#IMWAYR October 23, 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.

My brother and I had a wonderful time in Portland last week. We didn't get to do everything we wanted to do, but it was a successful visit nonetheless. We met some delightful locals in different brew pubs. I even found an ale or two that I almost liked. As you can imagine, since bookstores are my passion, we visited a few. The children's bookstore in the Alberta area was closed when we were there, but we spent close to four hours at the downtown Powell's location and I spent at least another hour or more at the one in the Hawthorne section.

BOOKS FOR BABIES

3.5 stars

Look at You!: A Baby Body Book by Kathy Henderson, Paul Howard (Illustrations)

A lovely toddler brought this to where I was sitting in the children's section at Powell's books. Since she left it behind I picked it up to read. I like the soft watercolour illustrations and the diverse children represented. Ada wasn't so impressed. She liked the larger pictures of the babies, but wasn't keen on the smaller illustrations. This is a bit too long for a baby her age.

4 stars

You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith & Danielle Daniel (Illustrations)

This is a netgalley copy that I picked to read for me but also read with my granddaughter. I'm not sure if she loved the bright colours in the illustrations, or if it was the light from my ipad. This is an important book that teaches readers how 'we hold each other up.' I'll be writing a more in depth review of this.

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat

Just Wow!

Now I get what all the buzz is about.

This picture that continues after Humpty Dumpty falls, is a story of hope, resilience and not giving up.

3 stars

Welcome: A Mo Willems Guide for New Arrivals by Mo Willems

I like this book for new parents, but since I’m looking for books that I expect to engage babies, I don’t think this will work. I’ll try out a library copy before purchasing.

5 stars

Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown (Illustrations)

This is a reminiscent of The Cat Comes Back, but with a delightful ending. Peter Brown’s illustrations are just just perfectly spooky!

4 stars

Boo Who? by Ben Clanton

This book works on so many levels. It is a great Halloween book for younger readers just because the main character is a ghost. It’s the message of inclusion that Clanton writes into it that makes it a book for reading all year round!

4 stars

You Belong Here by M.H. Clark & Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrations)

Beautiful poetry and gorgeous illustrations make this the ideal picture book to read to children. I can imagine it becoming a favourite bedtime story.

4 stars

The Bad Seed by Jory John, Pete Oswald (Illustrations)

How I love this story of a bad seed who decides to change. It isn’t easy, but it can be done. This will be a great book to talk about manners and how to treat other people. I adore the humour and positivity in this one!

5 stars

Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi

Wow!

Such a powerful message about war and peace is portrayed in this wordless book!

NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark & April Chu (Illustrations)

I liked this book well enough. Chu’s realistic illustrations are gorgeous. This focuses primarily on Ada’s work with Charles Babbage. In this respect we get a bit more information about her relationship with him and the work they did. Previous picture book biographies have already covered this information as well as revealing more details of the rest of her life. If I had those, I’m not sure I would buy this.

MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS

4 stars

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate & Charles Santoso (Illustrations) & Nancy Linari (Narrator)

I finished this book in the fall when the deciduous trees blaze with color.

I can’t imagine finishing it at a better time of year. When else can we believe that trees have stories to tell? Perhaps they are there telling them to us all year long, but in the fall we are so reminded of their existence. This Wishtree tells us the story of families that don’t quite fit in, and ultimately how the rest of us find a way to include them. It’s an important message for all of us to hear.

GRAPHIC

4 stars

Soupy Leaves Home by Cecil Castellucci (Goodreads Author), Jose Pimienta (Illustrations)

I've read a couple of Cecil Castillucci novels, but this is my first graphic novel. This historical novel set in the 1930's, features Pearl, a young girl who runs away from an abusive family. She becomes Soupy, a boy, and takes to the hobo life under the tutelage of Ramshackle, an ailing old man. Ramshackle teaches Soupy how to dream and find goodness and beauty all around them. Through their journey Soupy finds self worth and confidence.

Powerful images portray life in hobo jungles.

At the end of the novel there is a glossary of hobo signs that were used to help other travellers with directions and advice about people in communities along the way.

YA & ADULT NOVELS

5 stars

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera & Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond & Bahni Turpin (Narrators)

I would have read or listened to this anyway because Adam Silvera writes such riveting books, but this audiobook has Bahni Turpin! 

Two different boys get a phone call to let them know they will die today. They connect through an app called last friends and spend the day together. It's a brilliantly philosophical book that is first and foremost a compelling story. I thought I had figured out how the end would come, and was completely wrong. You might want a box of kleenex for this one. 

CURRENTLY

I'm reading Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez and working on Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I'm listening to Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.

UP NEXT

I'll be listening to Saving Marty By Paul Griffin. I plan to read Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder and The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez,

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MUSTREADIN2017 25/36 1 in progress

#MUSTREADNFIN2017 7/12 1 in progress

50 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 31/50 1 in progress

Chocolate Lily (CL) 51/51

Big Book Challenge 4/6

Goodreads Reading Challenge 339/333

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