#IMWAYR JUNE 26, 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. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. Whatever you are looking forward to in your next great read, these are fabulous places to start your search.

There I was, whining about if summer was ever going to arrive. Then, the next day, I woke up to sweltering heat and am complaining that it's too hot to sleep. It isn't easy being a Vancouverite. 

Fortunately, no matter the weather I have discovered that it is possible to snuggle babies and read at the same time. In fact, the two activities are made for each other. I'm excitedly looking forward to tomorrow when my family will be together and I will get to hold both of my grandbabies in my arms at the same time! It will be the perfect birthday gift. Ok, so I also want Sherman Alexi's new memoir, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. 

BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK

It All Comes Down to This by Karen English

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

The Art of the Possible: An Everyday Guide to Politics by Edward Keenan & Julie McLaughlin

NONFICTION

5 stars

The Sound That Jazz Makes by Carole Boston Weatherford & Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

Eric Velasquez' illustrations take this book into another kind of reading experience. Weatherford's poetry provides the framework of history, but the art brings it home and makes it all very real. I dare anyone to read this and not feel a barrage of emotions from fear, to anger, to hope, and to pride.

5 stars

The Art of the Possible: An Everyday Guide to Politics by Edward Keenan & Julie McLaughlin (Illustrations)

I started writing this regular weekly blogpost, and got carried away writing about this book. The next thing I knew, it was a review all of its own.

I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages who are interested in politics. If you aren't, then you should most definitely read it.

GRAPHIC

4 stars

March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell

If only history was always this interesting and entertaining to learn. I knew next to nothing about John Lewis, except that he is a politician and loved and preached to chickens as a boy. I was fascinated to learn the behind the scenes details of the lunch counter sit ins and the development of SNCC. My only complaint is that the text is very small and was a challenge to read. Hopefully new editions will be released in larger formats.

-->

NOVELS

5 stars

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

I am enchanted by this book and these characters. At the same time, I was often terrified as the eleven year old Alex Petroski headed off across the country all by himself to go to a rocket festival. There were so many things that could go very wrong, but instead, Alex charms everyone he meets up with along the way. All of them end up being there for him when he needs them most. 

3 stars

Cavern of Secrets (Wing & Claw #2) by Linda Sue Park, Jim Madsen (Illustrations) & Graham Halstead (Narrator)

I'm fond of, and impressed by the complexity in this series. It's got talking animals which I know kids will love. I like the focus on herbal apothecary and the idea that plants can have almost magical properties. Raffa and his friends decide to return home from where they have been hiding all winter. For Raffa, this is a very dangerous endeavour. It's a good thing he has lots of friends and animals to help him. I'm not crazy about cliffhanger endings like the one here, but I know it will make readers want to come back for more.

5 stars

Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig

If I could only remember who turned me onto this book, I would thank you profusely. 

Ginny Moon is a character who will stay with me for a long time. She's an autistic, developmentally delayed, fourteen year old who was removed from her abusive, drug addicted birth mother when she was nine. She wasn't able to bring her baby doll with her, and no one understands why it is so important to her. Even though she now lives in a safe home, she keeps on trying to go back to her birth mother to make sure her baby doll will be ok.

This book will resonate with fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night. It might even be better.

4 stars

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar & 

I seem to be reading a lot of historical fiction these days that takes me back to the time of my youth. Does this means that I am older than I think I am?

Ruthie Mizrahi is another one of those characters you can't help but adore. Her family recently moved from Cuba to New York City. While she is very smart, she ended up in the dumb class until her English improved enough. Just as things are starting to look up for her, there is a terrible accident that leaves her in a body cast. By the time this experience is over, Ruthie is no longer the same person. 

4 stars

Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood

Owl's bowels! Sage Blackwood does it again in this fantastic adventure novel. Chantel Goldenrod, a gifted student, regularly causes her instructors grief at the school for young magical maidens. Seriously, who needs deportment and obedience anyway? When the teachers all disappear and nefarious things begin happening in their walled city, it's up to Chantel and her friends to figure it out and save them all. It is impossible to not love this spunky heroine inhabiting a book filled with fire breathing dragons, magic and lots of humor! 
Sage Blackwood's new book is a great story, but even if it wasn't, it would be worth the read just to have acquired a new literary expletive.

CURRENTLY

I'm still working on Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life. I'm listening to an adult title, The Color of Our Sky by Amita Trasi. I've just started Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita William-Garcia. 

UP NEXT

As usual, I have a lot of library books to get to. I'm really looking forward to getting to Glass Beads by Dawn Dumont, one of my favorite Canadian indigenous authors. 

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MUSTREADIN2017 13/36

#MUSTREADNFIN2017 5/12

50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 13/50

Chocolate Lily (CL) 51/51

Goodreads Reading Challenge 204/333