#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 accomplish a lot of reading this week, but not much else. I have been doing some writing, knitting, a bit of house work and playing with my granddaughter. This week I must get out into the garden since I have started having nightmares that the raspberry vines are out to get me.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Poetry Friday July 26, 2019 EXPLORER
PICTURE BOOKS
 |
| 4 stars |
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan & R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
As someone who only knows the broad strokes of the history of the civil rights movement, I needed this book. It is one of many picture books now available that fill in the missing pieces for many of us. I especially appreciate the personalizing of this story. Students from all over will empathize with Lorraine and her family as they learn about the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968. Hopefully they will also make connections to the plight of workers today.
NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS
 |
| 4 stars |
Elvis Is King! by Jonah Winter & Red Nose Studio (Illustrator)
This is a delightful introduction to the life of Elvis. Although I knew much of this history, I appreciated learning about the background behind some songs and how his stage presence came about. I adore the three dimensional artwork. I think it's claymation. It reminds me of characters created by Ronnie Burkett, a Canadian puppeteer.
I was born around the time Elvis was just breaking into the world of stardom. His music was everywhere. Old time country music, Elvis, and early rock and roll was the soundtrack for my early years until I entered my teens when Motown and folk took over. Nonetheless, few ever argued that Elvis remained (the white) King of Rock and Roll.
I am thankful for the additional notes at the back of the book that explain how Elvis' popularity was the result of his singing black music for white audiences.
 |
| 5 stars |
Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born by Miranda Paul & Jason Chin (Illustrator)
This book is spectacular, but then, what else would you expect from Miranda Paul and Jason Chin? If I were still managing my own library, I would be tempted to purchase a couple of copies. It's perfect for children who are anticipating a younger sibling. Jason Chin's art shows two sides of a story. On one side of the page he shows a family getting ready for a new baby. On the other he depicts the development of the baby from embryo, to foetus to birth. Miranda Paul's brilliant, rhyming poetry connects it all.
The back matter contains four additional pages about baby development. I learned things I didn't know before reading this. Did you know that babies gulp amniotic fluid and that it is flavoured by things the mother eats?
CHAPTER BOOKS
 |
| 4 stars |
Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi & Hatem Aly (Illustrator)
This beginning chapter book has four stories featuring a grade two Muslim girl and her extended family. Yasmine is charming. I liked the stories and appreciated the many diverse secondary characters. I'm glad this book is out there.
My quibble is with the illustrations. Mostly they were delightful, but Yasmin's outsized eyes creeped me out. Maybe it wouldn't have been too bad if all the children has such large heads and eyes, but they don't. I prefer Hatam Aly's work in The Inquisitor's Tale.
 |
| 4 stars |
Katie Woo's Neighborhood by Fran Manushkin & Laura Zarrin (Illustrator) (Netgalley)
I enjoyed it. This one publishes August 1st. I will have a full review available next week.
 |
| 4 stars |
The Missing Donut (Big Words Small Stories #1) by Judith Henderson & T.L. McBeth (Illustrator)
Unfortunately, this book showed up only in black-and-white on my borrowed Kobo. I guess that's OK because it was only an experiment to figure out how to download books from my library.
Then I got intrigued and decided to read it. It's loaded with humour. I was charmed (I'm sure I would have been more so if the illustrations had been in colour.) This chapter book features five stories starring Cris, who likes things in a row, Crat, his cat, who likes to mix things up, and the Sprinkle Fairy, who creates big words in a factory in Sicily (where the best words are from.) Sprinklers are the Sprinkle Fairy's helpers. In each tale the Sprinklers sprinkle a new big word. This word is explained at the end of the story. At the end of the book is A Small Play On Big Words that uses all this vocabulary. It's hilarious.
Judith Henderson is Canadian.🍁
NOVELS
 |
| 5 stars |
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny & Ralph Cosham (Narrator)
Wow! That was some ending. This novel takes place at a hidden monastery in Northern Quebec. Gamache and Beauvoir are the only lay people to ever enter. Their purpose is to find out who murdered the prior.
Then a superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec arrives on the scene bringing a different kind of trouble with him.
If the next book in the series had been available, I would have started it immediately.
Louise Penny is Canadian.🍁
 |
| 5 stars |
Love From A to Z by S. K. Ali
This is the kind of YA novel I adore. It addresses big issues, but isn't overwhelmed with angst. S. K. Ali has created some brilliant characters that readers are sure to connect to. Adam and Zayneb each have a lot on their plates. Adam is dealing with a diagnosis of MS. Zayneb is in the middle of confronting an islamophobic teacher. Falling in love ends up allows them to help each other.
I especially appreciated how Ali articulates the small acts of racism Muslims have to deal with on an ongoing basis. In this way, the novel is both a mirror and a window.
Like her protagonist, Zayneb, S. K. Ali is helping to bring justice into the world. I thank her for it.
S.K. Ali is Canadian.🍁
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| 4 stars |
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
Jingwen and Yanghao are two brothers who move from China to Australia with their mother. Moving to a new country and learning a new language is hard enough. Imagine doing it nearly choked with guilt and grief.
Jingwen thinks that his life will get better if he and his younger brother, Yanghao, can re-create the cakes he made with his father before he died.
This book, a combination of graphic and text, is full of humour and heart. It’s about grieving, making cakes, learning to let go of heavy memories and starting over again. It’s about friendship and family and coming to terms with what and who you are.
I might have gained 5 pounds just reading it.
NONFICTION
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| 5+ stars |
Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age by Darrel J. McLeod
This book is intense. I could only read it in bits before needing to take a break. Darrel McLeod's childhood was brutal. My heart ached for the child he was. In his award winning memoir he writes of his abuse, his love for music, his desire to help his family, his struggles with his sexuality, and his conflict with fundamental Christianity. Education, hard work, and supportive friends helped him heal. This memoir leaves us at his mother's funeral. I hope he writes more. I'm looking forward to reading how he managed to accomplish so much in his life.
What I've taken away from this book is hope. I hope you do too.
Darrel J. McLeod is Indigenous Canadian.🍁
CURRENTLY
I've just started Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman. I'm presently listening to A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I'm still savouring my way through poetry by Peter Trower.
UP NEXT
I am hoping to get to The Red Power Murders by Thomas King, The Write Thing by Kwame Alexander and Being a Girl by Hayley Long.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 16/25
#MustReadNFIn2018 10/12
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 17/25
25 books by Canadian Authors 35/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 4/4 1 in progress
Goodreads Reading Challenge 242/333
This week's Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche. Go there to learn how to "Steal Like An Artist." Then admire her poem, A Teaspoon and a Bit of String. Make sure to check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
The end is in sight for this draft of my memoir project from 1958. I think I have three or four more poems to go. Whew!
I was five when my family joined other relatives on an adventure into the Pine River region of Northern British Columbia. This means my memories are somewhat sketchy and usually loaded with emotion. I've been able to fill in many blanks based on conversations with those who are still with us.
I'm committed to sharing a bit every week 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.
explorer
brave and bold
heady and ready
to stretch my horizons
I ventured
off into the forest
alone
it let me in
a sly smile
revealing a deer path
illuminated by
streaks of sunlight
that pierced through crevices
in the towering pines
dark shadows
from the understory
scrutinized me
while I crept on
a silent mouse
heart pounding with
frissons of
excitement
and fear
did bears lurk there?
in the distance,
the crack
of industry
beckoned
drawing closer
I crept to the edge
of a clearing
came upon Les,
one of Walter’s boys
an older cousin,
might have been 12,
chopping fire wood
mesmerized
I watched
the elegance
of his body
as his arms
stretching over head
swung the ax
forcefully down,
rending open the
block of wood
perched on a stump
a crack as it split,
fragments flying into the air
he bent over,
grabbed up the larger chunk
placed it carefully
swung again,
splintering the wood
into smaller
and smaller
bits
of kindling
pausing to collect them,
he looked up
noticed me
startled
he hollered,
Hey! You!
What are you doing here?
Git on home!
It’s not safe wandering
around by yourself!
for a second
I hesitated
wanted to ask if
he would
take me back
then turning
I raced back
the way I came
tumbling home
safe and sound
into my mother's arms
Here are links to previous Pine Valley poems.
Leaving
Characters
Journey
Arrival
Preparedness
Ready and Willing
Larder
Laundry
Diaper Duty
Skunk Trouble
Working
Pawns
Crossing
Bath Time
invincible
#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.
We are taking a break from the city (and our grandchildren) by spending a few days in our house in Oliver, BC. We had a lovely family barbecue with relatives on Saturday.
I managed to get the binding finished on the quilt my sister and I created. It's going to be really, really hard to give it away! When I showed it off at the gathering, my cousin's five year old quipped, "Dad and I will take it off your hands." I'm going to have to make that kid a quilt.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Poetry Friday July 19, 2019 Invincible
Chirri & Chirra series by Kaya Doi & Yuki Kaneko (Translator)
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 4 stars |
Chirri & Chirra series by Kaya Doi & Yuki Kaneko (Translator)
Chirri & Chirra are twins who have adventures while riding on their bicycles. In each book, Dring-dring, dring-dring! transitions the two girls into new experiences as they pedal their way into and through fantastical lands. Thank you Earl Dizon for introducing me to them.
Click on the above link if you want to find out more about them. Go ahead. I'll wait.
 |
| 4.5 stars |
Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwine & Fred Koehler (Illustrations)
This is one of those books that, once you get to the delightful ending, you have to go back and reread. I'm not always a fan of rhyming picture books, but loved the rhythm and rhyme in this one. Fred Koehler's art divinely complements the fantastical adventures a flashlight at night can take you to.
NOVELS
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| 4.5 stars |
Lost Girl by Anne Ursu
I’m not quite sure how to write about this book. It’s brilliant and multilayered. On the surface it’s about grade five twins who are in separate classrooms for the first time. They have to learn to navigate these small worlds on their own. It isn’t easy. One of them has to learn to vulnerable, the other to be assertive. They have to trust and believe in the other.
All this is played out against a backdrop of magic and an evil shop keeper. On the one hand, this story reminds us how important it is to learn to be independent. On the other is the acknowledgment that as true as that might be, we are stronger together. You don’t ever want to tangle with those Awesome Girls!
I would love to give this five stars, but I’m not sure how this will be received by students.
I had this on my #MustReadIn2020 list. Does this mean I am way ahead of my game?
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| 4 stars |
A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #7) by Louise Penny & Ralph Cosham (Narrator)
In the middle of a murder mystery, Louise Penny reminds us of what it means to be human. The revealing of the culprit wasn’t nearly as surprising as the revelations about the different characters in the Sûreté and in Three Pines. I admit that I read these novels as much to see what they are up to as I do for the mysteries themselves. I can hardly wait to see what will happen next!
Louise Penny is one of Canada's finest mystery writers! 🍁
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| 4 stars |
Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson
I've just finished this. I will be writing more about it, but what you need to know is that it was so good I got caught up in it and forgot to take notes for a review!
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| 4 stars |
Takedown by Laura Shovan
I was slow getting into this book as I wondered how it would compare to There's a Girl in my Hammerlock by Jerry Spinelli, a novel about a girl wrestler that I read ages and ages ago. It didn't take long and I was entirely engrossed by Mikayla and Lev. The story is told from both of their perspectives in alternating chapters.
Spinelli's book, about the only girl on a wrestling team was written in 1991. I wish this book showed that things have changed more. Alas, they have not.
I came to care a lot about both of these protagonists and was invested in how their relationship with each other and their families and friends evolved. I appreciate how the book takes a close look at competition and what gets left behind in the lives of elite athletes and lost in the joy of a sport as competitors move up into higher levels of play. I appreciate that our protagonists learned more about themselves in this book, but I'm equally happy that the secondary characters underwent transformations as well.
This book reminded me of my five year old boys playing soccer just for the crazy joy of being on a team and not really even understanding winning and losing. I think of them and other kids who ended up sitting on the bench because a coach doesn't think they are good enough to produce a win. I think with great fondness of the one coach who scrupulously played every kid on my son's hockey team, no matter that they lost every game. It was one of my son's best years of sport.
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| 4.5 stars |
OCDaniel by Wesley King & Ramon De Ocampo (Narrator)
Daniel is a thirteen year old boy with OCD, but he doesn't know this is what it is. He's successful in many aspects of his school life but struggles with math because the numbers get in the way of thinking logically. He's highly capable as the backup kicker for his school's football team, but his anxiety interferes with consistency.
I liked the secondary characters a lot. His best friend, Max, might be a jock, but he's also a strong, good hearted young man. The two girls in his life, Raya and Sarah, are strong, positive individuals. It wasn't easy to connect to Sarah's belief that her mother and boyfriend murdered her father, but not completely unrealistic either given the circumstances.
Daniel's struggles, especially the sections when he is dealing with his evening routine are brutally intense. I had a hard time listening to it in spite of acknowledging that it must be worse to experience. In the afterward, King explains that much of this is autobiographical. It shows in the authenticity of the book.
Wesley King is a Canadian author from the other side of the country from me! This is the first book of his I've read. There will be more. 🍁
 |
| 5 stars |
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart (Tales from the Chocolate Heart #1 by Stephanie Burgis & Jill Frutkin (Narrator)
I adored this fantastic fantasy. Aventurine is a spunky dragon who is tired of being constrained inside her cave with her relatives. She sneaks out with the intention of showing her family that she is not as incompetent as they think. When she is tricked by a man she plans to eat, she ends up becoming human herself. Determined to make the most of her new life, she sets out to become an apprentice chocolatier.
Now that I’ve finished this review, I’m off to see if I can download the next in the series.
I have Ms Yingling to thank for introducing me to this one because any time she give 5 stars to a book, it becomes a must read for me!
POETRY
 |
| 5+ stars |
Salt by Nayyirah Waheed
Nayyirah Waheed has a gift for parsing out significant truths in a few words. Look at this poem here:
good + girl
-- rope
salt. overwhelms with this kind of stark profundity. If you have not yet read it, you should.
decolonization
requires
acknowledging
that your
needs and desires
should
never
come at the expense of another’s
life energy
it is being honest
that
you have been spoiled
by a machine
that
is not feeding you freedom
but
feeding
you
the milk of pain
— the release
My library copy had page after page of dog ears that I assume were marked because someone appreciated the poem on that page. It was a special treat for me to see if I too would be blown away by it. Mostly I was.
CURRENTLY
I'm reading Meet Yasmin! by by Saadia Faruqi and just started Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age by Darrel J. McLeod. I'm presently listening to The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny. I'm savouring my way through poetry by Peter Trower.
UP NEXT
I sent Outside in: A Political Memoir by Libby Davies and With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo back to the library unread, but I did manage to get through some of the picture books in my pile. I am hoping to get to Love From A to Z by S. K. Ali and Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai. If the reading godess is on my side, I might even get to Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 15/25 1 in progress
#MustReadNFIn2018 9/12 1 in progress
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 16/25 1 in progress
25 books by Canadian Authors 35/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 4/4
Goodreads Reading Challenge 232/333
Thanks to Earl Dizon at The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer for introducing me to this series!
Chirri & Chirra are twins who have adventures while riding on their bicycles. Dring-dring, dring-dring! transitions the two girls into new experiences in all the books as they pedal their way into and through fantastical lands. Although I have listed these in the order of their publication, they do not need to be read in order. Clicking on the title links will take you to the Goodreads page for the books.
In the first one, Chirri & Chirra, they head off into the forest where they discover a cafe that has different sized tables to accommodate different sized creatures. I now want to try some acorn coffee! They continue pedalling through the forest to a bakery where they purchase treats to eat while enjoying a picnic under a tree.
In the second book, Chirri & Chirra: In the Tall Grass, the twins end up travelling through tall grass near their home. They become small to enter the worlds of bees, flower chafers, lizards and fireflies.
In Chirri & Chirra, The Snowy Day, The girls end up riding their bikes in the snow. Eventually they a door of ice that takes them into a world of animals where they find "hot fruit punch with apples and cinnamon." In the great hall they end up playing marbles made from "frozen buds of many kinds of flowers". You will have to read the book yourself to find out what happens to those marvellous marbles.
Each of these books highlights delightful treats. I am lusting after "honey sponge cake balls wrapped in flower petals." As soon as I am back in Vancouver, BC, I'm searching for a Japanese bakery or restaurant where I can find these!
Kaya Doi's colour pencil drawings create a whimsical world to get lost in. I found myself pouring over the pages and savouring the details. Her interest in environmental and animal welfare issues manifests itself in each of these books in different ways. What is prominent is an inclusive democracy of all living things. Her books celebrate connection and a coming together of all of us, where every being gets what is 'just right for them."
When I read the first one, I wasn't really sure how well these books would be received by children. To be honest, I'm still wondering about their responses to these. They they are charming and impart a significant message for all of us about living in optimum relationship with our world, but they aren't flashy or witty. I read through review after review on Goodreads in search of feedback and found a few that claim their children enjoyed them. My two grandchildren are not ready for them, but I will definitely introduce them to these girls when they are older.
I am looking forward to reading Chirri & Chirra, Underground and Chirri & Chirra, on the Town!
This week's Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Carol at Carol's Corner. Go over and admire the yellow lab service puppy she is training. Her poem, I Will Love You Well, will break your heart a bit. Make sure to check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
I finished reading salt. by nayyirah waheed. I wish, almost more than anything, that I could write like this.
She has a gift for parsing out significant truths in so few words. Look at this poem here:
good + girl
-- rope
salt. overwhelms with this kind of stark profundity. If you have not yet read it, you should.
My library copy had page after page of dog ears that I assume were marked because someone appreciated the poem on that page. It was a special treat for me to see if I too would be blown away by it. Mostly I was.
Meanwhile, I am still slogging away on my memoir project from 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. 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.
In many ways, life in the bush was hard, but it wasn't all there was. Laughter, love, and playful teasing were ubiquitous. Life was full of fun, and for us kids, a freedom most children today can't imagine!
invincible
reclaimed by the forest
we youngsters ran wild,
transformed into
untamed creatures
barefoot mobs
careened between trees,
terrorizing our domain,
upended rocks
revealed concealed critters,
minuscule and
marvellous
played
tag and hide and seek
tossed rocks into the river
competing
to reach the farthest
make the biggest splash
admiring the older ones who
searching for the perfect flat stone
skipped as many times as possible
across the water
carousing from cabin to cabin
younger ones trailed after
older ones
jumped on beds
built forts out of bedding
disturbed babies
till one adult after another
lost patience
and chased us along
a whisper of umber cloud,
the distant rumble
of loaded logging truck
sent us into a tizzy
here and there
from all directions
we came running
chasing after it, we
disappeared into dust blooms
rolled in the powdered earth
exploded into laughter
gazing at one another’s
dirt brown faces
my only responsibility was
keeping my two younger sisters,
rae and zoe, safe
maybe danger
lurked,
stalking us
from dark shadows
i knew only comfort and mirth
in that green world
redolent
of wood smoke,
fresh pine
and rich earth
Here are links to previous Pine Valley poems.
Leaving
Characters
Journey
Arrival
Preparedness
Ready and Willing
Larder
Laundry
Diaper Duty
Skunk Trouble
Working
Pawns
Crossing
Bath Time
