Showing posts with label Holocaust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holocaust. Show all posts

#IMWAYR November 22, 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.

It's been a wild week here in British Columbia and Washington State. BC is now in a state of emergency. Last weekend, from November 13th to November 15th, a level 5 atmospheric river dropped up to 250 millimetres (9.84 inches) of rain in some areas. Areas that didn't get that much, still ended up breaking all previous records for rainfall. This followed what was already one of the wettest months on record. Flooding and landslides have been intense across the province and state. Small towns have been nearly decimated. Vancouver, our largest city, was cut off from the rest of the country for a week because all the highways were closed. In one of the most important agricultural zones, Sumas lake, drained in the 1920's, has returned.

Photograph from Abbotsford News Nov. 17, 2021

The one route that finally opened up is for essential traffic only. Other routes won't be passable for at least a year, if ever. Here in my small town we were unscathed weather wise, but the usual self centred faction stormed grocery stores and cleaned out the produce, dairy, and toilet paper sections. 

In more positive news, the Governor General Literary Awards, "among Canada's oldest and most prestigious prizes for literature," were announced. Philippa Dowding won the Young People's Literature prize in the text category for Firefly, while David A. Robertson and illustrator Julie Flett won the illustrated books category, for their picture book, On the Trapline.

I finished up my advent calendars and mailed them off on Friday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that, now that the mail can get through, they will arrive in Vancouver before December 1st. Now I'm back to working on my second Olivier Dunrea quilt. 

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.


A young Cree boy is hyper sensitive to noise. His Mosom, (grandfather) teaches him an indigenous strategy called mamaskasitawew that involves learning to listen for wonder.
Read my whole review to see some examples of Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley gorgeous artwork. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS


Emmy Noether (pronounced NER-ter) solved a problem in Einstein's Theory of Relativity that none of the existing male mathematicians could figure out, but you probably haven't heard of her. She ended up proving a number of other laws of physics, but remained essentially unknown. "She worked in a field of study that didn't welcome women, and her male colleagues didn't even think to give her credit when they used her work or included it in their own."
The back matter includes additional information about this amazing woman. 
Kari Rust's artwork is hand drawn and coloured digitally. 

NOVELS

5 stars

Linked by Gordon Korman July 20, 2021 🍁

I picked this up because Ms Yingling, who is more critical than I am, gave it 5 stars. I knew it had to be good and wasn't disappointed.
A swastika is painted on a school wall in a small town in Colorado. It sets off a series of events that results in students at the school working to create a paper chain 6 million links long, to represent the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust. In spite of this, swastikas continue to show up. 
This novel is told through the perspectives of a number of students at the school. The creation of the chain, uncovering the truth about the communities racist past, and discovery of the swastika painter, transforms them and their community. 
Gordon Korman is proving himself to be a noteworthy author. While this novel contains his characteristic humour, it addresses serious issues in ways that make them approachable for his readers. I adore this quote, "A paper chain can be done when it hits certain number of links. But tolerance is a project you always have to keep working at."


This is an adult novel told through the voice of Swiv, a nine year old. Three generations of women live together. Swiv's pregnant mother, an actress, tries to take care of all of them.
It's a book about intergenerational love. It's full of family stories told to Swiv that bring us close to each member of the family - including Swiv's absent father. It's about the relationship between a girl and her grandmother. In a family full of characters, this grandmother steals the show. She's a role model for all of us aging women.
I laughed. I cried. Sometimes at the same time.
Now that I am a grandmother, I am a sucker for stories of intergenerational relationships. I'm certain I would have loved this book even without that connection.

5 stars

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr with Marin Ireland & Simon Jones (Narrators) September 28, 2021

It took me a bit to really get into this book. Mostly just until I got all the different characters and stories right. Then I could hardly stop listening.
Doerr takes characters from across time - starting with Anna and Omeir during the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and moving forward to the future with 14 year old Konstance, the last of a group of humans travelling across space in search of a new planet. Between them is Zeno, a gay man born in the 1940, and Seymour, from the present day, who doesn't fit in and finds solace in wilderness (he might be on on the autism spectrum).
What ties them all together is a fictional novel about Aethon, a shepherd who is magically transformed into different creatures in his search for Cloud Cuckoo Land. It's credited to Antonius Diogenes, a real author from around 100 CE.
There is a lot going on in this book. At the same time as Anthony Doerr braids together the stories of the different characters, he weaves in multiple themes. He highlights heroes, environmental degradation, our attitudes towards those who are different, the importance of libraries and librarians, and ultimately, the power of story.

I've taken my sweet time reading this eclectic collection of essays because each one is a treasure. Some, like those about Pard, Ursula K. Le Guin's cat, are pure sweetness. Others, like those about the declawed and defanged lynx, broke my heart. Maybe it's because I am getting on in years myself, that I found her essays on aging to be profound. Permeating all of them is tenderness and a wry sense of humour.
These essays are taken from the blog she wrote in the last years of her life. They prove that not only was Le Guin one of the worlds finest science fiction and fantasy authors, she is one of our finest authors.
This is a book I now want to own. It's a book I'm hoping to gift 

CURRENTLY

Living With Viola by Rosena Fung
Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

UP NEXT 

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

& more picture books from my #MustReadList

UPCOMING BLOG POSTS

Living With Viola by Rosena Fung

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 29/25 

#MustReadNFIn2021 12/12 

#MustReadPBIn2021 66/100 

Big Book Summer Challenge 9 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 36/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 108/100

Canada Reads 2021 5/5 

Discworld Series 41/41

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 394/333 


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#IMWAYR FEB 3, 2020

Well, here we are. 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.


Working 4 days a week really really cuts into my reading and writing time. Heck, it cuts into my having a life! How do authors who teach find time at the end of the day to do anything other than veg out in front of the TV to knit and drink a glass of wine? Thank goodness this will be my last four day work week for a while.

 I will try to read and respond to everyone's blogs, but it might not be till later on in the week. 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian Author and or Illustrator.

 Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.

 PICTURE BOOKS
5 stars
Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris & LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

 I've wanted to read this since I saw a video of LeYuen Pham describing her process of illustrating it. 
We adore this book. It is brilliant! My granddaughter dug it out of my book bag for us to read. Later I discovered her with it by herself on the floor turning the pages carefully (because it's a library book) She was telling the story to herself speaking for each of the characters. "Bear, will you be my friend? Of course I will Froggy ...."
5 stars
Small Things by Mel Tregonning

 What a profound book! Without one word, it shows us how a young boy's anxiety becomes so overwhelming it nearly destroys him. Only when he realizes that he is not the only one to feel this way, does he manage to control the monsters that are ripping him apart. I appreciate that his feelings don't go away, but he becomes better able to manage them. As he sees that other people also have these kinds of demons inside them, he is able to reach out to help them. It's a beautiful ending to a book full of truth.
4 stars
This Next New Year by Janet S. Wong & Yangsook Choi (Illustrations)

 This book tells of a young boy and his family getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year. What is hinted at is that things have not being going well for them. He is hoping next year will be better. I appreciated that this book acknowledges that many different people now celebrate this event in different ways.
4 stars
The Dragon New Year: A Chinese Legend by David Bouchard & Zhong-Yang Huang (Illustrator) 🍁

 This is a story of how the different animals came to be placed in the Chinese Zodiac. The illustrations in this are drop dead gorgeous, but it's not a book for younger readers. I read it to the grades 5, 6, & 7 groups who came to the library last week.


4 stars
The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Monica Chang, Rick Charette (Translator) & Arthur Lee (Illustrator)

 This also tells the story of the animals' racing to become part of the Chinese zodiac. It's ideal for students in grades 3, 4, & 5. I appreciated Arthur Lee's semi abstract illustrations.

GRAPHIC NOVELS
The Hidden Witch (The Witch Boy #2) by Molly Ostertag

 I wasn't as wowed by this one as I was by The Witch Boy, (which won the Cybil last year) but I still enjoyed this one a lot. I'm not sure it stands alone without having read the first one. The authentic multicultural characters are different colours and ethnicities. Charlie, the one regular human girl, has two dads. The novel has beautiful artwork that is easy to follow. The theme of people becoming monsters because of how they are treated is repeated in this novel, only this time it's a young girl who has been bullied at different schools. I really like how kind Charlie is in spite of this girl's nastiness.


Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea & Yana Bogatch (Illustrations)

 In a small community all the women have special powers. There is a special force field around the town that makes it impossible to leave. Our hero, Bucky, once longed for a power of his own, but then, his sister was kidnapped. As he searches for her he discovers the dark side of having powers.
Operatic by Kyo Maclear & Byron Eggenschwiler (Illustrations) 🍁

 I sure wish I had had a music teacher like Mr. K. who introduces his students to a gamut of musical genres. When Charlie, one of his students, is exposed to the art of Maria Callas, she discovers the song and music that becomes 'home' to her. Inspired by Callas' story, she begins to make changes in her own life. The art is gorgeous.


Surviving the City (Surviving the City #1) by Tasha Spillett, Natasha Donovan (Illustrations) Indigenous 🍁

 The history of indigenous peoples in Canada is rife with violence and oppression. This short graphic novel deals with one aspect of it: murdered and missing women, girls, and two spirited peoples.
Miikwam and Dez are best friends. The two girls spend Saturday together and head on home on separate buses. When Dez arrives home she sees that the social worker is there and rather being taken into care, runs away. When Miikwam discovers that Dez didn't make it home to her Kokum, she is terrified that she will become one more of the missing. The artwork in this is spectacular!
Crush (Berrybrook Middle School #3) by Svetlana Chmakova

 This book captures the essence of the tumultuous time of adolescence. It's all completely believable. I love how earnest Jorge and Olivia are about making their school a safe place. Sure there are the usual insecure, nasty jerks, one of whom is near to them. but ultimately these are great kids with good teachers.
My middle school self has a huge crush on Jorge. I can't help it. He's sweet, honest and exceptionally kind. He’s an athlete, but not into toxic jock culture. Alas Jorge already has a crush on someone else.

 NOVELS
4 stars
The Line Tender by Kate Allen, Jenna Lamia (Narrator)

 I loved the integration of science into this middle grade tear jerker. I loved how the community stepped up to support Lucy and related families when tragedy struck. I especially appreciated how much I learned about sharks.
5 stars
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens & Cassandra Campbell (narrator) 🍁

 Kya, a young girl left to fend for herself in a North Carolina marsh, is a sympathetic character. I couldn't help but root for her. I also liked many of the secondary characters, especially her only supporters: Tate, Jumpin' and his wife Mabel. The story is played out in two time lines, Kya's life growing up, and a murder investigation. It all comes together when she is charged with the crime. This is a brilliant book full of all kinds of plot twists and turns.
 3 stars
Kung Fu Master by Marty Chan 🍁

 Jon might be Chinese, but he is not a science and math nerd. He's also not very good at sports. Slam poetry is more up his alley. But when the local bully, Tyler, targets him, he pretends to know Kung Fu. His best friend, Par, goes along with it, and Jon ends up deep into fakery. Luckily, the new girl at school is a real Kung Fu artist and is able to rescue him.
I'm not the target audience here given that Jon is like a Chinese Greg Heffley character. (from Diary of a Wimpy Kid) That said, I liked the multicultural collection of individuals in this book and how it challenged stereotypes. I especially appreciate that a girl is the real hero here.

 NONFICTION
5 stars
It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way by Kyo Maclear & Julie Morstad (Illustrations) 🍁

 This glorious work of art pays homage to the first children's book author to integrate characters with different skin colours in her work. She had to fight with her publishers to do it. We all need to give thanks to Gyo Fujikawa for paving the way for those who followed in her path, and to the creators of this book for telling us about her life.
4 stars
Ten Thousand Children: True Stories Told by Children Who Escaped the Holocaust on the Kindertransport by Anne L. Fox, Eva Abraham-Podietz

 I ended up on a field trip to Vancouver's Holocaust Museum with groups of students. After the first workshop, I went to explore their library. I was interested in finding out how the Kindertransport came to be. This is a collection of memoirs of a few of those 10,000 children. I had to go elsewhere to discover that the success of this endeavour was the result of the British Jewish Refugee Committee, a collaboration of religious and secular people. It's an important reminder that when we work together with others, we can accomplish great things.

 CURRENTLY

 I'm almost done listening to The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. With my eyes I'm reading Keepers of the Vault by Marty Chan. I've just started Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson. Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden is the graphic novel I'm in the middle of.

UP NEXT

 I will see what kind of headway I can make in my piles of books. 

 PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

 #MustReadIn2020: 3/25

 #MustReadNFIn2020: 2/12

 25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors: 5/25 one in progress

 100 books by Canadian Authors: 10/100

 Goodreads Reading Challenge: 46/333

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