illustrations. They complement the rhyming text. When a young girl gets a hamster for a pet, she thinks it is boring. But after contemplating the benefits and problems with numerous mythical creatures she realizes that a hamster is a delightful.

4 stars

My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith & Julie Flett (Illustrations) CL

I enjoyed this book more at my second reading of it. It is a celebration of indigenous culture and community. At the same time it celebrates everyone's ability to find joy in the small details of everyday life. Julie Flett's illustrations are just stunning as usual. I would use this with children from toddlers to grade 3.

4 stars

Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el & Tim Bowers (Illustrator) 


This is a lovely, humorous story that reminds readers that not only is it ok to be different, sometimes it's better! Tim Bowers stylized dragons are just adorable.

3.5 stars

On My Skis by Kari-Lynn Winters & Christina Leist (Illustrations) CL

This will make a delightful book for emergent readers. Christina Leist's engaging illustrations are delightful. The simple sentence pattern intermixed with the rhyming sounds of nature make it a fun book to read. It will be entertaining for toddlers and early primary readers.

3 stars

A Parade of Puppies by Charles Ghigna & Kristi Bridgeman (Illustrations) CL

This would be a delightful book for toddlers who are interested in dogs. I liked the rhyming pattern and can see children learning more about the different breeds and eventually guessing what kind of dog will come next. This one would probably work for toddlers and children up to 5 years.

5 stars

We Sang You Home by Richard Van Camp & Julie Flett (Illustrations) CL

Julie Flett's illustrations are as gorgeous as usual. Van Camp's text speaks to the special magic that a new baby brings. As much as I love this book, and I do, I'm not sure what age group this would be for. I can see parents reading it to their preschoolers, but I'm not sure this would have a place for K to grade 3 readers.

4 stars

What Grandma Built by Michelle Gilman & Jazmin Sasky (Illustrations) CL

This is a beautiful tribute to a grandmother who honoured and loved the many generations of her family. Jazmin Sasky's vibrant illustrations capture the love and energy of the family members. Michelle Gilman's text reveals an ideal matriarch who made me long for my own mother and grandmother who are not longer here. This is an ideal book for children dealing with the death of a grandparent. Good for grades K - 3

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5+ stars

A Poem for Peter by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Steve Johnson (Illustrations), Lou Fancher (Illustrations)

Holy Carumba! Keats' work has always impressed me, but I knew nothing about him. This book in narrative verse taught me so much. I learned even more from the additional information in the back matter. These images are brilliant in how they honour the work of the man himself, as well as feeling fresh and new! I have a collection of Keats' picture books around here someplace. I plan on purchasing this for myself to go with them.

4 stars

Go Home Bay by Susan Vande Griek & Pascal Milelli (Illustrations) CL

This book is a vignette taken from the life of Tom Thompson, a famous Canadian painter. He taught Helen MacCallum, whose father was friends of the artist, how to paint while he stayed with them one summer. The writing is beautifully lyrical, but I found it hard to read and focus on because of Pascal Milelli's stunning illustrations. Painted in the style of Tom Thompson, each page is a vibrant work of art. The back matter contains additional information about the life of the artist.

CHAPTER BOOKS

4 stars

Blackberry Juice by Sara Cassidy & Helen Flook (Illustrations) CL

I enjoyed this chapter book so much that I would like to read the prequel. Given the format, Sara Cassidy has created likeable characters readers can connect to. Cyrus and his brother, Rudy, have moved to a rickety farm by the ocean. The older couple next door have a quirky granddaughter, Rachel, living with them. Cyrus befriends Rumply, a bereft donkey. I think this could be an entertaining series where readers get to know more about these characters with each new adventure.

NOVELS

3 stars

A Boy Named Queen by Sara Cassidy CL

This book was given to me as a possible chapter book so I'm going to state right off the back that it certainly isn't.
I assumed it would be about a transgender kid, buts it's not.
Evelyn connects to a new boy at school named Queen. As soon as I heard that his dog's name was Patty Smith I figured his parents were connected to the world of rock and roll. I was correct. Queen is a very confident self assured young man in spite of getting harassed because of his name. Through him, Evelyn begins to see the world differently.
The problem with this book is that first off, it's not at all written at a chapter book reading level. It also starts out slow. I don't hold that against it, but it doesn't fit for that age group. Finally, the ending feels incomplete.
I really like the idea of this book, I just wish there was more to it.

3 stars

Ryan Quinn and the Rebel's Escape by Ron McGee

I know that this book will be very popular with young fans of spy action and adventure series. Ryan Quinn, a young teen, discovers that his parents are not who he thought they were, when his father disappears and his mother is kidnapped from their own home right in front of him. With help from Danny, his technological minded friend, Ryan gets tickets to search for his father in a country ruled by an oppressive military. The story is fast paced with an exciting plot loaded with twists and turns and hairs breadth escapes. It just really isn't for me. The characters seemed like caricatures of people and lacked dimension. I would have given this story 4 stars in spite of this, but I really hate cliffhanger endings.

4 stars

Forest of Wonders by Linda Sue Park & Graham Halstead (Narrator)

There is a lot going on in this series. It has interesting characters in Raffa, Gilden, Kuma and Trixen. Set in a medieval land, the plot is loaded with suspense, surprises, magical potions and talking animals. It delves into issues of ethical use of animals and the environment. I love the focus on herbs and botany. I'm looking forward to listening more of this series, and suspect children will also.

4 stars

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit, Allan Corduner (Narrator)

This beautifully written book continues to haunt me, even after I've finished it and moved on. It is set in Poland during the second world war. Anna, a seven year old girl, is left alone after her intellectual father is rounded up by the Nazis. A tall thin man takes her into his care. He teaches Anna how to survive as the two of them spend the war journeying around different part of the country trying to remain invisible. The ending to this book is both hopeful and uncertain, a lot like life itself. I expect it will leave many readers confounded.

CURRENTLY

I'm listening to Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles, #4.5) by Marissa Meyer. I've started Save Me, Kurt Cobain by Jenny Manzer, but I'm going to have to set it aside for Flying Lessons & Other Stories since it is due back at the library soon.

UP NEXT

I'll start History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera, a library book that is on my must read list for this year. I'll try to read the rest of the Chocolate Lily picture books, and get to a couple of novels and chapter books from the same collection.

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MUSTREADIN2017 3/36, 1 in progress

#MUSTREADNFIN2017 1/12, 1 in progress

50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 9/50

Chocolate Lily (CL) 12/52

Goodreads Reading Challenge 63/333

#IMWAYR February 13, 2017

#IMWAYR time again, when readers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to in the past week. The adult version of this meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. The kidlit rendition is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

I do not recommend travelling in the winter.

My partner and I had to travel on BC Highways Thursday because he had to work on Friday. Our usual route was closed due to avalanche conditions. We headed north from our home in Oliver, to take the Coquihalla route. We arrived at the turnoff to find that not only was that route closed, no routes into Vancouver, were open. After lunch in the small town of Merritt, we got in line hoping that the highway would open at 4:00 when, according to @drivebc, the next update was scheduled. Sure enough, the road opened and we were on our way. 
The roads were treacherous! The pavement was a sheet of ice covered with a layer of water. 
About halfway over the pass, we stopped. A semi truck had jackknifed across the highway ahead of us. There was also an accident behind us. We waited for about an hour and a half till the one ahead was cleared. The group trapped behind were not so lucky and spent the night on the mountain. We managed, ever so slowly, to make our way over the pass and into the town of Hope. We thought the worst was over, but the freeway between Hope and Chilliwack was dotted with small ponds. My partner swears there were fish in some of them. A number of times, I wasn't sure we were going to make it through them. 

I might just have had enough winter.

BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK

Spin: How Politics Has the Power to Turn Marketing on Its Head by Clive Veroni

PICTURE BOOKS

Dragonfly Kites: Pimihakanisa by Tomson Highway, Brian Deines (Illustrator) 2002

Dragonfly Kites: Pimithaagansa by Tomson Highway, Julie Flett (Illustrator) 2016

These are the second in Tomson Highway's bilingual Songs of the North Trilogy.

In this book Cody and Joe spend their summers in tents near lakes, far from other people. The boys create toys out of what they find on the land and turn the animals around them into pets. Everything is named. Eventually they end up tying string onto dragonflies and using them as kites.

Both these books are beautifully illustrated. I spoke of Brian Deines art in my blog post about the first in this series, Caribou Song.  Julie Flett's images capture a haunting sense of place, but it's the details in the wings of the dragonflies that are spectacular.

NON FICTION

5 stars

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe

Javaka Steptoe's illustrations are just stunning. I am very thankful for this introduction to the life and work of Jean-Michel Basquiat. I spent some time looking at it after I finished this book. This is another title where the endnotes are as interesting as the book itself. It was from these I learned how and why Basquiat influenced Steptoe's art

Spin: How Politics Has the Power to Turn Marketing on Its Head by Clive Veroni

Hurrah! I finally finished this book. Here's a bit from my blog post to give you a taste of what it is about:
"Ostensibly this is a book that shows what marketers can learn from political persuasion. For the rest of us, it's a brilliant analysis of how we are manipulated by both politicians and advertising. Spin is a book that will reframe the way you interact with the messages and information that bombard you. By the time you finish reading this, you'll be asking all kinds of different questions about what you see and hear and what's the point of the emotional punch it gives you. Before you respond to surveys and questionnaires, especially those that reveal information about who you are, you will stop and ask, who wants it and why? It's bound to help you understand how we've come into an age where facts hardly matters to many people."

NOVELS

5 stars

The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz Author & Narrator

Holy Carumba! This medieval story of three magical children is as good, if not better, than I could have imagined. I laughed. I cried. I cheered! There is something powerful about having the author read their work, but from what I have read, I will still have to find a hard copy to have a look at the illustrations. I especially appreciated Gidwitz' notes at the end talking about his research and the connections between his fictional characters and real life people.

4 stars

Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf by Wendelin Van Draanen & Tara Sands (Narrator)

I adore Sammy Keyes! Her adventure this time begins with a Christmas parade gone bad. There is a kidnapped dog, a blackmailer, and a troubled little elf of a girl. Sammy and Officer Borsch get over their antagonism for each other. I wept upon learning the nasty Mrs. Graybill's story and Sammy's response to it. 

Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington

5 stars

Just Wow! Harrington tells this story in poetry. Keet and her family have to leave their family home in Alabama and move to where they are closer to her grandfather. It's hard for her to adapt to a new school and make new friends. Ultimately it's a story of love, resilience and hope. 

The poetry is divine. Here's a snippet.

"WAITING

Waiting is the lace on the collar of your dress that you wear to school,

and it scratches and itches, and scratches and itches:

a long, long time."

At the end of the book, Harrington explains the different poetic forms she used in the book. It will encourage teachers to use this as mentor text.

CURRENTLY

I'm listening to Forest of Wonders by Linda Sue Park. I've started Ryan Quinn and the Rebel's Escape and am continuing to work on do Not Say We Have Nothing. I've started Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont. 

UP NEXT

I really have no idea. 

On Monday I'm picking up a box of books that I will be reading for the Chocolate Lily award. I'm excited about this! 

However, it's going to be rather time consuming, so I have to go through my books from the library, keep the ones I have to read for one of my reading goals and return the rest. I've already paused all my holds. 

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MUSTREADIN2017 2/36, 2 in progress

#MUSTREADNFIN2017 1/12, 1 in progress

50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 7/50

-->

Goodreads Reading Challenge 47/333