Showing posts with label Canadian Author. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canadian Author. Show all posts

#IMWAYR December 12th, 2022


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 didn't get a chance to respond to everyone's blog posts last week, but I did read almost all of them! I will try to do better this week. 

Although I am still fighting an infection, we are starting to get into the winter festival spirit. My partner and I are excited that our boys and their families are planning to be here for Christmas. We have picked out our tree and will probably collect it the end of this week or the beginning of next. I am also beginning to panic a wee bit thinking about everything that I think needs to be accomplished before then. On my agenda for this week is making a master list. Once I've got this under control I will feel better. 

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

Forever Home: A Dog and Boy Love Story by Henry Cole August 16th 2022

This wordless book will steal your heart. 
First we see a stray dog no one wants. Then we are introduced to a boy who wants a dog. While we might anticipate the ending where the two are united, the boy has a lot to go through to prove to his fathers that he can be responsible enough to look after a pet. This entails keeping his room clean and going on regular walks with an empty leash. He even makes a connection to the stray dog while out and about. Eventually there is a happy ending for both of them.
Henry Cole's detailed black and white artwork is just stunning. I really appreciate that the the boy's gay parents are incidental to the story.

MG NOVELS


Four children, (one of them a ghost) end up in a battle with a massive, monster ghost who's ultimate goal is control over both the worlds of the living and the dead.
This is a little bit ghostbusters and a lot Lockwood & Co. It's chock full of action, chunks of hair raising terror, and a bit of romance. The friendship between them, especially the two boys, is delightful.
I'm hoping there will be a sequel.


Answers in the Pages by David Levithan, Christopher Gebauer (Narrator),
Vikas Adam (Narrator) & Oliver Wyman (Narrator) May 10th 2022

Donovan's mother gets her knickers in a knot when she reads the end of The Adventurers, a novel Donovan is reading with his class. One boy acknowledges that he loves another boy, but whether or not this means the boys are gay is never made explicit. His mother claims that it is not appropriate for grade five students. Donovan disagrees with her, but she never even talks to him about it.
On the one hand the book takes us through the process of what happens when a book is challenged and how different people react to it.
On the other hand we see Donovan becoming friends with, and developing a romantic relationship with a new boy in his class.
I have been a fan of Levithan's work since reading Boy Meets Boy. I fell in love with the world of possibility and acceptance he creates.
Listening to the Author's Note in the back matter of this book brought back lots of memories for me about how I went about introducing books with queer characters into our school library. David Levithan's book, Boy Meets Boy, and James Howe's Totally Joe, are two of them. Luckily, I got no flack from parents or administration.
Thanks to Jennifer Sniadeck for the heads up about this book.

MG NON FICTION


This illustrated short memoir tells of the author's life before he was taken from his home and community to attend residential school. In his last summer of freedom we see a boy learning to become a man within an extended loving family. There is no doubt that he belongs here.
Heather D. Holmlund's artwork is absolutely stunning. https://www.hdholmlund.com/new-page-1
An epilogue in the back matter talks more about Lawrence's and other children's experiences in these so called schools. Many could not read or write when they left. This section also includes photographs of the authors family and his time at the institution.

I wish I had this book when I was introducing readers to The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.
Until I read this biography, other than that she had worked with primates, I knew very little about Dian Fossey. I was fascinated to learn more about her work to save mountain gorillas. I loved reading about the relationships she formed with many of them. At times I was brought near to tears. 
Dian Fossey was a complex, difficult, and at times troubled soul. She made a lot of enemies including people who also wanted to protect these magnificent creatures. The list of suspects for who might have murdered her is very long.  
I am especially impressed by the caliber of this nonfiction book. It is chock full of all kinds of text features: a table of contents, captioned photographs, maps, headings, bold words, sidebars, glossary, index, and where to go for additional information. 
This is really a book for people of all ages. If I was working in a high school library I would make sure I had all of Anita Silvey books in this series. I'll try to find the rest of them to read. 

I adore this series. The Thursday Murder Club is made of four aging pensioners, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim, who meet at least once a week to try and solve cold case murders. In this book they try to find out who murdered Bethany Waites, a TV journalist. At the same time, Elizabeth is coerced into murdering an old friend or Joyce will get killed. 
Not only are these books full of adventure and suspense, they are absolutely hilarious. I appreciate how much Richard Osman, in creating such rich characters, shatters stereotypes of older people. In this case we see that Stephen, Elizabeth's partner, might have some kind of dementia, but that doesn't mean that he still isn't capable of some brilliant deduction of his own. I like the bits of romance too. 

CURRENTLY

A Green Velvet Secret by Vicki Grant 🍁
A Sorrowful Sanctuary (Lane Winslow #5) by Iona Whishaw 🍁
Narwhalicorn and Jelly (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #7) by Ben Clanton 🍁
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

UP NEXT - HOPEFULLY/MAYBE?

The Line in the Sand by Thao Lam 🍁
The Song That Called Them Home by David Alexander Robertson & Maya McKibbin (Illustrations) 🍁
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
On Animals by Susan Orlean
READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 24/24

#MustReadNonFiction 17/18

Canadian Authors 78/100 three in progress

Indigenous Authors 19/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 272/250

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 7
Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Posted by 8 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

#IMWAYR October 24, 2022

Welcome readers! 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.

Life has been busy, but we have no company scheduled for the next while, the garden is sort of under control, and I feel like I might have my reading mojo back. Today is a catch up post from the last couple of weeks, but I hope to be back on track posting and responding regularly every Monday for the next while.

November 2nd is I Read Canadian Day!

The finalists for the Governor General Literary Awards were announced last week. Some I've read, but those I haven't are now on my wish list. 
I do my best to read as many books by Canadian authors as I can. Four of the titles I finished this week fit this bill. All the books I am currently reading meet that criteria. I'll be reading only Canadian authors in the near future. Next week I plan to do a blog post on the Canadian Authors I have read in the last year or so. In the meantime, here are some links to I Read Canadian Day from 2021.
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

A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall 🍁 & Vera Brosgol (Illustrator) July 19th 2022

If you don't already have this in your school library, hurry up and purchase it for your Halloween collection. 
It's hilarious. It isn't obvious at first, but a witch is making a batch of soup on a cooking show. It actually sounds pretty good except for the cup of fly extract. Then she tries to catch a spoonful of frogs. If you have ever tried to catch a frog, you will appreciate the impossibility of getting one to sit on a spoon. Children of all ages will chuckle at the witch's antics as she tries to pull it off. 


I wish I had read this with my grandchildren to find out what they think of it. As much as I appreciated this book, (I am a sucker for these kinds of generational relationships) I wonder if they would find it as engaging.
It's the story of an immigrant family bringing a seed from home and planting it in their new country. In this case, the walnut tree grows tall while the boy who planted it becomes elderly and frail. He gives a nut from the tree to his granddaughter and tells her the story of how she came to receive it. Together they plant it in a pot and nurture it.
When he eventually dies, the girl and her mother plant the sapling outside beside the mother's and grandfather's trees.
I liked how this story shows us death in the larger context of the cycle of life, but doesn't diminish the young girl's grief.
I would pair this book with The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland.

When city hall doesn't have the information a young boy wants, inspired by his grandmother, he sets out to collect the data for himself.
He goes door to door collecting information about who in his neighborhood has a dog, and the dog's name. Not everyone has a dog, so he ends up collecting data about all sorts of different pets. Eventually, this data is used to create a dog park in the community.

Thanks to Myra @ GatheringBooks and Linda @ Teacher Dance for introducing this book to me. 

While this story is told from a child's point of view, I completely connected to it. While I miss my grandchildren and sons, this little person misses a grandparent. It's hard for all of us to live so far apart.
Suzy Lee's depiction of the grandmother had me thinking about the Korean grandmother of two of my granddaughters. At least I get to see our darlings once in a while. Since Covid, she hasn't even seen the newest, now two and a half, except through FaceTime. I am very lucky. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS 


This has been nominated for a 2022 Governor General Literary Award. Once you read it you will understand why.
Honestly, I wasn't sure I would like it, but the author is Canadian, and it has that nomination. I ended up completely enthralled. Time is a tricky idea. Julie Morstad provides multiple metaphors and concrete examples of what time feels and looks like. Her artwork is just gorgeous. 
As I was reading I wished it had been around when primary teachers would come to see me looking for a book on this very topic. I can envision using it with different ages as a springboard to thinking about time as a big idea and writing our own poems and books. I hope to get the chance to use it with students.


Dan Gemeinhart gets to me every time I read a book from him. I can't help but adore his characters. This one is a story about friendship and belonging. It's quirky, bizarre and full of sweetness with a hint of magical realism thrown in.
I started and finished it in one sitting.
Ravani Foster is a lonely boy who while staring out his window one night, sees a group of children move into the house across the street from in. He is befriended by Virginia, one of the girls. That friendship is the catalyst that changes all of their lives.
I especially appreciated the tone of the omniscient narrator. It is reminiscent of an old time story teller, every once in a while dropping in hints of what disasters might be coming next.

This bilingual tale (Spanish and English) is the story of a crew of Latino students who end up working together in their school cafeteria for community service.
We come to see them as unique individuals with different kinds of struggles, but just like the homeless mother and child they try to help, their differences are invisible to their supervisor who assumes they are all the same.


This was a lot of fun. Rose, a waitress and wanna be chef, serves a special dessert to a food critic and ends up getting an invitation to a cooking contest. If she wins she will be able to pay for tuition and living expenses at a top culinary school. It takes a bit, but eventually she convinces Fred, her best friend, to partner her. Winning half of $500,000 dollars will go a long way to help out his family's struggling restaurant.
The contest proves to be more harrowing than they could have imagined. By the end, they learn a lot about cooking, but even more about their feelings for each other.
I liked a lot about this book, especially the recipes for the different desserts! I'm hoping to get to making some macarons in the near future!

YA & ADULT FICTION

4 stars

The Merciless Ones (The Gilded Ones, #2) by by Namina, Forna & Filippa Suenson (Narrator) May 31st 2022

I'm certain that I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I hadn't just finished The Obelisk Gate before starting it.
In spite of this, I ended up completely engaged in this continuation of Deka's story. It's chock full of action, convoluted plot twists, secrets, and betrayal. It's fine enough that I would have started the next one right away had it been available.
 

This was brilliant. I was totally hooked from the get go. It's the story, set in a not to distant future, of genetic engineering gone terribly wrong. Logan Ramsay's mother was a brilliant geneticist whose misguided, but well meaning work, ended up destroying food crops. It resulted in a famine where 200 million people starved to death.
Her son, now working for a branch of the American secret service, ends up contaminated by a virus that changes his genome. He ends up with different kinds of super powers. His sister also has them. It turns out that their mother, once presumed dead, is responsible for both of them. She wants them to take up her work creating a race of super humans in order to save the world. The two siblings disagree with each other about her goals and end up in a conflict that will leave one of them dead.

3 stars

The Project by Courtney Summers February 2nd 2021  🍁

Unfortunately I did not finish this book. I tried my best and made it 75% of the way.
I don't generally read books that are considered thrillers, but I adored Sadie by Courtney Summers so I was determined to give this a go. The problem for me is that Sadie is a strong character, whereas Lo Denham is weak. 
In the end I abandoned the audiobook, downloaded the ebook and read the last 10% or so. I went and tried to scan through what I missed, but the violence was too much for me. The last bit was enough to satisfy my curiosity about what happened to the characters without having to vicariously experience the brutality.
What I liked most about the book was the insight I garnered about how people can be seduced into joining a cult.
 
CURRENTLY

Rachel Bird by Becky Citra  🍁   
The Witch's Apprentice by Zetta Elliott October 22, 2019 🍁
Weird Rules to Follow by Kim Spencer October 18, 2022 🍁
Ducks by Kate Beaton September 13th 2022 🍁

UP NEXT

I've had these books on my up next list for a number of weeks now.  I do mean to get to them but must admit that they are merely suggestions.

We, Jane by Aimee Wall April 27, 2021  🍁
Butt Sandwich & Tree by Wesley King  🍁
Crows: Genius Birds by Kyla Vanderklugt  🍁
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

I will deal with the rest of the pile of picture books by Canadian authors or else!
  
READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 22/24 

#MustReadNonFiction 14/18 one in progress

Canadian Authors 61/100 four in progress

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Indigenous Authors 15/25 one in progress

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 7

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 238/250

Posted by 14 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#IMWAYR October 12, 2022


Welcome readers! 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 sit here on the Monday morning of Canadian Thanksgiving weekend midst the detritus and chaos that can only mean that the grandchildren have been visiting. After a few minutes pondering whether I should clean up, go back to bed, or write a blog post, I realized it's been a month since my last one. Either we have been away, or we have had company. Considering that for the next two weekends our house will be full of guests again, and the mess can wait, here I am. 

I wish I had done more reading, but being around people so much seriously cuts into my reading life. At least what I have read has been worth it! I'm not going to share everything I read in the last while, just what I think is important or exceptional. 

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.
I was lucky to grow up in the same small town as both my grandmothers. My sons were lucky that it was only a 5 hour drive to visit their grandparents in the same small town. My grandchildren are not so lucky. One set have grandparents in Korea.
I loved the parallels between the two grandmothers who might live on opposite sides of the world from each other, but fit into the child's life in the same ways.

5 stars

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig Eugene Trivizas &  Helen Oxenbury January 1, 1993

The five year olds were fascinated by this take on the traditional story - so much so that I was requested to read it more than once. The grandson especially liked it. It was a reminder to me how important it is to interrupt traditional narratives.  Next time they visit I will share The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.

I wasn't sure how this one was going over when I first read it to my five and two and a half year old granddaughters. The eldest left when I was still reading, but it turned out that the youngest truly enjoyed it. I had to read it to her twice. Then she managed to convince her father and grandfather to read it to her at least two other times. 
I would definitely have purchased this for our school library. It makes a brilliant addition to lifecycle collection. I appreciated the additional information in the back matter, the glossary and the index. Fiona Fogg's illustrations make this a fascinating and creepy read.  

READERS

I picked up this book because I was off to visit my grandkids. The 2 1/2 year old is a hardcore Bruce fan. Unfortunately, this was over her head and she really didn't get the humour. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Peek a Bruce, both of our favourite titles.

I dug these two The Old Witch titles out from my personal collection to read with my grandkids while they visited this weekend. When I was working I would put as many in the series as we had in our school library on display for Halloween. They were always popular, even if I did have to push a bit to get them started. 

They delighted both my five year old grandkids. I encourage you to read them if you can find any copies. They are humorous readers full of interesting plot twists. At their heart is a delightful sweetness. The two we read have different illustrators. This led to an interesting conversation about which books we liked best based on the artwork. I checked the series out and discovered that almost all the books have different illustrators. I don't think you would find this in a series today. If I was still teaching I would dig out as many different copies as I could and do a critical literacy lesson looking at how the different kinds of artwork influence our perceptions of character. 
I went looking for more information about Ida DeLage and could find nothing. If you have any knowledge about her, please let me know. 
  

The Old Witch goes to a Halloween ball dressed as herself. She is mistaken for an elderly lady who usually dressed up as an old witch. When she doesn't win first prize for her outfit, Old Witch is very angry. She has plans for retribution but luckily, the farmer's wife has a plan to stop her.  


The Old Wizzard invites the Old Witch over to show her his newest invention, a hot air balloon gondola. He tells her that she won't need her broom. Luckily, she sneaks it in when he isn't looking. It ends up being a good thing. 
I preferred the illustrations in this to the previous one because Old Witch is more human and less of a caricature. 

MG NOVELS

5 stars

Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith September 22, 2020 🍁

This book is full of humour, love, and heartache. I adored it. While I was reading it with my eyes, I kept imagining it read by Mary Walsh, or other members of the cast of This Hour has 22 Minutes.

It’s 1995 and 14 year old Barry Squires is full of bravado and piss and vinegar. His life is complicated. He has a port wine birthmark on his face that makes him a target for bullies. His mother is going through baby blues after a surprise child later on in life. Barry adores his baby brother Gord.

After watching the Full Tilt dancers perform, Barry desperately wants to become a member of this troupe of Irish dancers. He watches Riverdance twice and does nothing but practice all the moves. He figures he’s a shoe in. He plans to dazzle Father O'Flaherty with his skill and finds all kinds of ways to practice. Part of this is entertaining the residents of the old folks home.

The problem is that Barry has a temper that he can’t control. He’s also a bit of a prima donna.

The book is loaded with unique and colourful characters. Almost all of them are on Barry's side. When he meets Saibal, a brown skinned lad his own age whose family are long time Newfies, they become instant best friends. Together they do their best to get up to no good. A lot of that involves taking Gord out in his stroller for long walks around the town. When tragedy strikes, Saibal is there for him.

4 stars

Dragon Thief  (Dragons in a Bag #2) by Zetta Elliott, Ron Butler (Narrator) & Soneela Nankani (Narrator) October 22, 2019 🍁

I ended up enjoying the second in Zetta Elliots fantasy series even more than the first. Kavita, who stole one of the baby dragons Jaxon was supposed to deliver, is having trouble as the little rascal continues to grow and has now learned to escape from her room. She confides in Aunty, the elderly woman who lives with her. The two of them head out to see if they can find someone who will help them return the dragon to it's own world. They end up in serious trouble. 
After their return from the magical world, Ma, Jaxson's mentor, fell into a coma. Jaxson, along with Kavita's brother, Vikram, and their new friend, Kenny, set off to find a gate to the other realm in hopes of finding a cure for her. In the process they meet with Kavita and have to work together to keep the baby dragon safe, and return it to where it belongs.
Like the prequel, this is full of adventure and excitement. I liked that Kenny and Aunty proved to be much more than they first seemed to be. I appreciated learning about the history of black people in India. 
I enjoyed this so much that as soon as it was finished, I downloaded the next in the series. 
Zetta Elliott was born and raised in Canada, but now lives in the United States.
 
5 stars

Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd (Author and Narrator) May 3, 2022

As soon as I started reading Hummingbird, I fell in love with Natalie Lloyd's writing all over again. She reminds us of what is really important: that what we need and what we think we need, might not be the same things.
She does this by creating characters so real and heartfelt that we can't help but root for them. Perhaps I'm drawn to twelve-year-old Olive, who because she has osteogenesis imperfecta, must use a wheelchair. I grew up with a parent who used a wheelchair and am always happy to see characters of any age wheeling around. Of course, Olive's spunk and optimism makes it impossible not to admire her. I like that it's her athletic stepbrother who has insecurity issues while Olive almost spills over with confidence and determination.

5 stars

Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson & Kevin T. Collins (Narrator) February 14, 2017

Thanks to Aaron @ Wriggling Bookworms for the introduction to this one. Now that I finally finished it I have to wonder, what took me so long?
I was drawn into this world right from the get go. I remained entranced throughout.
It's the story of a couple of teens, Liam and Phoebe, who, because of their parents research work, are scheduled to leave on the last airship from Mars just before the sun goes supernova.
It's full of suspense, action, and mystery. It involves time travel, the discovery of aliens, and for the two teens, a whole new way of looking at the universe.

Bree and her single parent father are moving to Florida. She is worried, but ends up meeting Clara, a girl from her new school, in the lobby of their building. Bree looks forward to joining the Math club, but it turns out to be full. So are all the other clubs. Well, all except for Swimming. Not only can Bree not swim, she's afraid of the water. The only good thing is that Clara is also a member. After cutting swim club enough times, her father finds out and hires Etta, an older swimmer, to teach her to swim.
No one is more surprised than Bree when she makes it on the school swim team, the Mighty Manatees. The worst thing about swim meets is the group of mean girls at Holyoke Prep, a private school with top of the line amenities. They go our of their way to harass the swimmers from the public school. Things start looking up when their coach enlists Etta's help with the team, but the team itself still can't seem to come together to support one another.
I liked this book a lot. I like how it introduces readers to the history of segregation with respect to swimming and pool access. I like the relationship between Bree and her father. He works too much, but still does his best to support his daughter. I also really liked the intergenerational friendship between Etta and Bree. I appreciated that when Bree went out of her way to locate the members of Etta's swimming team, her own team began to coalesce.
I liked the bright colourful artwork. I especially admired the yellow of the Mighty Manatees compared to the other teams. On top of all the history and drama, Johnnie Christmas has added strong character development. I loved that ending with Bree and her father.
I hope there is a sequel, and expect the target audience will too.

YA & ADULT FICTION

5+ stars

The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth #2) N.K. Jemisin & Robin Miles (Narrator)

My God but I absolutely adore this series. If you haven't read it, I highly encourage you to get started. The world building and characters are frigging brilliant. I read it twice. 
It is set on a supercontinent facing a fifth season (what could turn out to be millennia of winter). The tale is told through the perspectives of Essun, a mother and gifted orogene (person with magical ability,) and Nassun, her adolescent daughter. Essun is hunkered down in the Castrima Comm where she is learning more about her powers from Alabaster, a previous lover, who is near death. Nassun's story begins with her discovery of the murder of her younger brother by their father. They embark upon a journey to a place where he thinks Nassun can be cured of her orogene. 
The only bad thing about finishing this book is having to wait for the last in the series to become available. 

This book made my heart sing. 
There are three different stories all coming together.
Tova Sullivan, 70 years old and recently widowed works cleaning the local aquarium at night. She works to take her mind off the loss of her husband and Eric, her 18 year old son who went missing many years earlier. She bonds with Marcellus McSquiddles, a pacific octopus, after rescuing him from being tangled up in cords on one of his nightly escapes from his tank.
Cameron, raised by a loving aunt, is a an aging garage band rocker with no goal or focus in life. When he is given a box of his mothers, he thinks he has a line on who his father is and sets out to find him. He ends up working in the same aquarium as Tova.
Marcellus McSquiddles, a pacific octopus, narrates this story. He deduces what happened to Eric and sees things in these two that they can't see for themselves. In his nightly excursions he does what he can to help them realize it.


The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander & Karen Cass (Narrator)

This is an ideal feel good novel. Not only does it have romance, it's got lots of conversations about books for people of all ages.


A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers & Em Grosland  (Narrator) July 12, 2022

I loved this continuation of the story of Sibling Dex and Mosscap. I loved the deepening friendship between these two characters. But when it ended, I screamed, "No, No! this can't be all there is!"
It continues the conversation about what it is that we humans need. It provides a model for living together in healthy communities where people look after each other and their environments.
While I wait for the next one in this series, I suppose I should start reading Becky Chambers other work. 

CURRENTLY
   
The Merciless Ones (The Gilded Ones, #2) by by Namina Forna
Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
The Project by Courtney Summers 🍁

UP NEXT

I've had these books on my up next list for a number of weeks now.  I do mean to get to them but must admit that they are merely suggestions.

UpGrade by Blake Crouch
We, Jane by Aimee Wall April 27, 2021  🍁
Batter Royale by Leisl Adams June 7, 2022  🍁

READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 21/24 

#MustReadNonFiction 14/18

Canadian Authors 57/100 one in progress

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Indigenous Authors 15/25 one in progress

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 7

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 227/250

Posted by 4 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

#IMWAYR September 12, 2022


Welcome readers! 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 son and his family have come and gone. After a couple of days of rest, we began to try and get the house back in order. One week later, we are still finding bits and pieces of toys hiding in odd places, but the garden is almost under control and I am managing to squeeze in time to actually read with my eyes!

I'm sharing a couple of weeks worth of reading in this post. I hope to get another one in next weekend, but we are heading to Vancouver on Saturday, and it will all depend of how crazy life is there. 

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.

BOARD BOOKS

4 stars

Alligator Pie: The Beloved Canadian Classic by Dennis Lee & Sandy Nichols (Illustrations)  🍁 October 14, 2014

Dennis Lee's collection of poetry, Alligator Pie, first published in 1974, was a favourite of my children when they were growing up, so when I found this board book, I had to purchase a couple of copies for my grandchildren. 
It's a delightful rendition, but to be honest, the meaning depicted in these images, is not what I have had in my imagination across the years. It was pie made from alligators, not pie pilfered from them. 
Still both the grandkids enjoyed this and we read it a number of times while they were here. And just like when my boys were young, we composed additional verses for the poem. 

4 stars

Stanley's Train by William Bee January 1, 2019

This bright and cheerful book delighted my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, and her 5 year old sister was happy to snuggle in while we were reading it.
Two hamsters, Stanley and Charley take a load of other hamsters to the beach for the day. The riders have as much fun on the train as they do at the beach.

PICTURE BOOKS 

5 stars

The Mitten: An Old Ukrainian Folktale by Alvin Tresselt & Yaroslava (Illustrator) January 1, 1989

The grandkids brought this with them when they came to visit. The youngest, only 2 1/2, wanted it read to her again and again. The story and illustrations are delightful. What surprised me about the book is how engrossed she was in the story given how much text is on a page.
It's a cumulative tale that begins with a mitten dropped by a boy when he is out collecting wood in the wintertime. First a mouse climbs in to keep warm. Next a frog comes along to join him. The number of animals grows in number and size until the mitten splits open.

GRAPHIC NOVEL READERS 

4 stars

Hoggy Went-A-Courtin' by Ethan Long June 14, 2022

Hoggy has a lot to learn about getting along with others, both off and on the basketball court. Luckily he has a smart little sister who isn't afraid to let him know sharing is what it's all about.
Both the 2 1/2 and 5 year olds enjoyed this. 

CHAPTER BOOKS

5 stars

Cornbread & Poppy at the Carnival by Matthew Cordel May 3, 2022

Ada, my five year old granddaughter, and I were delighted by this book. The sweetness, combined with the humour are certain to please all readers.
We learn that Cornbread is full of anxiety about all kinds of things, but that Poppy is always there for him. When Poppy convinces Cornbread to go to the carnival with her, the roles end up being reversed. They are having a wonderful time until the two friends get into a huge argument over a peanut.
The first in the series became available as an ebook from the library and we read it the next day. Then we reread this one. 

3 stars

Azmina the Gold Glitter Dragon by Maddy Mara May 4, 2021

To be honest, if I wasn't reading this book to see if I thought it would work for my five year old grandkids, I'm not sure if I would have finished this. I'm glad I did because I found some redeeming qualities in it.
It's a chapter book that celebrates the power of friendship, working together and raising our voices against evil.
All this happens in a magical world where three girls are transformed into glitter dragons. When this special world is threatened by dark forces, the queen sends them on a quest to find ingredients for a magic potion. Even if they do collect all of it, they still have to figure out what to do with it.

MG NOVELS

4 stars

New from Here by Kelly Yang & Justin Chien (Narrator)

Based on her family's own experiences of moving from Hong Kong back to America at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, this novel tells of a family's tribulations once they reach America. Much of this: the fear, the home schooling, the shortages, the price gouging, and the racism, are part and parcel of what we all know happened and continues to happen.
What I appreciated most about this book is how Kelly Yang puts it all into the perspective of one family. I like that she highlights the positive aspects of public education and teachers who teach within the system.
There were times when I cringed at some of the choices Knox, the main protagonist, makes. I also couldn't believe the children's mother wasn't more aware of what they were up to - especially with regards to the garage sale. Letting them make so many choices unsupervised seemed irresponsible. I'm willing to acknowledge that perhaps this is just because she isn't used to being a single parent.


4 stars

Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott (Author and Narrator) & Ron Butler (Narrator) October 23, 2018 🍁

Jaxon, a young black boy, is dropped off at a cranky old woman's place when his mother has to go to court. The woman, who turns out to be a witch, is full of fascinating surprises. When she takes Jaxon with her on a mission to deliver newly hatched dragonlings, all sorts of mishaps occur. Jaxon ends up with the three little creatures, but by the time they are delivered to their rightful owner, one of them is missing. 
If it had been available, I would have started The Dragon Thief right away. 
Zetta Elliott was born and raised in Canada, but now lives in the United States. 

GRAPHIC NOVEL


Cub by Cynthia L. Copeland January 7, 2020

Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down.
It is a semi fictionalized biography of the year Cynthia Copeland was in grade 7. 
Grade 7 is a tumultuous year. She and her best friend become estranged. She experiences her first romance. With the help of one of her teachers, she ends in a mentorship program with the local newspaper's female reporter.
Maybe her life didn't exactly unfold like it does here, but the essential bits are true.
I was at university at this time and remember clearly the political and cultural reality that she writes about here. It was an exciting time to be a woman. 
While the graphic novel format enables readers to better understand this historic time, it also reveals a world of whiteness. As feminist as this book is, it's good to remember that is only a small slice of what life was like for the rest of the people in her country and mine, especially for BIPOC & LGBTQ people. 

YA & ADULT FICTION

4 stars

The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett & Shayna Small (Narrator) June 2, 2020

Two black sisters from a town of light skinned black people, leave home to head for a better life. One of them abandons her sister and starts a new life passing as a white woman. Not even her husband knows her secret. The other marries a dark skinned man. When he becomes increasingly abusive, she returns to her home town to raise her very black skinned daughter. In time the two cousins connect.
This is a thoughtful look at many complicated aspects of racism.

ADULT NON FICTION 

5 stars

Stories of Métis Women: Tales My Kookum Told Me by Bailey Oster et al August 6, 2021  🍁

I appreciated reading the many stories of these strong, proud women.
It is history told from the perspectives of different Metis women. If you have read anything about Louis Riel and his work for his community, you already know important information about the Metis people. Historically they are a mix of white men and indigenous women, but this alone does not make one Metis. It's predicated on a rich matrilineal heritage with a unique language and culture. The Metis people dealt with much of the same horror as Indigenous people of Canada. Unlike Indigenous people who had some land to call their own, the Metis ended up living on road allowances and squatting on Crown land.
This book is organized into different sections. Each section alternates English text with a translation into Northern Michif, the Metis language. Michif is a combination of Cree, French and occasionally English. There are many different dialects.
This is an important read for all Canadians and people interested in women's issues and justice.

 

CURRENTLY
   
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt May 3, 2022

Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith September 22, 2020 🍁


UP NEXT

I've had these books on my up next list for a number of weeks now.  I do mean to get to them but have to admit that they are merely suggestions.

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas May 17, 2022 🍁

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers July 12, 2022

The Heaviness of Things That Float by Jennifer Manuel April 1, 2016 🍁

READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 20/24 

#MustReadNonFiction 14/18

Canadian Authors 54/100 one in progress

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Indigenous Authors 15/25 one in progress

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 7

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 212/250


Posted by 3 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)