A Kid is a Kid is a Kid by Sara O'Leary & Qin Leng (Illustrations)


Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It will be released August 3, 2021 by Groundwood Books

A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid is a follow up to A Family is a Family is a Family. Like it, it showcases a diverse group of characters. Qin Leng's detailed, soft artwork is the optimal compliment for Sara O'Leary's important words. Together they share messages that help make a better world. 

This book is about the different kinds of questions we get asked. The response are powerful.

It starts our with a new student going to school. 


They say, "I can think of better things to ask if I'm a boy or a girl?" "What a question!"

The creators show how questions can be micro aggressions. They can be more about putting someone down, or putting them into a box rather than getting to know them. In contrast, the responses say, "Look at me, this is who I am."


Readers are presented with options for how to respond when we see someone being asked one of those kinds of questions.


I really appreciate how eventually this gets turned around and teaches readers alternatives. Children suggest the kinds of questions to ask instead.

Ask me my dog's name. Ask me if you can try my lunch.


Ultimately this is a book about looking beyond the surface of what we see to find out who each of us really are. It's about being comfortable in our own uniqueness and celebrating others.

Adults can learn a lot from this book.

#IMWAYR July 26, 2021

Hello everyone. It's #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.


The world is on fire. At least, our part of it is. As of Sunday, we have 1,217 fires burning in our province. One of them is raging across the valley from where I live. So far it has burned 6,871.8 hectares (16,980.6 acres) It's moved from the grassland areas where people live into the treed area above it. On Sunday evening we sat on our front lawns with friends. Looking through our binoculars, we watched trees candling. I wept. 
 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator. 

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.


PICTURE BOOKS


This book features a diversity of boys engaged in all kinds of activities. They all focus on positive attributes. The books works to eliminate toxic masculinity from boys and men.

4 stars

Story Boat
by Kyo Maclear & Rashin Kheiriyeh (Illustrations) 🍁

A family of refugees makes their home in different places on a daily basis. It’s the small things: a special cup, blanket, or light, that comfort them.
Rashin Kheiriyeh’s lovely artwork “was created with the coloured pencil and watercolour, oil and acrylic paint and painted paper, with additional natural materials including wood, wall and cut paper.”

4 stars

Escape Goat
 by Ann Patchett & Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrations)

When this adorable goat decides it wants to see more of the world, it ends up getting accused of all kinds of things it didn’t do. I loved Robin Preiss Glaser‘s detailed artwork. She used ink and watercolour to create these illustrations. Many thanks to Shaye Miller for turning me onto this book.

4 stars

The Rock from the Sky
 by Jon Klassen 🍁

This is dark and weird and screamingly hilarious.

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

The Bat
 by Elise Gravel 🍁

Elise Gravel creates absolutely delightful nonfiction titles for younger readers. They are so much fun, you hardly know you are learning. She proves that bats are fascinating in this one. I appreciate that she even mentions how we humans are threatening bats with extinction.

5 stars

Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued
 by Peter Sís

I knew about the kindertransport, but this similar story is new to me. Nicolas Winton was a young man in 1938 when he arranged for 669 Jewish children to leave Czechoslovakia before the German invasion. Vera is one of the young girls he saved. This beautiful book, that celebrates the good that an ordinary person can do, gave me shivers.

CHAPTER BOOKS 

4 stars

Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend
 by Dawn Quigley & Tara Audibert (Illustrations) 🍁

Jo Jo is a first grade Ojibwe girl. Her first best friend is a cat. She’s not sure about Fern, her school best friend. At the same time as this book is delightfully funny, it also deals with the important topic of how to be a friend.

Jo Jo reminds me of Junie B Jones.
Tara Audibert is Canadian. 

NOVELS

4 stars

Ways to Grow Love
(Ryan Hart, #2) by Renée Watson

There is less cooking in this second Ryan Hart novel, but that's because Ryan has so much going on in her life! Her pregnant mom is on bed rest so she spends more time with her Grandma. She's busy reading books from the library for their summer reading program. There is the excitement of summer camp with her best friends. It isn't until the end of the book that we see this young chef cooking up a storm again.
Ryan learns a lot about caring for all your neighbours, even the ones you don't know. She comes to understand forgiveness. At the end of the book, Ryan discovers the overwhelming love of a baby sister when she arrives.

5 star reads

Instructions for Dancing
 by Nicola Yoon & Bahni Turpin (Narrator)

Every time I read something by Nicola Yoon, I fall more in love with her writing. If you add Bahni Turpin's narration into the mix, you get about as close to perfection as is possible.

I thought this would be a light fun romance. I needed it after all the intense adult nonfiction I've been reading. It has many of the aspects of a fun filled romcom. It's even got a bit of magic.

Ever since Evie Thomas caught her father kissing another woman, she doesn't believe in romance. Then she developed the ability to read the past and future of kissing couples. None of them have had happy endings. This new ability of hers led her to a dance studio where she ended up partnering with X, a gorgeous young man. The two of them enter a dance contest. Of course they fall in love. It seems perfect until Evie has one of her visions while the two of them are kissing.

What suprised me about this book is how deeply it looks into the nature of love. It's a lot about forgiveness, living for the moment, and embracing the love you get for however long you are lucky enough to have it.


This book deals with sexual assault.
Kiran Kaur was raped by her brother in law to be, a police officer, when she was still in Punjab. She left to go to Simon Fraser University, and didn't tell her mother about her pregnancy til she had safely arrived in Canada. Her mother doesn't believe her. 
Kiran was lucky to make a good friend, Joti, at university. Kiran moved into their house and Joti's family became Kiran and her daughter, Sahaara's family. 
Kiran remained in Canada as an undocumented immigrant while Sahaara grew up. When Sahaara was eighteen, Kiran was picked up by border officials. This is when Sahaara learned about her mother's history.
This book tells the stories of Kiran and Sahaara. At first Sahaara wonders about who her father was, and then when she finds out she struggles with hating herself. 
This is written in both poetry and prose. It's intense - so intense that I could only read it in bits and pieces. It's an emotionally hard read that speaks authentically about the reality of sexual assault and it's ramification for survivors. It's a story of love, survival, and speaking your truth. 


“This [is] has been a book about people trying to solve problems created by people trying to solve problems.”

We are living in the Anthropocene age. In our meddling with ecosystems, we always end up making things worse. We have destroyed our planet to such an extent, that we have put our species at great risk. A review in the New York Times states, "Leaving the natural world to repair itself isn’t an option anymore — or, at least, it’s not an acceptable one, considering the death and suffering that would inevitably ensue."
Kolbert writes about different mega projects either in the works, or in the research stage, in an effort to mitigate the worst of the damage. All this just so we can save ourselves from ourselves. She shows us an electrified river created to keep the voracious Asian Carp out the the great lakes water system. She talks about the terraforming attempts to return land to the areas around New Orleans. There are attempts to remove carbon from the atmosphere and turn it into rocks, ideas for seeding the atmosphere with diamonds, and projects to genetically modify coral polyps in hopes of saving the Great Barrier Reef. It isn't very hopeful.
As I finish this we have another wildfire burning out of control across the valley from us. It's the fourth fire in our vicinity this year. We haven't even reached the traditional fire season yet. While Kolbert didn't talk about fires in her book, I can’t help but make the connection between the constant roar of the helicopters and airplanes in the air here trying to keep us safe and what it's costing us to cope with this aspect of the climate crisis.

CURRENTLY 

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon with Barrie Kreinik & Peter Ganim (Narrators)
The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging by Hannalora Leavitt 
History Is Delicious by Joshua Lurie

UP NEXT
 
The Fabulous Zed Watson! by Kevin Sylvester & Basil Sylvester
Bruised by Tanya Boteju
I'll continue to work at getting the picture book pile under control.

BLOG POSTS PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid by Sara O'Leary
History Is Delicious by Joshua Lurie

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 20/25
 

#MustReadNFIn2021 8/12

#MustReadPBIn2021 48/100 

Big Book Summer Challenge 5 one in progress

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 24/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 76/100 - one in progress

Canada Reads 2021 4/5 

Discworld Series 41/41

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 276 /333 

#IMWAYR July 19, 2021

Hello everyone. It's #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'm trying hard to get on top of my picture book reading these days. I should be more than half way through my #MustReadPBIn2021 reading goal but I'm not. It's not a hardship to read these book, in fact it's mostly pure joy. I intend to do better. 

I'm also continue trying to get my garden under control. I fear is a losing battle, but one I'm not prepared to concede quite yet. We have been enjoying feasting on all the fruits of our labour. Nothing tastes as good as a bacon and tomato sandwich made with home made bacon, bread, and freshly picked tomatoes. It tastes delicious even without the bacon. 

We got our second jab last week. I am happy to report that other than a sore arm neither my partner or I experienced any side effects. 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator. 

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book. 

RECENT BLOG POSTS


PICTURE BOOKS

 
4 stars

And Then It's Spring
by Julie Fogliano & Erin E. Stead (Illustrator) January 1, 2012

A young boy and his dog plant seeds at the end of winter and wait for them to finally grow. I love the vintage feel of Stead's illustrations.

3.5 stars

Little Wolf
by Teoni Spathelfer & Natassia Davies (Illustrator) May 19 2021 🍁

This tells of a young Indigenous girl growing up in a city while holding fast to her roots and culture. She spends summers on her grandfather’s fishing boat. She looks for animals wherever she is. The highlight of her younger years is getting a dog. While she endures some racism, she stays strong. The library becomes her favourite place. She spends hours there reading about other cultures and the leadership of MLK.
This doesn’t have a plot or story arc. It just highlights the ordinary life of this young urban Indigenous girl.
Natassia Davis’ art is glorious.

5 stars

Because
 by Mo Willems & Amber Ren (Illustrator) March 5, 2019

Because this book is a celebration of music and happenstance. Because this book gave me shivers while I read it. Because I’m encouraging everyone to pick it up and give it a chance. 

4 stars

Julián at the Wedding
 by Jessica Love October 6, 2020

I absolutely adore the art work in this picture book. I love that it celebrates love itself. I appreciate that it captures the acceptance and joy of childhood. 

5 stars

Almost Time
 by Gary D. Schmidt, Elizabeth Stickney & G. Brian Karas (Illustrator) January 14, 2020

When there is no more maple syrup for his pancakes, a young boy knows that sugaring off time will be soon. When his tooth becomes loose, his father says it will come out when it’s time to collect maple syrup. I loved the hints of how the season is progressing. It’s there in the increasing amount of daylight and in the gradual warming of the air. In spite of this, from the boy’s perspective, it still seams take ages and ages.
“But the days were still cold. And the nights were still long.”

4 stars

I Promise
 by Catherine Hernandez & Syrus Marcus Ware (Illustrations) October 15, 2019 🍁

This book made me happy. A young girl asks her mother where her different friends come from. Her mother responds that each one comes from a promise. Sometimes it’s a promise that every child deserves a safe home. Sometimes it’s a promise to share and take turns because different people are good at different kinds of things.
While this book might be a celebration of queer families, these promises resonate for all of us.

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Terry Fox and Me
by Mary Beth Leatherdale & Milan Pavlović (Illustrator) August 4, 2020 🍁

People outside of Canada hardly know of Terry Fox. In Canada he has more than once been voted our number one hero.
He was always an athlete. When he was at university, bone cancer was discovered in his leg. 80% was amputated. A year or so later, using a prosthetic leg, he set off on the Marathon Of Hope. He planned to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. This narrative, told from the perspective of his best friend, Doug Alvarado, gives us additional insight into the kind of person Terry was. Doug helped him train for the daily marathon and was with him everyday until Terry was forced to stop. His cancer had returned.
Each year people take up Terry’s challenge and participate in the annual Marathon of Hope. To date $800 million dollars have been raised. In 2020 three million students participated in the run.

5 stars

She Caught the Light: Williamina Stevens Fleming: Astronomer
 by Kathryn Lasky & Julianna Swaney (Illustrations) January 1, 2021

Williamina (Mina) Flemming was a bright child who ended up having to leave school and go to work when her father died.
When her husband disappeared, Mina, then pregnant, found a job working as a maid for the Director of the Harvard college observatory, Professor Pickering, and his wife Elizabeth. Both of them recognized her intelligence and eventually Mrs. Pickering urged her husband to hire Mina. Because she was a woman, Mina wasn’t allowed to look through a telescope. What she saw were the glass plates that recorded what men saw through them. She was one of a team of women known as the "human computers."
Eventually William Mina Patton Stevens Fleming was the first woman to be appointed to a titled position at Harvard University: the curator of astronomical photographs. In her lifetime she classified the spectra of over 10,000 stars and created the classification system that helped map the universe.
Julianna Swaney used watercolor, gouache, colour pencil and Photoshop to create these illustrations.
The back matter contains a timeline, a glossary, a biography, and author's note, and a bibliography. 
Many thanks to Jeanne Walker at True Tales & A Cherry On Top for introducing me to this book.

NON FICTION GRAPHIC

5 stars

Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, a Dog, and the Discovery of Insulin
 by Deborah Kerbel & Angela Yoon (Illustrations) 🍁

They didn't wear capes, but Banting and Best were superheroes. The two scientists worked with stray dogs to find a cure for diabetes. This exciting graphic novel shows how insulin was discovered and created.
We need more inspirational stories like this one.
These scientists sold their rights for the treatment for $1 each. None of them were rich. In fact, Banting barely made ends meet until he was finally given a salary.
Today, disaster capitalists manufacture and sell insulin at prices so high that individuals with the disease die because they can't afford their medication.
You can read my full blog post here.


Sila’s mother, Oya, had to return to Turkey to get some documents signed to sort out her immigration status. Almost a year later, she is still there. Sila and her father’s despair are almost overwhelming.
One day Sila’s father takes her with him to do some repairs on an old truck. The two of them make friends with Gino, its owner. He lives on a wild expanse of land surrounded by an eight foot high stone wall that he purchased with lottery winnings. One day they meet at a donut shop to celebrate Gino’s birthday. A disbanding circus group arrives and before the day is done, Gino has purchased himself an elephant named Veda and a very cranky bear. He soon finds a suitable place for the bear, but sets out on a steep learning curve for how to look after an elephant.
At school Silas has been paired up in a special project with Mateo, an autistic boy. Eventually the two of them become friends. That summer they work together at Gino’s helping out with Veda. Mateo’s mother is a lawyer and when she finds out what has happened to Oya, works with another lawyer in the firm pro bono to bring her home.
This book is beautifully written. Goldberg Sloan writes authentic, emotionally engaging characters readers can’t help but care about. The multiple storylines come together in a fairytale ending. I loved it.
I wondered about this not being an own voices novel. On the book jacket it says that Holly Goldberg Sloan spent part of her childhood growing up in Istanbul. It feels authentic to me, but I wonder what a Turkish reader would think.

5 stars

Fugitive Telemetry
by Martha Wells April 27, 2021

I am of the opinion that if you haven't read any Murderbot Diaries, then you are living a deprived life. Murderbot just might be my favourite fictional character. They are definitely my favourite sci fi character. In this story Murderbot works with the security team on Preservation Station to solve a murder.
This one might not have had quite as much humour as some of the others, but it was pure joy to be reading about this character again. I've also got the audiobook on reserve and am looking forward to listening to it. Kevin R. Free has nailed this character in the other books. 

NON FICTION


I listened to this, but plan to read the print version. Sometimes I sink into despair when I think about the lack of progress being made towards dealing with the climate crisis. Seth Klein managed to fill me with hope. He outlines a plan for how a New Green Deal can be implemented. He bases it on the strategies implemented during the second world war, with the proviso that we leave out the racist aspects of those times. I might end up purchasing copies for everyone I know. 

4 stars

Fred Korematsu Speaks up
by Laura Atkins, Stan Yogi & Yutaka Houlette (Illustrator) January 30, 2017

The unfair story of Japanese internment here in Canada and in the United States isn’t new to me. However, Fred Korematsu’s story is. Fred grew up wanting to be like any other American teen. When Pearl Harbour was bombed and Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes on the west coast, he pretended to be someone from Hawaii. He got caught and thrown in jail. A lawyer from the ACLU took in his case for free. They took his case to the Supreme Court where they lost. Forty years later another lawyer approached Fred. New evidence showed that government had lied in the evidence presented to the original judges. Fred was exonerated. Until his death, he continued to fight for fair treatment of all people who were imprisoned because of what they looked like.
I like the formate of this book. Part of the story is told in poetry. There are plenty of more traditional nonfiction text features including photographs, text boxes, and plain text. Cartoons and other artwork capture the personal experiences of other internees.
I like that at the same time as the book highlights Fred’s experiences, it articulated the important role of allies when prejudice and injustice take place.

CURRENTLY 

If I Tell You The Truth by Jasmin Kaur
Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future by Elizabeth Kolbert & Rebecca Lowman (Narrator)
Ways to Grow Love by Renée Watson, 

UP NEXT

The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging by Hannalora Leavitt
I'll continue to work at getting the picture book pile under control.

BLOG POSTS PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid by Sara O'Leary

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 20/25
 

#MustReadNFIn2021 8/12

#MustReadPBIn2021 45/100 

Big Book Summer Challenge 4 one in progress

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 24/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 76/100 - one in progress

Canada Reads 2021 4/5 

Discworld Series 41/41

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 265 /333 

Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, a Dog, and the Discovery of Insulin by Deborah Kerbel & Angela Poon (Illustrations)

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It will be released August 15, 2021 by Owlkids.

In 1920, Frederick Banting worked at at the hospital for sick children in Toronto, Canada. He watched young people waste away and die from juvenile diabetes. Doctors knew that the disease was connected to the pancreas and had something to do with being unable to break down sugar. They just didn't understand how it all worked. 

His position in Toronto was only temporary, so Banting went on to set up a private practice in London, Ontario. There must have been an overabundance of doctors because it wasn't a success. He ended up getting a job teaching anatomy and surgery at the University of Western Ontario. He never forgot those sick children.


While preparing a lesson on the pancreas, Banting had an aha moment. He discussed his new idea for a treatment for diabetes with J. J. R. Macleod, Professor of physiology. Banting was an orthopedic surgeon with no background in research or diabetes. Still, he was given funding for a lab for one summer, an assistant, Charles Best, and a group of dogs to work with. They removed the pancreas from half the dogs to make them diabetic. They lost many dogs before managing to isolate a mysterious secretion from one dog in the other group. They gave this to one of the diabetic ones and it was a success. In spite of Best's warnings, Banting grew emotionally attached to the dogs they worked with, especially Marjorie, a stray that followed him home. In fact, Banting considered the dogs to be heroes whose role in the research was as important, maybe even more important than the researchers themselves. 

At the end of the summer Professor Macleod extended their use of the lab and finally gave them salaries for their work. They managed to keep Marjorie alive for more than 70 days. At one point Fred tested the insulin on himself to prove that it wasn't toxic for humans. Eventually Macleod brought in James Collip, a biochemist to work them to purify the extract for humans. 

In 1922, Leonard Thompson, a fourteen year old boy, received the first shot of the newly purified insulin. He began to improve almost immediately. 

I appreciate how Angela Poon's artwork places the reader right into the 1920's. She captures the essence of the times brilliantly! The lab Banting and Best worked in is very different from labs of today! I appreciate all the the details, especially in the individual characters' faces. To create this art she "worked both traditionally and digitally! The pencil line art is all hand drawn, and the roughs and colours are done digitally with some analog textures added! "

There is an author's note in the back matter with additional information about the discovery of insulin. There is also a section on ethics and the controversial use of animals in research. If readers want to learn more, there a bibliography titled Sources. 

We need more stories like this one. We need to be inspired by the generosity and humanitarianism of people like Banting, Best, and Collip. We need more people like them. These men, who created the formula for insulin, sold their rights for the treatment for $1 each. None of them were rich. In fact, Banting barely made ends meet until he was finally given a salary. Maybe they didn't wear capes, but they were still superheroes. 

In contrast, today disaster capitalists manufacturer and sell insulin at prices so high that individuals with the disease die because they can't afford their medication. 

Preorder this one for your libraries. 

#IMWAYR July 12, 2021

Hello everyone. It's #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'm sharing two weeks worth of books today. My son, his partner, and their two children spent 5 days with us last week. I hardly had time to read, never mind write. Here they are picking cherries for the first time. 



They left Tuesday morning. We hated to see them go, but we were exhausted. A ten month old and a four year old will do that to you. To make matters worse I've had to deal with some complications from my surgery. Thankfully, it's all good for now. 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator. 

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book. 

RECENT BLOG POSTS


The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World's Largest Land Biome by L.E. Carmichael & Josée Bisaillon (Illustrations)

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Mr. Postmouse's Rounds
by Marianne Dubuc April 1, 2015 🍁

Mr. Postmouse delivers mail and parcels to many different animals on his daily round. Luckily there is nothing for the snake who is so long he stretches across a couple of two page spreads. The details of the different animal homes are full of whimsy. This is a delightful read for fans of Richard Scarry.

5 stars

Mr. Postmouse Takes a Trip
by Marianne Dubuc March 2, 2017 🍁

I wish I had dug this out of my library pile when my grandson was visiting. Mr. Postmouse takes a break from work to go on vacation with his family. They travel around the world visiting all kinds of exciting places. There is a parcel to deliver at every destination. This is an ideal book for readers who like the kind of complicated illustrations of Richard Scarry. My sons loved his work and I'm sure my grandkids will love this.

5 stars

Wishes
by Mượn Thị Văn & Victo Ngai (Illustrations) May 04, 2021

This book about a family fleeing from Vietnam after the war is profound. I had shivers reading it.

4 stars

Hike
by Pete Oswald Mar 17, 2020

This wordless book tells of the adventures of a child and their father. The two of them get up early to go on a long hike. The illustrations are full of details about the landscape and the creatures inhabiting it. It's a glorious day to the top of a mountain and the youngster is tired out at the end of the adventure.

5 stars

Snail Crossing
 by Corey R. Tabor Feb 04, 2020

My grandson and I loved this book. We laughed so much we had to read it over and over. I especially loved how Snail helped the antsy ants and they in turn helped him.

3.5 stars

The Farmer and the Circus
by Marla Frazee April 6, 2021

This delightful trilogy concludes with a romantic ending. 

4 stars

If You Come to Earth
 by Sophie Blackall Sep 15, 2020

This drop dead gorgeous picture book is a guide for aliens about our planet. I love the diversity in culture, families, gender, and abilities that are showcased. I have read that some people think aspects of this are problematic in that certain groups are stereotyped. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS


This book is a brilliant exploration of this biome. It looks at animals and plants across the seasons. To find out more and see some examples of the illustrations check out my post here

5 stars

Someone Builds the Dream
 by Lisa Wheeler & Loren Long (Illustrator) Mar 23, 2021

The art in this is spectacular. My four year old grandson and I enjoyed looking at all the details. He told me the names of most of the machines. We agreed that next time he should read it with Grandpa who can probably explain more about what is going on in the building pictures. I especially appreciated the diversity in the people working.

POETRY


4 stars

The One Thing You'd Save
 by Linda Sue Park & Robert Sae-Heng (Illustrations) Mar 16, 2021

This book feels kind of prescient. In the last week we had four fires break out within six kilometers of where we live. The air is full of smoke haze this morning. 
It is written in sijo, a Korean form of poetry. Through this narrative verse we learn about the different things students would save if their house was burning down. We learn a lot about each one from what they choose.
Having experienced a house fire once, all I can say is that so long as everyone is safe, it's all that matters.


CHAPTER BOOKS

My grandson hadn't read the The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem, a book that I got him for his birthday. When he was here I downloaded the first in the series from my library to my ipad. We read it together and then he insisted we download the second one. I did, although we read it together later. I am happy to say he loved both of them.


NOVELS


This is not a comfortable read, but it’s a necessary one. If you want to understand what went on in the residential ‘school’ system and the ramifications for survivors, this is your book. Even though I was aware of the horror of these places, Michelle Good's story of five survivors brought my understanding of this violence against culture, families and children into a deeper understanding.
Like a friend of mine said, "it opened my eyes even wider. The mean spirited nastiness, righteous arrogance, and lack of respect and empathy shown toward Indigenous people by residential institution leaders and our government makes me nauseous."


With house guests I couldn't just sit down and read this book from cover to cover like I did the first two in the series. Disrupting the flow meant that I wasn't as absorbed in the story and that on edge feeling that permeated those first two, didn't get a hold on me this time. I still loved it, but would have enjoyed it more without having to stop and start. I didn't begrudge spending time with my grandson, but it was close.
Like the first two, this one is full of worry and fear for the three protagonists, Anaya, Petra, and Seth. The different messages from different alien factions have Seth questioning who to believe. On the one hand the captain of the ship he's been brought to has given him the capacity to fly. On the other, rebel forces warn him not to trust him.


This is a collection of short stories that center around youth attending a pow wow. The contributors come from Canada and the United States. Some of these authors are people I am acquainted with but others were new to me. I'm looking forward to reading more from them. I especially liked those stories where characters from other narratives made an appearance - especially that dog!

4 stars

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
by Erika L. Sánchez & Kyla Garcia (Narrator) Oct 17, 2017

Erika L. Sánchezes rich, complex, and authentic characters made this book a winner for me. She does this with all her people, not just the protagonist. I adored Julia, a young teen of Mexican ancestry who doesn't fit into the mold her family expects of her. I liked that Julia worked to understand who Olga, her perfect, older sister, was after she died. Her relationship with her family, especially her mother, is complicated and messy. I appreciated that Julia ended up in therapy and that her life improved because of it. This YA book is both gritty and beautiful. 

NON FICTION

5 stars

Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard
 by Douglas W. Tallamy & Adam Barr (Narrator)
Feb 04, 2020

This fascinating book made me rethink what to do with our front yard space. I had plans for drought resistant plants, but this book has filled me with hope for what we can do individually in our own spaces to support local insects, bees, birds and other wildlife. Thanks to Sue Jackson who turned me onto this book. 

5 stars

The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution
 by Richard W. Wrangham & Michael Page (Narrator) January 17, 2019

Wrangham looks at how we humans have managed to domesticate ourselves. He identifies the difference between proactive and reactive aggression and shows how, over the last 250 million years, through self selection, we have managed to reduce the latter. This is an ideal companion book to read with War by by Margaret MacMillan.
I'm glad I purchased this because it's a book I will want to reread. I figure I only grasped the surface of it the first time round.


MacMillan 
addresses what Wrangham calls proactive aggression. She looks at the history of war and how it has shaped the kind of cultures and societies we live in. It's big picture and overarching in it's scope. 

CURRENTLY 

A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency by Seth Klein
The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Fred Korematsu Speaks up by Laura Atkins 

UP NEXT

The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging by Hannalora Leavitt
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
I'll also continue to work at getting the picture book pile under control.

BLOG POSTS PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, a Dog, and the Discovery of Insulin by Deborah Kerbel
 
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 19/25
  - one in progress 

#MustReadNFIn2021 7/12  - one in progress

#MustReadPBIn2021 39/100 

Big Book Summer Challenge 4

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 23/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 72/100 - two in progress

Canada Reads 2021 4/5 

Discworld Series 41/41

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 252 /333