#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.
Hurrah for summer vacation!
Here in Canada, July 1st is Canada Day, so Happy Canada Day to everyone! My partner, Randy, and I are in our house in Oliver, BC. The weather isn't as hot as we expected, so Randy is getting some work done while I focus on resting, relaxing and reading. I've managed a bit of writing too.
Clinking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page for that book.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Poetry Friday June 28, 2019
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
Hope by Matthew Cordell
This book is just beautiful. As a grandparent, it gave me all the feels.
I planned on reading it to a group of kindergarteners. Before starting it, I asked them what they hoped for. After I finally just asked those who hoped for Pokemon cards to put up their hands, we got on to other hopes. I was honoured by their big wishes for the world, their families and each other. They might be little, but they are a force to be reckoned with. We never did get to the book.
NOVELS
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| 4 stars |
The Case of Windy Lake by Michael Hutchinson
The Mighty Muskrats are a group of four indigenous cousins who live on their reserve and solve mysteries. In this first novel they are trying to figure out what happened to a missing archaeologist.
What jumped out at me was the profound respect these children show towards their elders, as well as how those same elders are there for them.
There is much to adore about this beginning series. The cousins end up solving this case through a combination of internet research and knowledge learned from these elders.
I appreciated that the the conflict between corporate interests and the people's claims over their land and resources are addressed in a complex, yet positive way that embeds indigenous learning and ways of knowing.
I'll be looking forward to the next in the series!
Michael Hutchinson is Indigenous Canadian,
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| 4 stars |
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
This book wasn't as stunning as the first, because it wasn't all gloriously new. I am still hooked on this series though. Murderbot is a fabulous character. I can hardly wait to read the next one, Rogue Protocol!
 |
| 4 stars |
Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
I finished this book in one sitting (well almost anyway.) I resented the time I had to take away from it to set the table.
This is a story of how it takes a community to raise a child. I loved these authentic characters! Delsie has some solid friends in her small vacation town. When her summer friend, Brandy, takes up with a mean girl, Delsie has to learn how to let go of that relationship. Thankfully, she connects with Ronan, a young boy new to the area. I appreciate how her friendship with Ronan evolves and that the two of them are able to help each other. I adore Delsie's Grammy. Her wisdom is the kind all elders should have.
Some authors write books with chapters that leave you hanging on a cliff edge, desperate to read more. Lynda Mullaly Hunt's chapters end with universal truths, leaving the reader pondering life's big ideas. They also make you ravenous for more.
NONFICTION
I've been reading a lot of logging history for a memoir I'm working on. It's been fascinating. The best part is reading the stories of the different individuals. I'm not done with these yet, but here's what I'm exploring a lot of these days.
More Deadly Than War: Pacific Coast Logging 1827 - 1981 by Andrew Mason Prouty
It's full of stories of hardship and disaster. In the middle of it I found some unexpected poetry.
First Growth: The story of British Columbia Forest Products Limited by Sue Baptie
Tie Hackers to Timber Harvesters: The History of Logging in BC's Interior by Ken Drushka
CURRENTLY
I am still listening to Archenemies (Renegades #2) by Marissa Meyer. I'm finding the romance makes the book drag for me. I'm reading The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime by David L. Carlson.
UP NEXT
Before we return home, I'm hoping to finish The Benefits of Being An Octopus by Ann Braden and DreadfulWater Shows Up by Thomas King (writing as Hartley GoodWeather).
I finally figured out how to get Netgalley books downloaded onto my iPad so I plan to get to at least one of those this coming week.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 13/25
#MustReadNFIn2018 8/12 1 in progress
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 15/25
25 books by Canadian Authors 31/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 2/4 2 in progress
Goodreads Reading Challenge 210/333
This week's Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Buffy Silverman, author of numerous nonfiction titles for children. She's reviewing a charming nonfiction picture book, written in verse, about a baby crane. Have a gander (sorry, I couldn't help it) and then enjoy her poem giving advice to a young check. Make sure to check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
I'm still working on poems from around 1958 when my family joined other relatives on an adventure into the Pine Valley region in Northern British Columbia.
In today's poem I'm trying to distill a decade or so of history into a few lines. Huge changes were made in how forests were managed. These macro interventions had profound consequences for individuals working in the bush.
Pawns
They didn't know it, but
they were caught up
in the middle of a war.
A corrupt forestry minister
set trouble in motion.
Paid off by
multinational corporations
he gave away management of
vast expanses of forested land.
Landed in the lockup,
but
destroyed a collaborative,
gentlemanly approach of
sharing the wealth
of the forest.
Ended up pitting
small time
loggers
bush mill and
planer operations
against
large companies and
international enterprises.
A new regime tried to revise it,
auctioned off concessions
But
the damage had been done
large outfits had more money
more resources
less conscience
left the smaller ones
little but bones to pick.
Another mend was attempted.
Contracts were awarded
based on a quota method.
Quota was the average
of wood cut and processed
in the previous three years.
Being new to the area,
they had no quota.
Couldn’t afford to purchase one.
The day they repossessed
the one ton truck,
was the only time
anyone remembers
Uncle Walter swearing.
#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.
Here in British Columbia in Canada, we have one more week of school. I am thankful that I only intend to work two days.
I'm still not sure I will survive.
I haven't felt like doing much more than vegging out in front of the TV.
I'm sharing a couple of weeks worth of books. We celebrated my grandchildren's second birthday party last weekend and had a house full of company. Then Sunday was Father's day so we had more hullabaloo then.
At work I have been weeding picture books that haven't been checked out in two years. If the title looks in good shape, I give it a read through and make a decision. Sometimes I hope that since we are getting rid of so many books, this one will shine and get circulated. Many of the books here today are 'rescued' from the recycling centre.
Clicking on the titles below will take you to the Goodreads page for that book.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Poetry Friday June 21, 2019
Poetry Friday June 14, 2019
BOOKS I'M READING WITH THE GRANDKIDS
We are on a tear these days with Olivier Dunrea's Gossie and Friends series.
We've been reading, rereading, and rereading Gossie, Gossie and Gertie, Ollie the Stomper, Ruby and Rufus, and Jasper and Joop. The more I read, the more I appreciate the patterns in these little books. I'm recommending them to all the school libraries for beginning readers. Another favourite these days is The Wonders of the Color Wheel by Charles Ghigna & Jatkowska Ag (Illustrations) Ada can't get over the "Big Mess!" the painters make.
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
A Princess of Great Daring by Tobi Hill-Meyer & Elenore Toczynski (Illustrator)
This is a fabulous book with a trans character. I love that the book is mostly about friends playing together creating their own adventure. That Jamie is a now a girl is really an insignificant part of the story.
 |
| 4 stars |
Some Things Are Scary by Florence Parry Heide & Jules Feiffer (Illustrator)
I first thought this book might be good for Halloween, but after my second read I realized that it has lots of potential for social and emotional development.
 |
| 3 stars |
Li Minoush (Thomas and His Cat) by Bonnie Murray, Rita Flamand & Sheldon Dawson (Illustrator)
After a discussion with his friends about pets, Thomas goes home and asks his mom for one. They decide to get a cat. After his mother suggests that they name their kitten Minoush, he learns that it means cat in Michif.
Michif, the language of the Metis, a combination of Cree and French, is in serious decline. The story is told in both English and Michif. Sheldon Dawson's realistic paintings create a sense of intimacy to the book.
The back matter includes a Michif pronunciation guide. I appreciated the information on the back cover about Rita Flamand, a fluent speaking Metis woman, who created a written form of the language to keep it alive. Unfortunately this book is now out of print.
All of these contributors are Canadian. Bonnie Murray and Rita Flamand are Metis.
 |
| 4 stars |
Allison by Allen Say
This is an important book to include in your collection of books about families. Allison, an Asian girl, was adopted into a white family. This picture book deals with some of her struggles as she realizes that she does not look like her parents.
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| 4 stars |
I Can’t Have Bannock But The Beaver Has A Dam by Bernelda Wheeler & Herman Bekkering
This cumulative story of why a young boy can't have bannock is pure fun to read. It's wonderful for readers who enjoy If You Give a Mouse a Cookie kind of tales.
Two things I enjoyed about this book include: everyone wins - the boy and the beaver, and there is a recipe for bannock at the back of the book.
I liked Herman Bekkering's black and white art, but wish the illustrations were in colour.
Both of the contributors are Canadian. Bernelda Wheeler is indigenous.
 |
| 5 stars |
The Grandma Book by Todd Parr
Everything here is absolutely true.
 |
| 5 stars |
Me With You by Kristy Dempsey & Christopher Denise (Illustrator)
I pretty much love everything about this book. I love the rhyming poetry. I love the illustrations. I adore the message.
I picked this up because I thought it might be an appropriate book to read for Father's Day. The students and I were not sure if the You in this book is a father or grandfather.
NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
Little People, BIG DREAMS: Emmeline Pankhurst by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Ana Sanfelippo (Illustrator)
One of the students brought this book in to share with me.
I loved it. Emmeline Pankhurst is one of the suffragettes we have to thank for getting women the right to vote. I appreciate that the book shows us how her early years with supportive, activist parents, led to her becoming who she eventually became. Our roots matter.
I also appreciated the timeline and additional information about her at the end of the book.
 |
| 5 stars |
I Am Jane Goodall (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer & Christopher Eliopoulos (Illustrator)
This book is a wonderful introduction to Jane Goodall's life. It's also important in that it reminds us that we are part of a larger community and that we are responsible for it.
NOVELS
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| 4 stars |
Cold Skies by Thomas King (Big Book - 464 pages)
Give me a good mystery and I'm satisfied. Throw in some of Thomas King's way with words and ironic sense of humour, and I'm almost over the moon.
DreadfulWater is a retired cop who now lives in the small town of Chinook, Montana where he tries his hand at art photography. His past is weighted down by the murders of his partner and her 10 year old daughter, an unsolved case that haunts him.
When bodies start piling up, the sheriff, who's just about to head off on vacation, does his best to convince DreadfulWater to take on the role of acting sheriff.
What works for me here is all the little details, the grumpy cat, DreadfulWater's lusting after a six burner gas stove, and all the quirkiness in the characters and reality of living in a small town. I just picked up the first in the series up and can hardly wait to get to it.
 |
| 4 stars |
To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Goodreads Author), Meg Wolitzer
This is the Patent Trap story with a twist. When two gay fathers want their daughters to meet and get to know each other in preparation for blending their families, it starts out rocky, and gets worse. In the end, no matter what happens with their parents, these two girls will always be sisters.
I loved it. I loved the characters, all of them, especially Gaga, the grandmother we all need in our lives.
NONFICTION
 |
| 5 stars |
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
Listening to this read by Thomas King himself was as delightful as possible given the subject matter. As I read of the repeated land grabs and ongoing attempts to eliminate indigenous peoples, I’ve been struck by the fact that we are continuing to do this still today. I sure would like to hear what he has to say about members of the Canadian senate refusing to pass the UNDRIP bill.
CURRENTLY
I am listening to Archenemies (Renegades #2) by Marissa Meyer. I'm reading The Case of Windy Lake by Michael Hutchinson. I've been carrying around The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks by Gwendolyn Brooks for a while, but it's going to have to be returned to the library unfinished.
UP NEXT
I'm hoping to get to Artificial Condition by Martha Wells and The Benefits of Being An Octopus by Ann Braden, but we shall see how things go.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 13/25
#MustReadNFIn2018 8/12 in progress
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 14/25
25 books by Canadian Authors 31/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 2/4
Goodreads Reading Challenge 204/333
This week's Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise. Check out the clunkers, lines of discarded poetry, and see if there is something you can work with to create your own poem. Then go and check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
I'm still working on poems about a time when my family joined other relatives on an adventure into the Pine Valley region in Northern British Columbia, but today I am sharing poetry written by loggers.
While scouring through MORE DEADLY THAN WAR: Pacific Coast Logging 1827 - 1981 by Andrew Mason Prouty, I discovered jewels. Tucked inside heartbreaking accounts of deprivation and disaster, I found poetry.
The Bunkhouse by Doc Wilson 1908
O! Bunks and bunks,
Valises and trunks;
Blankets and swags by the score;
Smoky oil cans,
Old spittoon pans,
Scattered all over the floor!
Old gunny sacks
Filled from the stacks
Of hay in the field nearby;
Under your nose
Pillow your clothes,
And sleep with many sigh.
Old broken door
Drags on the floor,
Overhead the nightbats hide;
The roof’s too thin
And rain drips in
The bunk where Anderson died.
Old shirts and coats
Where spider gloats
On the flies and moths in his lair.
Rusty old stove,
Socks by the grove,
Polluting the room’s warm air.
Off to the junks!
Bunkhouse and bunks!
For the toiler requires rest.
A clean warm bed,
Or home instead,
And then his labour’s are blest.
Later on, in a section titled, The Price They Paid, I found this poem. It was written to Manager Ransom of the Western Lumber Company in 1902.
Down where the sun's gentle rays cannot beam,
Beside the bright roll of Wilamett's fair stream.
A few faithful workmen each day can be seen,
Whose hard, weary labor is dangerous and mean.
The past dreary winter we toiled here below,
Regardless a moment of frost, rain or snow;
Determined to labor though meagre our pay,
With huge rumbling slabs tumbling down as they may.
Times without warning not even a sound
Those slabs make us jump like wild bronchos around;
The man throwing them down cares not for the slab,
All he thinks is to quickly get next to his job.
Last week unexpected glad tidings we found,
In the cool gentle breeze it was wafted around,
Claiming employe[e]s would get TWO-BITS raise,
Rewarding the toil of their hard working days.
The import was pleasing, though yet all a fake,
It was only some flippant old babbler's mistake.
Some may receive it, but one thing I know,
Not by us toilers way down here below.
Now, as a finale, I trust you will pay
The humble slab-loaders $2.00 per day.
The nerve of the writer I hope you'll excuse,
With feeble shortcomings and talentless muse.
A COMMON SLAB-LOADER
Finding these sent me off in search of more logging poetry. I discovered a collection of delightful verse at Mosaic of Forestry Memories. Go and spend some time there!
Finally, I found this snippet by Peter Trower, a BC logger turned poet.
Like A War:
No bombs explode, no khaki regiments tramp
to battle in a coastal logging-camp.
Yet blood can spill upon the forest floor
and logging can be very like a war.
This week's Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Laura Shovan, author of Takedown and The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary. Check out the poems written by grade three students she's been working with, and find links to other participants sharing poetry today.
I am continuing to work on poems about a pivotal time in 1958, when my family joined other relatives on an adventure into the Pine Valley region in Northern British Columbia. I'm committed to sharing a bit every week to keep me going. They might not be in any kind of order. I just hope to get some kind of drafts out there. I appreciate feedback on the construction of the poetry and ideas and questions about what information might be missing.
I've been reading so much about forestry history it's made my head spin. Trying to interpret it through the lens of those relatives who lived through it is even wilder. The following is my first poem about what was going on in the bush in those times. It's been fascinating reading about gyppo loggers and mills. Family members who are alive and remember, denigrate these kinds of outfits. They differentiated between gyppo outfits and honest small operators, of which they considered themselves members. Over time, many small operations took on the label gyppo as a mark of honour. I suspect they wouldn't want to be associated with the businesses my uncles disdain.
WORKING
Stalwart and hearty
they might have been
but they met their match
in that country
in those times
Tricked by
empty promises
empty opportunity,
Costly equipment,
one ton truck
D9 caterpillar
sat idle
no contact to be had.
Uncle Wilf at Stuart Lake
was foreman of a company outfit.
Daddy set off to work with him.
Lived in camp during the week,
leaving my mother home alone
with four children
and a newborn.
Came home on the weekends
visited, cut wood, and puttered,
before heading off again.
Bill, Howard and Lee
found work
at a skinflint
lumber mill,
a step above
a gyppo outfit.
Most independent loggers
and small portable mills
offered proper pay for a day’s work.
Then there were the gyppo outfits,
undercutting honest crews,
strike breakers,
anti-union,
ne’er do wells,
running shady shops.
The worst of them
set up in one place on Monday,
hired workers,
ran up a bunch of bills
at the local store.
Come Friday they would
deliver their product,
collect what was owing,
and slink away into the night
opening up next Monday
in a new place
under a new name.
Here are links to previous Pine Valley poems.
Leaving
Characters
Journey
Arrival
Preparedness
Ready and Willing
Larder
Laundry
Diaper Duty
Skunk Trouble
#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 had a lot of fun last week. A whole day with kindergarten terrified me, but it ended up being almost the best day of the week. On Friday I went to help a friend get her library under control before she retires. I got to weed the readers section. Our goal was to only keep titles that would make readers think that reading was the most fun thing ever. There is a lot of garbage out there. That evening was the Teacher Librarian year end dinner and retirement acknowledgement party.
Here in British Columbia in Canada, there are still three weeks of school left. Thankfully, I am not obligated to work full time.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page for that book.
BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK
Poetry Friday June 7, 2019
PICTURE BOOKS
I am pretty sure I read a lot of picture books last week, but didn't record them. Since none of them jump out for me to remember, I think that means they weren't worth remembering.
 |
| 5 stars |
I Am Not a Chair! by Ross Burach
On Giraffes first day at school, he is mistaken for a chair. Many different animals sit on him making it difficult for him to speak up for himself. The illustrations and text are just hilarious!
Not only did I love this book, so did every primary group from K to grade 2, that I read it to. When I am reading out loud, I read with expression. ( I should have been an actress) In the middle of reading poor Giraffe's rant, I. Am. NOT. A. CHAIR., the principal checked in to see if everything was ok.
I used this book with Kindergarten to start writing our own "I am not a _____ poems." I'm pretty sure this book, and letting them play as much as they wanted, is how I survived the day.
GRAPHIC
 |
| 3.5 stars |
Space Boy (Space Boy #2) by Stephen McCranie
I like the art. I even like the story line. I hate how short these are and that I am always left hanging. I can't decide if I will read the next one or not. My library doesn't have it yet so maybe I will just try and forget about it.
NOVELS
 |
| 5 stars |
The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman (Author, Narrator)
I listened to this while travelling from our house in Oliver back to Vancouver. I bawled my eyes out the last hour of the journey and book. I love these characters. I love that it opens up a space for conversation about homelessness, child poverty, and violence again women and children around the world.
 |
| 5 stars |
The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner
I owe my blogging friend, Shaye, much thanks for introducing me to this series. Although I am not a huge fan of fantasy, the world building in this one sucked me right in. Right from the start I was compelled to spend more time with these characters. It’s chock full of adventure, suspense and intrigue. The ending is brilliant. I can’t wait for the next in the series.
NONFICTION
 |
| 4 stars |
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken (Editor)
This book outlines 100 solutions for how to eliminate the amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere, and how we can actually sequester some of it. It is an important, optimistic, thoroughly written book. I purchased a hard copy to give to my partner for a Father's Day gift. If you are wondering what it's all about, I urge you to go to Project Drawdown and see what kinds of activities people are involved in that may well save the planet, and make it a better place to live in the process.
CURRENTLY
I am listening to The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King. It's one of my NonFiction MustReadIn2019 titles. I've also started Cold Skys by Thomas King. You can never have to much Thomas King.
UP NEXT
I'm hoping to get to Artificial Condition by Martha Wells and The Benefits of Being An Octopus by Ann Braden, but we shall see how things go.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 13/25
#MustReadNFIn2018 7/12 1 in progress
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 10/25 2 in progress
25 books by Canadian Authors 31/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 1/4 1 in progress
Goodreads Reading Challenge 189/333
