#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

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

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

5 stars

The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World's Largest Land Biome by L.E. Carmichael & Josée Bisaillon (Illustrations) Apr 07, 2020 🍁

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

5 stars

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good & Kyla Garcia (Narrator) 🍁Apr 14, 2020

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."

4 stars

Thrive by Kenneth Oppel 🍁May 04, 2021

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.

4 stars

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith et al Feb 09, 2021

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.

4 stars 

War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret MacMillan & Deepti Gupta (Narrator) 🍁 Sep 22, 2020

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 

Tremendous Things by Susin Nielsen

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It will be released May 25, 2021 by Penguin Teen.

This book is for everyone who has had that defining moment, that episode of utter humiliation that changes their lives for part of their life. I've got at least one of my own and bet you do too. This is about how, with a little humour and help from friends, you can rise above it. 

Wilbur Nuñez-Knopf lives with his two moms, Mup and Mum. Until grade seven he was homeschooled. His first day in public school ended up in disaster. Their teacher, Mr Markowitz, asked students to write a letter to themselves that he would return to them the day they graduated high school. Wilbur wrote honestly about his goals and dreams. Mr Markowitz accidently dropped the letter while taking it to the school's time capsule. It was picked up by the school bully, Tyler Kertz, and posted online.

Wilbur calls that his defining moment. Two years later, he tries his best to stay under the radar of everyone, especially Tyler, who hasn't let up on the name calling and snarky remarks. 

While most people avoid him, Wilbur has a couple of best friends. Sal is Wilbur's 86 year old next door neighbour. Alex has been his friend since grade 7. Being one of the queer kids makes him an outsider too. Wilbur writes poetry and Alex sets it to music. 

Wilbur's family struggles to make ends meet. Mup works a number of part time jobs while Mum tries to build a career as an actor and refurbishes old furniture to sell. Wilbur has a part time job at a Submarine Sandwich shop. When the school band ends up doing an exchange with a French school group, finding the money is a serious issue. It isn't a problem right away though because the French contingent is coming to Canada first. 

Wilbur's billet, Charlie, turns out to be a girl instead of a boy. Charlie is independent, smart and very classy. Wilbur ends up with a huge crush on her. At a dance at the end of the visit, she ends up making out with Tyler. It isn't that she likes him, she just doesn't like Wilbur in that way.

Mortified and heartbroken, Wilbur decides not to go to France. Thankfully, Sal, Alex, and Fabrizio, Alex's boyfriend, stage an intervention. What follows is like an episode from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. They revamp his wardrobe, get him repeating affirmations and improving his French. Alex and Wilbur take up running. In the process of all this Alex and Wilbur address issues between the two of them, and Alex becomes friends with Fabrizio.

Wilbur works extra shifts to make extra money to cover the cost of the trip to France. His boss made him shift supervisor rather than increase his salary. As Wilbur's self confidence grows he eventually fires a lazy, entitled employee. This backfires and Wilbur ends up getting sacked. With money tight, it looks like Wilbur might not make it. Thankfully his mom's come through for him and he is ready to head off to Paris. 

Paris is spectacular. Charlie's academic father is stern, compassionate, and hilarious. Together Charlie and Wilbur stand up to her estranged overbearing mother. No matter how the relationship between the two of them turns out, Wilbur is going to be ok. 

I liked so much about this book. 

The characters and their relationships with each other are real. Their development is authentic. Wilbur reminds me of one of my adorably geeky library monitors. Like Wilbur he was tall for his age with unique interests. Sal reminds me of the old men in my family. The parents and other adults (except for Charlie's mother) are supportive strong role models. I liked reading Wilbur's poetry. The connection to Charlotte's Web, my favourite book, delighted me completely. Wilbur started out as William, but loved the book so much he asked to change his name. This book is full of heart and humour. I laughed out loud numerous times - way more frequently than I cringed.

Ultimately this is a book about friendship. It’s about being friends across ages and cultures. I adore the honesty that Alex and Wilbur build. I love the advice that Sal gives Wilbur. I had a tear in my eye reading about their back story. I love the acceptance between all of them. I appreciate that Fabrizio makes an overture towards Wilbur to begin their own relationship. I especially appreciate that Charlie sets boundaries that ensure their continued connection no matter what the future brings. It’s a little bit about finding romance when you least expect it. This is also a book about becoming the best kind of person you can be. All you need is a little help from your friends. 

I've never read a Susin Nielsen book that I didn't love. This one might be the best so far. 

My Body in Pieces by Marie-Noëlle Hébert & Shelley Tanaka (Translation)

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It will be released April 1, 2021 by Groundwood Books.

This book chewed me up and spat me out.

I've read it three times and the emotional hit doesn't waver. Large sections of these wordless images highlight pain, anguish and despair. 

Marie-Noëlle Hébert's graphic autobiography addresses her relationship with her body. It's one most, if not all women can connect to. Anyone who has ever dieted and or exercised to try and lose weight, will connect with much, if not all of this book. 

The timeline jumps around from the present to different times in the past. We meet her at twenty, binge eating to shut out the noise of self hatred. It doesn't work. Eventually she reveals how her negative body image evolved over time. 

Hébert was a chubby baby who grew up to be a large sized girl in a world that idolized thin princesses. 

To the clothing industry, children like her don't exist. She loved to dance but had to give it up. When she was eight, her mother purchased women's clothes for her and hemmed them to fit. 

As she grew older she endured bullying by her peers. 

Family dinners, rather than being joyful celebrations, became more bombardment of negative comments. 

By her teens she came to find fault with her body piece by piece. She ended up internalizing the fat shaming.

It isn't that she wasn't healthy. She played soccer and their coach worked them so hard she lost weight. Terrified of gaining the weight back, at the end of the season she joined the school running club. 

Her obsession with dieting, exercising and losing weight wasn't enough to address her need to be seen, to be loved. She writes that she is "fat, but full of nothing."

Coming home from a running marathon, her father called her a Fat Cow. Her response begins with I HATE YOU, but ends up with I HATE ME. He continued to abuse her by calling her fat, and fat ass. 

At the age of 17 she left home. While she revelled in the times spent with friends, she still never felt loved or seen. When her self loathing and depression overwhelmed her, she isolated herself. One friend, Matilda, stayed beside her. When Marie confided her suicidal thoughts to her, Matilda recommended a therapist. 

Slowly she began to heal, to change her self talk, to start to love herself. She eventually became strong enough to confront her father. 

Marie-Noëlle Hébert leaves us with some important messages about how we imprint who we are from what we learn in our families.

"Women pass down their body shame from generation to generation...

Tradition is strong.
The judgement of others.
The lack of self-esteem.
To not be fat forever.

They thought it was more important to teach me how to hold in my stomach than teach me to stand up and be proud of myself."

Thank you so much Marie-Noëlle Hébert for this important book. We need to do better by ourselves and each other so we can do better for our daughters and our sons.