I read a lot last week, but a lot of it was online news posts about the protests around the world, police violence, racism here in Canada, what defunding the police would look like, and of course, all the ensuing political machinations.
June is Indigenous History Month here in Canada. You can read about this here. I'm planning on reading primarily indigenous titles this month. If all the books on this list are as good as the ones I've already read, this is sure to be a fabulous place to start. I'm especially looking forward to reading If I Go Missing, a graphic novel by Jonnie Brianna that's on that list.
I've just found this list of books by Indigenous Canadian authors for teens and kids!
I won't be checking in next Monday as we will be in Vancouver visiting our grandchildren for their 3rd birthdays. I'm not sure how it will all work out with social distancing, but it will be fabulous to see our babies no matter what! I can't wait to hold our newest one in my arms. I'm happy to report that big sister and little sister are officially smitten with one another. Her cousin thinks she's pretty special too.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard, Jennifer Zivoin (Illustrator)
This is a powerful and important book that will help parents talk about violence and racism. I 'read' it, by watching the following video.
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| 5 stars |
When I first started listening to this I got mixed up about who was who and what was going on. I started it all over, figured it out and was lost in the story.
Wow! What a read!
If I wasn't already an Elizabeth Acevedo fan, I sure would be now. While I appreciate the richness she brings to all her characters, I really came to love these two sisters who don't know that the other exists. At first I expected to hate the father, but he is so brilliantly nuanced that instead I ended up feeling sad for who he was.
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| 4 stars |
The second in this series takes the Mighty Muskrats, a team of young indigenous sleuths, into the city. They are staying with their Auntie and cousins and among other things, plan to go to the Exhibition. Otter wants to see his favourite band play and Chickadee wants to track down their grandfather's missing little sister, Charlotte, who disappeared years ago.
The Muskrats discover that the city is very different from the reserve for all kinds of reasons. Racism and different kinds of danger stalk them in the city. A friend who now lives in this urban forest betrays them and they are forced to change their plans.
I especially appreciated Chickadee's persistence and research skills. She just doesn't give up when it comes to helping out her Grandpa. In the process of her research, the Muskrats end up in a center for reconciliation. Readers will learn a lot about residential schools and The Scoops: when governments stole indigenous children from their parents and arranged to have them adopted in white families.
Michael Hutchinson is an Indigenous Canadian.
CURRENTLY
I'm reading A Short History of Indians In Canada: Stories by Thomas King. I didn't make any progress in A Portrait in Poems: The Storied Life of Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas by Evie Robillard. I'm listening to The Huntress by Kate Quinn.
UP NEXT
I'll be reading Northwest Resistance by Katherena Vermette. I hope to get to Crow Winter by Karen McBride, one of the many books downloaded onto my ipad.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
Big Books Summer 2020 1/10 one in progress
#MustReadIn2020: 10/25 two in progress
#MustReadNFIn2020: 5/12
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors: 11/25 one in progress
100 books by Canadian Authors: 94/100
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 182/333