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 fabulous Halloween. Our tricker treaters got to choose between little chocolate bars or Hawkins Cheezies. My partner encouraged children to take the Cheezies while I encouraged them to take the chocolate. Americans reading this probably don't know about Hawkin's, but in the words of one of the little boys who picked them, " These are the best kind of cheezie and they are made in Canada!" I gave him and his friend two packages each.
I finished my Olivier Dunrea wall hanging quilt, and am almost finished quilting the background on the second. The reason I say almost finished is that I washed it on delicate to clean up all the markings and discovered a bit I hadn't finished sewing. Whatever, it will be fixed in a minute. Here it is draped on our sofa.
In the middle of these quilts, I started working on a couple of advent calendars for the grandkids. If you have ideas for things that fit into a pocket 3 by 3.5 inches, please let me know!
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
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| 5 stars |
Poultrygeist by Eric Geron & Pete Oswald (Illustrator) August 17, 2021
What happens when the chicken tries to cross the road, but doesn't make it? What happens when the 'other side' isn't where it planned to go?
Children probably won't get all the puns and humour in this book, but adult readers will. I wish I had a bunch of children to read this to.
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| 5 stars |
The Frog Mother by Brett D. Huson & Natasha Donovan (Illustrations) April 27, 2021 🍁
The Mothers of Xsan Series highlights the Gitxsan’s way of knowing the world by showing the integration of culture and nature. Each book introduces an animal significant to the people both ecologically and culturally. In this instance, it highlights the frog mother.
This takes the reader through the life cycle of the frog, a period spanning 5 years. It shows us that different aspects of the animal's development are connected to different times of the year and the actions of other animals. Frog Mother laying her eggs symbolizes a renewal of the land and return of the spring salmon. The Gitxzan revere Frogs as story tellers who, because of their long tongue, "speak all languages and truths of the universe."
The connection between people and frog is there in the use of the Gitxsan language in the text, but it’s integral to the illustrations. The images are gorgeously coloured in the shades of the rainforest. What brings it all together is the use of traditional art into these landscapes.
Like the others in the series, the text uses Gitxsan terms and doesn’t hesitate to use scientific vocabulary. Most of these words are explained in small text boxes on the same page.
The back matter has additional information about the Gitxsan people with a chart of the different moons. It also shows a map of their unceded territory.
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| 4 stars |
Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow & Kathleen McInerney (Narrator) October 8, 2019
There is a lot to like about this book because there is a lot going on. Hazel, a generally anxious young teen, has been forced to move in her last year at middle school. This has separated her from her best friend, Becca. Difficulty arises when Becca joins the cheer leading squad and kind of ghosts Hazel. At her new school Hazel slowly makes two new friends. At home one of her moms is pregnant again after two previous miscarriages.
Hazel is a smart nerdy girl who is interested in science, especially biology.
I really liked all the science incorporated into this through the pregnancy, the family's goats, and Hazel's writing about unloved animals.
I had a hard time with the ending when Mimi, who has already lost two babies, didn't pay attention to her health more as her pregnancy progressed. That near disaster with her and Hazel might have been a good plot device. As an adult reader, I just couldn't believe Mimi, who had already lost two babies, wouldn't have been more aware of her preeclampsia symptoms.
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| 4 stars |
Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins, Dan Bittner (Narrator) & Brittany Pressley (Narrator) October 6, 2020
Ellen Hopkins knows how to tell the hard stories - stories about real people and real families going through hard times. Cal's mother died and his father is in prison. He now lives with his Aunt, Uncle and cousin Hannah. Their story of learning to become a new family is told through the voices of the two cousins. It takes a while, but eventually they come to appreciate and care for each other.
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| 5 stars |
Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani & Polly Lee (Narrator) September 21, 2021
I once took a course on how to develop critical thinking through fairytales. Ever since then I have been fascinated by different retellings of them. Soman Chainani's collection here are some of the finest I've seen, (barring the story of The Little Boy and the Three Evil Businessmen written by one of my grade 3 students.) Each version has all kinds of twists. Some are challenging, but honestly, I found some of the original stories more terrifying than these renditions. (Especially the ones of Hansel and Gretel and Beauty and the Beast)
I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the first in the series.
Eli and Morgan travel back to Misewa, only this time, back in time. The Great Bear is a bully who harasses the people there. As they learn how to deal with Bear, they develop skills and strategies for dealing with bullies at school.
Jazz musicians are dropping dead all over London. Autopsies show that their brains were fried with magic. Peter and Nightingale have to figure out who is responsible and put an end to it. The evil doers are nearer than Peter knows. There are some pretty intense, graphic sex scenes that would make me be mindful about who I recommend this too.
Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani
#MustReadIn2021 28/25
#MustReadNFIn2021 11/12 one in progress
#MustReadPBIn2021 63/100
Big Book Summer Challenge 9
Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 35/25
Books by Canadian Authors: 99/100
Canada Reads 2021 5/5
Discworld Series 41/41
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 374/333
Well, after that introduction to Hawkins Cheezies, I've put them on my wishlist through Amazon. This might make a fun stocking stuffer for Christmas if we can swing the import fees. Your Olivier Dunrea quilt is just BEAUTIFUL! I'm completely in awe at your work. Wish I could sit at your feet and absorb some of your knowledge and experience by osmosis! I agree that there's some humor that will be especially for the adult reader of Poultrygeist, but I still loved it. And I really hate it when I've read a book and cannot for the life of me remember what happened without re-reading the synopsis. That's the case of both Hazel's Theory of Evolution and Closer to Nowhere Beasts and Beauty. That may be less about the books and more about my lack of sleep/rest and how it's impacting my memory. I keep meaning to grab up Linked by Gordon Korman, but it'll probably be a while since I'm feverishly attempting to finish my MustRead list. I've enjoyed most of Korman's work, so I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts. Have a fantastic week, Cheriee!
ReplyDeleteHazel's Theory of Evolution sounds interesting. It's one that I previously knew nothing about.
ReplyDeleteWow! The quilt is gorgeous! Currently on hold for Poultrygeist at the library and feel it will be a fun read no matter what time of the year.
ReplyDeleteYour quilts are so beautiful, Cheriee! Amidst that 'renovation hell", I have noted your books that you reviewed, especially Closer to Nowhere. I am impressed that you've read so much. Beasts and Beauty also sounds great. Long ago I read Robin McKinley's Beauty & loved it, and I love the funny tales in picture books, too. Thanks for all you shared.
ReplyDeleteWow, Cheriee—your quilt is so amazing!!! I am always impressed by how you manage to sew so well. And oh my—I'm glad the washer didn't do too much damage to the unfinished quilt! Poultrygeist sounds like such a fun and clever story, and Hazel's Theory of Evolution is intriguing—it's a shame that the situation with Mimi seems so unrealistic (I agree, not paying attention to your health after that much happening is kind of bizarre). Beasts and Beauty sounds great as well—the course you took on fairy tales sounds fascinating, as does the story written by your 3rd-grade student! Good luck with renovations, and thanks so much for the great post!
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