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'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 |
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.
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| 4 stars |
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.
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| 3 stars |
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.
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| 4 stars |
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 |
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.
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| 5 stars |
Everything here is absolutely true.
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| 5 stars |
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 |
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.
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| 5 stars |
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 |
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.
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| 4 stars |
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
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| 5 stars |
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
I need to seek A Princess of Great Daring.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it Earl. It's an #ownvoices title too!
DeleteLove the Gossie and Friends books! Requesting The Grandma Book and Me With You. Putting To Night Owl from Dogfish on my want to read list.
ReplyDeleteI love The Grandma Book. It's going on my list of stocking stuffers for my grandkids. I'm contemplating getting my grandkids each the collection of Gossie and Friends!
DeleteSome Things Are Scary looks like an awesome book to help readers deal with anxieties. I just ordered it from the library. Thanks for sharing and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read it I was looking for Halloween books and ignored it's potential for other uses. It's perfect for those dealing with other fears.
DeleteOh my, definitely adding The Grandma Book and Me with You to my "must find" list. These looks fantastic! And I really enjoyed To Night Owl from Dogfish, too. The characters were so well-rounded and it was so easy to empathize with everyone. That may be a re-read for me! Thanks for sharing all these wonderful titles, Cheriee!
ReplyDeleteI agree that all those characters in Night Owl from Dogfish were brilliantly crafted. I loved that book.
DeleteLots of good stuff here. I'm facing some library recalls myself so I'd better get to reading.
ReplyDeleteI hate having to decide what books I know I won't get to.
DeleteVegging out in front of the tv is occasionally cathartic. :) Been doing a lot of that recently.
ReplyDeleteI was devastated to note that our library does not have a copy of A Princess of Great Daring - I thought it would be perfect for our #WomenReadWomen2019 theme. :(