Library Matters: #Disability

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

The Deepest Dig by Mark David Smith & Lily Snowden-Fine (Illustrator)

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
What Happened to You? by James Catchpole & Karen George (Illustrator) April 6, 2021

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.

The Deepest Dig by Mark David Smith & Lily Snowden-Fine (Illustrator) August 15, 2021 🍁

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

5 stars

The Fabulous Zed Watson! by Kevin Sylvester & Basil Sylvester January 26, 2021 🍁

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.

5 stars

The Overstory by Richard Powers & Suzanne Toren (Narrator) April 3, 2018

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