#IMWAYR August 16th, 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.

Hope you all had a wonderful week. What with the garden, making salsa, and sewing, mine was busy. 

I thought I had all the bits and pieces for my Olivier Dunrea quilts completed so I laid them out on the fabric. Then I realized that I needed to do a bit more sewing of small bits before actually appliquéing them to the backing. I've also discovered that I forgot to sew some little animals. Meanwhile, everything is laid out on flat surfaces around our house. 

Just a reminder to everyone that it's just about time for the fall #MustReadIn2021 update. I will create a post the last weekend of August for people to connect to. I'm looking forward to seeing how you are all doing. 

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

Hair Twins by Raakhee Mirchandani & Holly Hatam (Illustrator) May 4, 2021

This lovely book shows the affection between a father and daughter. At the same time we learn a bit about the process of tying a turban.
The sweet illustrations were created digitally.

5 stars

This is wonderful. It's based on the author's experiences. A young boy with one leg is enjoying an imaginary adventure in a playground. Along comes a girl who wants to know what happened to his other leg. A crew of other children arrive and ask the same question. The guesses they make are hilarious. 
We see how uncomfortable this interrogation makes the young boy. Eventually the children all participate in the imaginary play and his missing limb is almost forgotten. How he lost it becomes insignificant.
This book teaches an important lesson about manners and kindness. It's not ok to ask people about their disability.
My father, who used a wheelchair for most of his life, never minded if children (or adults) asked him questions. He used to say he would rather they ask than pretend he didn't exist. Still, it's important to remember that not all people feel like this.


Caden discovers something remarkable in his yard. He's certain that it's a treasure and he's not going to let anyone convince him otherwise. You can read my full review, and see some of the artwork here. 


NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas by Elizabeth Shreeve & Frann Preston-Gannon May 11, 2021

Gorgeous illustrations and clear text introduce readers to the evolution of life in oceans. From then on they show us how life evolved on land.

NOVELS


What a book! Can anyone ask for more than adorable characters, monsters in love, a literary puzzle, and a road trip? 

I love that these characters are unique individuals. Zed is an adorable non binary nerd. They connect with quiet, shy, Gabe, a nerdy plant enthusiast, over an unpublished book that's disappeared. Between the two of them they decipher clues to the novel's whereabouts. Sam, Gabe's older sister, drives them to the different locations while on her way to university. There's plenty of humour, ice cream, weird festivals, excitement and suspense. It's sure to keep readers of all ages happy.

5 stars

Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya (Author & Narrator) August 21, 2018

This book was on my must-read list. It’s been there for a couple of years and I’m glad I kept it there.
I adored Marcus, his brother Charlie, his mother, and all his Puerto Rican family. There are books with characters you want to be real. These are some of those. I wish they lived next-door to me.
Charlie is all you could ask for in a down syndrome character in a MG novel. He's rich and complicated with a delightful sense of humour. What we hope to accomplish through integration of kids like him into regular classrooms - getting the rest of the class to see him as a person - is achieved through this novel. It's sure to make life for all the other kids like Charlie a little easier.  
Marcus hasn’t seen his father for 10 years. When he gets suspended from school after hitting a bully, the family decides to take a trip to Puerto Rico where his father lives. Marcus is certain that if they can only find him, his father will save them.
At some point in our lives we discover who are parents really are. Luckily Marcus has a solid network of friends and family when he comes to understand that his father is not the person he wanted him to be.


Holy Carumba! That was some saga! Suzanne Toren's narration was brilliant! 
The integration of science and fictional characters mesmerized me. I'm not sure what made me want to continue reading more. I loved that trees themselves become characters. 
That humans are the most destructive force on our planet is not new. What The Overstory does, is tell the tale of small groups of people who, in different ways, try to do something about it. 

CURRENTLY

XOXO by Axie Oh 
Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly
Compulsory by Martha Wells (A Short Story) 
 
UP NEXT

Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer by Leslie Gentile
My Name Is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling
Made in Korea by Sarah Suk
I will continue working away at the pile of  picture books!

BLOG POSTS PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK

Friends Forever by Shannon Hale
Bear Wants to Sing by Cary Fagan

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 21/25 

#MustReadNFIn2021 8/12

#MustReadPBIn2021 48/100 

Big Book Summer Challenge 9 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 27/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 80/100

Canada Reads 2021 4/5 

Discworld Series 41/41

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 298 /333 

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14 comments:

  1. Lisa August 16, 2021 at 11:29 AM

    I enjoyed Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish. Pablo Cartaya creates wonderful characters!

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    1. Cheriee WeichelAugust 16, 2021 at 12:41 PM

      And his narration was brilliant. I love it when author's narrate their own book. We hear the story they way they want us to.

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  2. Linda BAugust 16, 2021 at 12:20 PM

    I need to read Marcus Vega. . . Too many books fill up my space, especially new ones, thus older ones (& not that old) drop away. Thanks for sharing it, Cheriee! I loved The Overstory, amazing book, now reading Finding The Mother Tree a bit at a time. Thanks for the others, too, like "Zed", a new one to me! Happy reading & quilting & gardening!

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    1. Cheriee WeichelAugust 16, 2021 at 12:45 PM

      I've known about Finding the Mother Tree for a while. (Suzanne Simard is Canadian!) I've actually added it to my list and have tentatively added it to my 2022MustRead list!

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  3. CrystalAugust 16, 2021 at 1:15 PM

    I will definitely want to take a look at What Happened to You. I tried to read The Overstory, but didn't get very far - just a few chapters. I was reading it for a book club and when I ran out of time, I just never picked it up. It seemed like it was well written, so maybe I'll pick it up again sometime.

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    1. Cheriee WeichelAugust 16, 2021 at 7:38 PM

      What Happened to You is an important book. I'm not sure I would have finished The Overstory had I been reading it with my eyes, but listening to it while I went about my daily chores was exceptional.

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  4. Jane @ www.raincitylibrarian.caAugust 16, 2021 at 4:00 PM

    I'm excited to read What Happened to You, I love that it reflects the author's own experience.

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    1. Cheriee WeichelAugust 16, 2021 at 7:39 PM

      The author, James Catchpole, has a wonderful video on his website of a converstation with his daughter when she realized he only has one leg. It's adorable.

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  5. Laura MossaAugust 16, 2021 at 4:38 PM

    I think Michele shared What Happened to You a few weeks ago and I forgot to see if my library had it available. Thanks for the reminder! The Deepest Dig looks intriguing. I'll check out your blog post to learn more!

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    1. Cheriee WeichelAugust 16, 2021 at 7:40 PM

      Hope your library has a copy of What Happened to You. If you get a chance, check out James Catchpole's website.

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  6. Max @ Completely Full BookshelfAugust 17, 2021 at 7:06 AM

    It sounds like you've been up to a lot lately—your sewing projects sound like a lot of fun! What Happened to You? sounds like a lovely story—my library doesn't have it as an e-book, but I'll keep checking in case it turns up. Hair Twins looks great as well! The Fabulous Zed Watson sounds fantastic—I'm surprised I have never seen it before, but if I ever have time to cram it in, I will. And I have family who read and enjoyed The Overstory as well. Thanks so much for the great post!

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    1. Cheriee WeichelAugust 17, 2021 at 7:33 AM

      You can see the author reading his book here. https://youtu.be/H785j9wg-BU

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  7. Rebecca HerzogAugust 17, 2021 at 7:17 PM

    Lots of great books this week. I've added Hair Twins and the Overstory to my TBR. Happy Reading!

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  8. TestAugust 18, 2021 at 2:48 AM

    I'm impressed that you finished a Dresden Plate in six months, and also that you still make your own clothes. I may start sewing more, just so I can use some interesting fabric I have. I made nearly everything I wore in high school except for jeans, but I also worked at a fabric store. If I can get a blazer at the thrift store for $3, I will do that to avoid the frustration of getting things to fit. You must have a knack (or a lot of experience!).

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