#IMWAYR June 25, 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. 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.

I managed to get my picture book pile under control just in time to pick up another one from the library. 

I've joined up with Sue Jackson for the #BigBookSummer read again this year. You can read my post about my choices here. I'm hoping to read at least four books on my list. Most of them are on some other reading goal list for this year as well, so I hope to make lots of progress all over the place. So far I've finished one book and have another on the go!

WORDLESS

4 stars

Boat of Dreams by Rogério Coelho

It's easy to get lost inside the details Rogério Coelho fills these pages with. I love the contrast between almost overwhelming clutter and then almost stark simplicity. I love the multiple perspectives.

This book is sure to leave readers wondering what is going on here and questioning what the story is all about. For me, I wonder about the relationship between the young boy and the old man. Who are they and why are they important to each other? Coelho tells us how the story came to be, but gives us no answers to these questions in the cover notes.

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

If I Had a Horse by Gianna Marino

This is my favourite picture book this week. The text is simple but powerful. The illustrations, right from the end papers, are to swoon over. I'm not exaggerating. I reread it at least three times and each time I wanted to lose myself in these colour washes. Told in silhouette and prose a young person imagines how their life would be different if only they had a horse. Make sure you read this. It's glorious!

3 stars

Boom Bah! by Phil Cummings & Nina Rycroft (Illustrator)

This was ok. The illustrations are charming and the rhyme and pattern are fun.

4 stars

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen (Illustrator)

As a knitter myself, there’s no way I couldn’t love this book.

3 stars

Where's The Fly? by Caron Lee Cohen

I liked the idea of this better than how it works. It's a book about where things are in the context of a larger place. Although I enjoyed the illustrations, I wish it could have kept the original spot in the illustrations but as soon as we get to the town level, it disappears.

4 stars

Coyote's New Suit by Thomas King & Johnny Wales (Illustrator)

I'm sure I've read a version of this one before, but it is still delightful. It has a lot to teach us about greed and foolishness.

4 stars

I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black & Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Illustrator)

As soon as I opened this book I knew I had read it before, but it was still worth reading again. Kids really are remarkably creative and rambunctious aren't they?

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters by Michael James Mahin & Evan Turk (Illustrator)

This book is as beautifully written as it is illustrated. Both will knock your socks off and, if you are like me, send you off to find some Muddy Waters to listen to.

5 stars

Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say

My heart aches for James Castle, the artist who’s life and work Allan Say writes about here. While it’s an imagined biography, James Castle, an artist, did exist. His story is sure to inspire important classroom conversations about diversity, acceptance, and how we treat others.

GRAPHIC

5 stars

Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator), Christelle Morelli (Translator), Susan Ouriou (Translator)

This is one of those graphic novels that I would purchase for my library if only I still ran one. It's a powerful story about a teenaged girl being bullied by her former best friends. The book references Jane Eyre. It's through reading it that our protagonist finds comfort and hope.

I was distressed that these 'friends' harassed her by fat shaming her, including writing publicly that she weighed 216. The thing is that the images just don't reflect that this young girl is anything but normal. I'm not going to spoil the book for you by revealing the ending, just know that this book looks hard at body image issues and girl on girl bullying.  It also shows us how important it is for individuals to become allies and not remain silent when this kind of behaviour goes on.

NOVELS

3 1/2 stars

Restart by Gordon Korman

Gordon Korman does plot really well and this book is proof of it. These characters aren’t as well developed as those in Mastermind, but I think readers will like this story of a teen who ends up with amnesia and discovers that he doesn't much like who he was.

5 stars

Granted by John David Anderson & Cassandra Morris (Narrator)

Wow! This is no wussy fairy book! It deals with important social issues and will leave you wondering about magic and how we can bring more of it into our world. We sure do need it.

I adored the dog, Sam. Cassandra Morris' narration of his voice is about as perfect as it could be.

The only fairy book I've loved as much of this one is The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz.

4 stars

Showing Off (Upside-Down Magic #3) by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, Emily Jenkins & Rebeccal Soler (Narrator)

I love what this series has to teach all of us about acceptance and finding and nurturing our own special powers.

CURRENTLY

I'm listening to Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate, one of my #MustreadNF titles and also one of my #BigBookSummerReads. With my eyes I'm reading Ban This Book by Alan Gratz and Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro.

UP NEXT

I'm hoping to get to Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz and plan to listen to whatever comes up next. Truthfully I'm not sure how much reading I will accomplish as it is the last week of school here in BC and I'm not sure how busy I'll be. On top of that I'm celebrating my 65th birthday on Tuesday. There will be adult beverages. 

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2018 16/25 1 in progress

#MustReadNFIn2018 5/12 1 in progress

#BigBookSummer 1/4 1 in progress

25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 9/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge 217/333