Showing posts with label #IndigenousIllustrator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #IndigenousIllustrator. Show all posts

#IMWAYR June 24, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

We have had an abundance of guests in the last couple of weeks. My cousin visited and we celebrated our birthdays. Hers is in May, and mine is coming up. My baby brother arrives today and will be here to celebrate with my other baby brother who shares a birthday with me. Both my 'little' brothers are now over six feet... 

I haven't planted much new in the garden because I have been busy keeping the weeds under control, harvesting peas and greens and picking raspberries. When my cousin was here I found a recipe for raspberry daiquiris and between the 21 jars of jelly that we made and those drinks, I've almost cleaned out the frozen berries from last year.  

Here in Canada, June is Indigenous People's month. I've been trying to focus on Indigenous and Native American literature. I hope you find something here to enjoy. 

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

5 stars

Muinji'j Asks Why: The Story of the Mi'kmaq and the Shubenacadie Residential School by Shanika MacEachern, Breighlynn MacEachern, Zeta Paul (Illustrator) 🍁

This is more like an illustrated short story than a picture book because the pages are quite text heavy. 
Muinji'j comes home from school and tells her grandparents that her teacher wouldn't let her say anything about their stories of residential school. They sit together and the grandparents tell the history of colonization from their perspective. I really appreciate that not only do readers learn about the elders residential school experience, they also learn the historical context for why and how it came about. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS


This delightful book is chock full of all kinds of important information. The graphic novel format with different talking species makes it fun to read. It starts with a tree falling and beginning its new life as a nurse log. It explains what happens in the spring of the first year, then moves on to summer, year ten, when a new fir tree gets a foothold. Then it jumps forward to autumn, year 100 to show how the nurse log still supports a host of plants and animals. Meanwhile, that "fir tree grew tall with roots that stretched over the nurse log." Next we see the tree in the winter 500 years after it first toppled. The log has almost disappeared. The fir tree now reaches for the sky. In the spring, year 1000, there is no sign of the nurse tree. "In its place now, the giant fir tree stands and stretches to the sun." Finally, what happened to the original tree happens to this one, and the cycle begins anew. I read this to a group of grade 3/4's last week and they especially enjoyed seeing the change over time. 


This is the finale in a series I adore. Jaxon is a young black boy who was apprenticing to be a witch before he discovered his connection to a phoenix. Ultimately this book is about a search for peace between human and magical realms. In the previous book, the Supreme Council appointed Jaxon to be the ambassador to Palmara, (the magical realm.) He and his friends set out to negotiate with Sis, the Guardian there. They succeeded in destroying the enchanted bridge, but not before Scourge, a magic eating monster, crosses over into Palmara. He fought Sis, defeated her, but didn't finish her off.
Scourge claims that he wants to live among the rest of the inhabitants of Palmara in peace. Most don't believe him, but Vic, one of Jaxon's friends, believes it's possible and works with Scourge to find alternative sources of magic. 
Then Ol-Korrok shows up with nefarious plans of his own. He manipulates Scourge into going to the human realm and feasting on the magic there. Before the story is over, there is be a war between the witches and Scourge. 
I love that this series has a diverse cast of characters. While the first book focuses on Jaxon, the following stories highlight the roles his friends play. 
I was fascinated by Scourge's addiction to magic, and that Vic and his Spiders were able to remember a time in history when Scourge didn't need it. I hoped he could be redeemed, but Ol-Korrok's hold over him was too strong. 
I mostly enjoyed this, but aspects of the ending just didn't work for me. Ol-Korrok's transformation felt rushed and didn't make sense - especially given that he had barely finished encouraging Scourge to take the rest of the magical world on. 
Perhaps it is because I had a sister with mental health and addiction issues, but as I read this novel, I couldn't help but make parallels between Scourge's desire for magic, and an individual dealing with drug addiction, and even the crisis of addiction more generally. 

I adore the artwork in this book almost as much as I do the story itself. The story begins with a Japanese man coming to a northern museum to repatriate a suit of armor and sword. The curator is happy to return the armor to its family of origin, but the sword has been taken. A young boy who is visiting the museum takes the man to where the sword should be. A battle ensues and the Japanese man is badly hurt. They young boy gets the injured man to his grandmother who ends up healing him. Eventually she helps get the sword returned to him without bloodshed. 
I really appreciated that it is the elder who manages to bring peace and heal all the combatants. I especially loved these Dene Laws. 

This book takes a comprehensive look at the causes and consequences of inequality. It's fairly global in outlook but focuses primarily on OECD countries. I really like
the layout.  As you can see from the Table of Contents, it is organized into three main sections. The book is loaded with all kinds of text features to make the information easier to understand. It includes graphs, illustrations, labeled diagrams, side bars, and fact boxes. I appreciate that many of the latter tell the story of real people. Each Chapter has a section at the end called The Takeaway, that reviews the important ideas presented. It also includes a section called Learn More! that presents links to other places and people if you wish to expand your knowledge. 
The final section is important as it takes young readers through many ways that they can get involved in changing their world, even if they are too young to vote. 
If I was still working in the library, I would purchase a copy of this book. If I was working in a secondary school, I'd purchase two. 
 
ADULT/YA FICTION

5+ stars

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley & Isabella Star LaBlanc (Narrator)

Angeline Boully's first novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, was one of the best books I read in 2021. Warrior Girl Unearthed will be in my top 10 this year.
Perry Firekeeper-Birch is niece to Daunis, the protagonist from the first book. The story is set ten years later. Perry is into fishing, hunting, gardening and hanging out with elders and telling stories. A minor automobile accident ends up with her working as a summer intern to pay Daunis for the cost of the repairs. She starts out working in the tribal museum. A meeting at the nearby college introduces her to artifacts that ought to be returned to the band. Cooper Turtle, her mentor, tries to instil an ethical way of living in Perry, but she's impulsive, strong willed, and doesn't understand why things need to be done in a proper way if the ending is the same.
Perry and other interns end up planning a heist to take back a collection of stolen remains from a local white man. They soon learn that it's more dangerous than they first anticipated and that many people can't be trusted. 
I appreciate how much I learned about NAGPRA. I ended up searching to see what we have like it in Canada. I was delighted to see that recent changes to NAGPRA require institutions to obtain permission from tribes to display remains and cultural objects. This has forced museums to shut down Indigenous sections of their exhibits. Hopefully it will mean that those artifacts will be returned to their owners. Unfortunately, Canada has no such laws in place. 
I liked the bit of romance between Perry and another intern, Erik. It felt authentic and healthy. Most importantly, it was a minimal part of the story. 
Just like in the last book, I loved the elders. I especially enjoy the humour they bring. 


This book won the Giller Prize in Canada and was shortlisted for the 2023 Booker. It doesn't have a plot, but I couldn't put it down. When I finished it, I still wasn't sure what was going on. It's a dark book that examines power dynamics, racism, and groupthink. 
An unnamed, and unreliable, narrator leaves her job to go to some unknown countryside to live with her older brother. He expects her to submit to looking after him and his house. Not only does she do this, she seems to consider it an ideal she must achieve.
She is the youngest of a large Jewish family. It is never out in the open, but there are hints of what might have been a previous incestuous relationship between the two siblings. Neither of them are very likeable.
The local people fear her and hold her responsible for the unusual troubles of local livestock. It might be because she is Jewish, but the crafted gifts of greenery woven into men that she leaves on their doorsteps most likely exacerbates things. 
For me this book was a reminder of how dangerous group paranoia can be. In a different time the narrator could easily be accused of witchcraft. 


The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling September 28, 2021

I could not finish this book. It had too much sex and not enough story. I stuck around for longer that I should have because I wanted to know how the hex problem was resolved. I ended up giving up. 

CURRENTLY 

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee June 2, 2016

A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return by Zeina Abirached, Edward Gauvin (Translator), Trina Robbins (Introduction) October 22, 2007

Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story by David Alexander Robertson & Scott B. Henderson (Illustrator) April 27, 2015 🍁

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu February 1, 2022 🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 12/25 

NonFiction 18/24 one on the go

Canadian Authors 37/50 one on the go

Indigenous Authors 15/25 one on the go

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 114/200  

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#IMWAYR April 8, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

I started out trying to write a poem a day for April. I'm settling for achieving at least one line I like.

I'm also working on a new sewing challenge these days. The focus is circles and the criteria is that we have to do something we have never done before. I'll post a picture when it's finished (or abandoned.)

Otherwise, it's been a busy couple of weeks trying to get the yard under control. My pea plants are finally up. It's gotten a bit cold recently so I haven't stayed outside for long. I usually plant primula in pots this time of year, but the growers plants were frozen and not many survivors made it to our part of the world. I planted pansies instead and am hoping it doesn't get really cold and kill them off. 

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.

PREVIOUS POST

PICTURE BOOKS


I chose to read this book because here in Canada, January 4th is National Ribbon Skirt Day. This came about in honour of Isabella Kulak, who was shamed by an ignorant staff member for wearing a ribbon skirt to school. 
Bunten's book is mostly about Native American Indians, but the meaning behind the skirts (and shirts) is the same across Turtle Island. 
The first part of it is a fictionalized account of a family watching Deb Haaland's inauguration. They have a celebratory feast that looks and sounds delicious! It ends with the extended family making ribbon skirts and shirts together. 
The back matter includes additional information about Deb Haaland, the history and meaning of ribbon skirts, and a two page spread about how to take action to protect our world. 
I had been thinking about ribbon skirts for a while. Mostly I've been wondering if it would be appropriate for me to make one for myself. I like to think it's to honour my Menominee grandmother, but honestly, I really don't know much about Menominee culture. I'm still questioning what my true rational for wanting one is. 

4 stars

Winter: A Solstice Story Kelsey E. Gross &  Renata Liwska (Illustrator)

This is a sweet story about collaboration and inclusion. A group of animals gather together around a tree in a forest to celebrate the longest night. Each one contributes something towards the benefit of the others. When an unexpected guest appears, they too are welcomed. 
 
CHAPTER BOOKS


I wrote about Salma Makes a Home a couple of weeks ago. This sequel is equally impressive.
This book focuses on siblings. Salma's uncle, Khalou Daawood, has moved to Vancouver, but there is tension between him and her mother because of his marriage to another man. At the same time Salma's mother is expecting a baby.
Salma is determined to be the best big sister ever. When she can't find anything at the local library to help her figure out how to do this, she decides to write her own book. Salma interviews her school friends about being an older sibling and begins her book.
But how can Salma become the best big sister when her mother can't accept her little brother? How do siblings fight and deal with strife?
After she and her best friend do something terrible, Salma destroys her book. Then she gets into a huge argument with her mother.
A long conversation with Khalou Daawood helps put her worries into perspective and fix the terrible thing she did with her friend. Even her mother learns a few things about being a better big sister.


Thanks to Linda Bai who talked about this book a couple of weeks ago. I immediately downloaded the audiobook version and began listening. 
I fell instantly in love. From the beginning first lines of "I turn I turn I turn before I lie to sleep and I rise before the Sun. I sleep inside and sleep outside and have slept in the hollow of a thousand-year-old tree,” the writing is bloody brilliant. Ethan Hawke's narration is exceptional. The last time I loved a book with animal characters this much was The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt with Lyle Lovett as narrator. (Also, E.B. White reading Charlotte's Web is pretty spectacular)
I suspect that the only problem with listening to this book, is missing the artwork by Shawn Harris.
Dave Eggers characters are unforgettable. I adore Johannes, the free dog who lives in a park. He is the eyes for the park's three resident bison. When changes come to their park home, Johannes and the rest of park's animal inhabitants have to figure out how to deal with them. 
If you think you might want to read this book aloud to some children, don't bother, just listen to the audiobook together. 
I on the other hand, now plan to read this book with my eyes. 

The summer before 5th grade turns out to be chaotic for Ferris Wilkey. Her beloved grandmother, Charisse, has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Her six year old sister gets arrested for trying to rob a bank. Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and moved into their basement to paint the history of the world. Aunt Shirley has given Ferris a disastrous perm. There is a ghost to be dealt with. 
Luckily Ferris has her best friend, Billy Jackson, renowned pianist, to help her get through it all. (I admit to taking a break from reading to listen to Mysterious Barricades)
Even though this book is often hilarious, I ended up worrying a lot. Mostly I worried about Pinky. Thankfully, by the end of the book we figure her out a bit. More importantly, Ferris and Pinky become close. 
This book reminded me of DiCamillo's Tales From Deckawoo Drive series - a whimsical world populated by children, adults and animals, whose lives intersect in delightful ways. 
DiCamillo's books might be labelled children or MG, but adults will probably get more from them. 

ADULT/YA FICTION

4.5 stars

Bad Cree by Jessica Jones & Tanis Parenteau (Narrator) January 10, 2023  🍁

Calling this horror (a genre I can't handle) is a misnomer. While reading this, I felt uncomfortable on occasion, but never felt the need to stop reading because I was terrified.
Real life for indigenous people has already been, and in many ways, continues to be, a dystopian nightmare. It was full of monsters like the wheetigo. Some were dressed up representatives of the crown negotiating treaties, some as Indian agents, others as Christian priests and nuns. Today they might look like a white men working in the field of resource extraction.
When Dallas Soonias defended this book on Canada Reads, he claimed this book was all about residential schools. Some people denied this. Now that I've read the book, I understand his meaning. This is brilliant story telling on multiple levels. I see Mackenzie, the protagonist, as dealing with decades of generational trauma. The only way she can heal is by returning home, speaking honestly about what she is going through, and working with her family to address the evil that surrounds them. Thankfully she's got some kick ass Aunties to help her. 

If you like cosy mysteries with a lot of wit, then you must give Thomas King's DreadfulWater series a try. 
The series is set in a small town somewhere in the American West. Native American Thumps DreadfulWater is an ex-cop turned photographer, who, after personal tragedy, relocated to the small town of Chinook, adjacent to a Blackfoot reservation. 
Reading one of these novels is like hanging out with old friends. There's Al, the owner of the local breakfast diner, Archie Kousolas, bookstore owner and chef, Claire Merchant, Chief of the local Blackfoot, and Sheriff Duke Hockney.
There is a lot going on in this novel. Should Thumps and Claire, his long time girlfriend and her six year old daughter move in together? Does he really want to take on the job of deputy sheriff? Can he get used to working with a digital camera and living in the modern age of wifi and smartphones? Why have so many heavyweights shown up at a low key coin exhibition? 

5 stars

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward (Author and Narrator) October 24, 2023

If Jesmyn Ward writes it, I will read it even if, often, her work is hard to read. It's loaded with truth about trauma experienced by black people. It's also beautiful. The beauty and the ugly truths are woven together into unparalleled literature.
The history of slavery before the civil war is told through the eyes of Annis, a young girl whose sire was the owner of the house where her mother worked. Her mother is ripped from her and sold. Eventually she too is sold and makes the long walk from the rice fields of Carolina to New Orleans. There she is sold and ends up in a sugar plantation in Louisiana. On that long trek Annis connects to African spirits who guide and use her on this journey through hell.
I wasn't as emotionally invested in Annis as I have been in the characters of Ward's other books. That doesn't mean I wasn't on the edge of my seat desperately wanting for Annis to survive and be free.

The book blurb calls this a warm and uplifting novel. It is. It left me with the same satisfied gush of warm feeling I got when I finished The House In The Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.
I'm not really a big romance fan, but I've been gushing about this one to friends and family. Mika is a witch of practical magic. It's a lonely existence. She has to hide who she really is, and can't spend time with other witches because of the danger inherent when too much magic is in one place. 
When she ends up accepting a job tutoring three young witches, her life is transformed. She becomes part of a found family and is accepted for who she is. She learns to overcome adversity, to trust, love, and be loved. Romance plays a part in this book. There are even a few spicy bits. Yet, while it's a significant part of the plot, it's not the most important. 
I am almost gobsmacked by Mandanna's authentic characters. Mika is rich and layered, but so are the rest of the cast. 
The most important takeaway from this book is that things don't always have to be the way they now are. 
I'm looking forward to reading more of Sangu Mandanna


"America is at a crossroads.
A country that once stood as the global symbol of democracy, has been teetering on the brink of authoritarianism."
So begins Richardson's look at the history of democracy in the USA. She writes about a nation more or less divided from the get go. The ideal of 'equality' was always a loaded word. The same 'men' who wrote the constitution, owned slaves. She shows us a country that has flirted with fascism and authoritarianism a number of times across the decades.
I wish I could say that reading this left me hopeful that the country will come together again. Yet I fear the divisiveness is even more pronounced today than it has ever been.
I feel the same way about Canada, the country I live in.


I really struggled with this book.
Maggie Smith is a brilliant wordsmith. The beauty of her words kept me reading long after I just wanted the whole thing to be over.
Here's the thing, Maggie met her husband in a creative writing class. They both dreamed of writing being their career choices. He even had one of his plays performed. Then he gave his dream up to become a lawyer to provide for the family they had together. Of course he wasn't perfect. Neither was she. In the eight hours or so listening to this audiobook, I would have liked for her to really have acknowledged what he gave up. So much of what fell apart for them, especially his wanting her to give up her writing, makes sense in the context of that.
Maybe it's because I've been married for close to a fifty years. Perhaps it's because I'm much older than the author. Anyway, as I listened to this, I couldn't help but think that perhaps if there had been more honest communication, more collaborative parenting and less traditional roles between the two of them, maybe divorce wouldn't have been inevitable. Maybe they would have understood how flawed we all are.
Smith talks a number of times about forgiveness. I suspect this is the wrong goal. Perhaps she should be looking for acceptance: acceptance of herself and her former husband.

CURRENTLY

Mexikid by Pedro Martín
Doppelganger by Naoimi Klein 🍁 
Winter's Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Lulu Sinagtala and the City of Noble Warriors by Gail D. Villanueva
Naked: Not Your Average Sex Encyclopedia by Myriam Daguzan Bernier & Cécile Gariépy (Illustrator)  🍁
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 6/25 one on the go

NonFiction 10/24 

Canadian Authors 15/50 two on the go

Indigenous Authors 7/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 67/200 
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#IMWAYR October 16th, 2023

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. 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. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

Our sons and grandkids visited for Canadian Thanksgiving last weekend. We all had a fabulous time. We got the feast over with on Saturday so they would be around to help eat the leftovers.We spent the rest of the weekend hiking around the country.


Halloween is drawing near and I've got a few books on my list today that fit the traditional kind of reading for this celebration. Yet, as I ponder other books on my list, as well as current events in the reality of the world today, I am reminded that there is really nothing scarier than real life.

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

FREE VERSE FRIDAY #10 October: Shadow

FREE VERSE FRIDAY #10 October: Shadow (Part 2)

CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS


In the third book of this series, Little Wolf has a dream that helps her address racism. She understands that when we hurt others because they are different, we end up hurting ourselves.

3 stars

Big by Vashti Harrison May 2, 2023

This book "traces a child's journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal."
I turned 70 this year and realized it was time to stop hating my body and just love and take care of it. I was never big like this girl, but I have friends who had to deal with the same kinds of crap the child in this book does. Hopefully having this book in the world will make a difference for children like them. 


I like this series from these two authors, but this book didn't do what I wanted it to. I was hoping for something that might help a six year understand more about saying sorry. Instead it's more about feeling sorry but not being able to say the words. It's still a great book that deals with what it's like when friends have an argument and how to make things better. 

I really wanted to love this, but it didn't work for me. The art work is spectacular though.

CHAPTER BOOKS


I loved this book from the very first page. It's spooky, has a formidable girl hero, and is about very different kind of people becoming best friends.
My mind was spinning with questions from the get go.
"One night,
in the middle of the night,
while everyone was asleep,
Otilla finally ran away."
As I read on, I was even more delighted. I couldn't wait to share it with my six year old grandkids.
I shared it with my granddaughter first. When we read that first page we wondered why she had to run away. Ada suggested that maybe she was running away from a residential school. (Kids know a lot these days.) A few times during our reading I had to tell her that everything would end up happily every after. After we finished it together, she picked it a number of times to read by herself. When her cousin finally arrived, he looked at the cover and was having nothing to do with the book. After a few days we convinced him to give it a try. Now he too wants his own copy of it.

4 stars

Charlie & Mouse Are Magic by Laurel Snyder & Emily Hughes (Illustrations)

My grandkids and I enjoyed this sixth book in the series as much as we like the earlier ones. It's like a peak into the lives of two ordinary boys and their parents. Charlie and Mouse are delightful brothers whose antics keep us smiling. In this one Mouse creates a magic potion. It might even work!

GRAPHIC NOVELS


This is a haunting graphic novel. The illustrations come from an animated short film of the same name. It's the story of a young woman discovering the darkness of Canada's colonial past at the same time as she learns about her family history and culture.
You can watch the film here.

I'm a Remy Lai fan so when I learned about this new book, I immediately ordered it from my library. 
July Chen is easily overlooked and forgotten. She can also see ghosts. During hungry ghost month her school holds a festival and her life gets really messy. She meets someone who she thinks is a ghost, but it turns out Will is someone who is in a coma in a hospital and his spirit is travelling. He's the first person to remember her and her name.
The story gets truly complicated as we learn more about how the two of them are connected and that July is the reason Will keeps having near fatal accidents. 
This book is perfect reading for this time of year. It has fascinating characters, well developed ghost mythology, is full of adventure. and the hungry ghosts are really creepy!

ADULT/YA NON FICTION

4 stars

The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug by Steffanie Strathdee &Thomas Patterson  🍁

The Good Virus was my comprehensive introduction to the world of phages. As soon as I finished it I started this. 
I thought that the danger of antibiotic resistant bacteria (superbugs) was at least a decade in the future, but Steffanie Strathdee's memoir opened my eyes to the reality of it today. 
On a vacation in Egypt, her husband picked up Acinetobacter baumanniione, one of the most dangerous of these. As he deteriorated, and nothing seemed to help she came to realize that he was dying and that he was, “quickly becoming the poster child for the dystopian future of the post-antibiotic age.”
Her search for a cure to save his life took her into the world of phages. She sent out emails to phage scientists who might help her find the right phage to destroy the bacteria. A number of them stepped up to search for a cure. Even when they managed to identify some that would work, meeting the FDA standards for emergency treatment turned out to be a whole new challenge. 
Today the two scientists are working on research to turn phage therapy into a viable treatment for antibiotic resistant bacterial infection. 

5 stars

Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation by Andrew Stobo Sniderman, Douglas Sanderson & Greg Rogers (Narrator) August 30, 2022 🍁

I thought I had read a lot of Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective, but after reading this book, I realized I had barely scratched the surface. What makes this one unique is that the authors provide a detailed account of how systemic racism has worked and continues to work here in Canada with regards to Indigenous people. They highlight specific historical individuals and show exactly how their actions led to policies that kept Indigenous people living in poverty. At the same time as they paint this large picture, they show what this means for ordinary people. By following the lives of different families in two communities who live across the river from one another: Rossburn, a town settled by Ukrainians; and the Waywayseecappo Indian reserve; they provide intimate examples of what this looked like in real life.   

CURRENTLY

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
On Air with Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Real Tigers by Mick Herron

UP NEXT 

Take Back The Fight: Organizing Feminism for the Digital Age by Nora Loreto
Mindy Makes Some Space by Nathan Fairbairn & MSASSYK (illustrator), 

I'm also going to continue to tackle a pile of picture books

READING GOALS 

#MustReadFiction 18/24

#MustReadNonFiction 14/20

Canadian Authors 42/75 

Indigenous Authors 20/20 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 159/200 
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#IMWAYR September 11, 2023

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. 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. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.


I contemplated skipping this week, but since we are having a huge 70th birthday celebration for my husband next weekend, decided I better do it now. 

I have been sewing again. Sewing is usually my happy place. This is true even when I'm not listening to an audiobook, but this dress for my youngest granddaughter caused me a lot of grief! Between technological problems that started with the printer dying as I was printing the pattern, to me screwing up one of my sewing machines, and my brain not figuring stuff out right, If it could go wrong, it did. In spite of all that, I'm happy with how it turned out. Crossing my fingers it fits her!


Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.
3sewin
 
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.

CHILDREN'S CHAPTER BOOKS


It's hard to imagine that this series could get better, but the addition of the Prince in Pink, might just do it. 
The Prince in Pink is a Knight who does the usual knightly things, but when he transforms into the Prince in Pink, he's the person you want to have around when it's time to prepare for a party. 
Add a grumpy and misunderstood Emu into the mix, throw in a lot more pink, glitter, and glamour, and get ready for a foot stomping read. 
I can't wait to read this with my grandkids. 

CHILDREN'S NONFICTION GRAPHIC NOVELS


Raven Mother is the most recent collaboration by two brilliantly gifted people. I've written about this series in depth previously. If you follow that link you will see examples of the artwork and see why I love these so much. 
I've yet to find such profound nonfiction that looks at different species, not only in the context of their physical environment, but also in the context of the culture of the people who share the land with them. The authors integrate these two realities, in both images and text, so that readers can't help but understand the Xsan's intimate relationship with their part of the planet. 


I suspect that this book might be easier to follow if it wasn't an audiobook. This is mostly because it jumps back and forth in time and these transitions might be easier to follow with the regular print demarcations. There are also a lot of supporting characters!
In spite of this, I ended up loving this book and hope for a sequel. This is in large part because I became invested in Kai, an immortal, body switching, demon. We meet him as he comes to awareness in an underwater prison where a mage is attempting to capture his energy to use as his own. It doesn't end well for the mage and his compatriots.
This is a book I'm going to have to read with my eyes. It's so rich and complicated that I am certain I missed a lot more than I aware of.

ADULT/YA NON FICTION


"Artist and activist Nahid Shahalimi compiles the voices of thirteen powerful, insightful, and influential Afghan women who have worked as politicians, journalists, scientists, filmmakers, artists, coders, musicians, and more."
This is a book I want everyone to read. It's not an easy one. In the middle of a dystopian reality, these women are so full of hope. It's the recent Barbie movie after Ken returns to Barbieland, only it is real life, and it's much much worse.

CURRENTLY

The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human by Siddhartha Mukherjee

UP NEXT 

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin

READING GOALS 

#MustReadFiction 16/24 

#MustReadNonFiction 13/20

Canadian Authors 34/75 

Indigenous Authors 16/20 

Big Books Summer 2023 - 16 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 138/200 
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