#IMWAYR August 31, 2020

Hello out there. 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.

I have big plans for what I want to read in the week, but as Robert Burns says,

"The best-laid schemes of mice and (wo)men
Go oft awry."

So it is for me. Between company and canning, by the end of the day I'm exhausted. Instead of reading I put my feet up, pull out my knitting and turn on the TV. At least I have my audiobooks during those times when I'm working and don't have other people around.

Here are a few photographs of what we've/I've accomplished in the last few days. There is more canning but it's already on shelves in the coolroom.

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.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

4 stars

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ko Hyung-Ju & Ryan Estrada

I was fascinated and terrified by this look into the recent history of Korea. The experiences of numerous real people are amalgamated into the narrative. It tells the story of a group of young readers who meet to read and discuss banned books in 1983. You might be surprised by how dangerous reading is perceived to be under an authoritarian government. Spies are everywhere at the university campus. Many students are paid to go so they can inform on other students. Conflict with police and arrests were common.
The end of the book takes us to a reunion of the book club in 2016. They are in the middle of another protest, but this time the participants are from all ages and all walks of life. I would probably bring this into my Elementary school library for upper intermediate readers. I see it as a real world jumping off point after students have read Ban This Book by Alan Gratz.

NOVELS

4 stars

Parachutes by Kelly Yang, Cassie Simone (Narrator) & Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

This is a rollercoaster of a read. It's the story of two girls from different worlds who come together because of the prestigious private school they attend. Dani De La Cruz and her mother struggle to make ends meet. To help them out financially her Mom sets them up to host an international student, Claire Wang. Claire, a privileged wealthy Chinese foreign student, and Dani seem to have nothing in common.
The story is told from the perspective of both these girls. While they come from different backgrounds, a misogynistic system of rape culture makes both of them vulnerable.

5 stars

Audacity by Melanie Crowder

This novel in gorgeous verse is a fictionalized account of the life of Clara Lemlich. She fought hard to unionize and improve the working conditions of women garment workers in New York in the late 1900's. It follows her and her family as they leave their village in anti semitic Russia and travel across Europe to England. After a time there they manage to get steerage passage to the United States.
Shortly after arriving, Clara got a job working in a sweatshop as a seamstress. Her meager earnings supported her whole family, including her father and brothers who spent the day studying. Clara was frustrated by the unfairness of her situation. Passionate about educating herself she attended classes at night to improve her English. At one point she was offered a scholarship to go to college where she could fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. Still the working conditions under which she and other workers toiled were so horrific, unsafe, and unfair, that she ended up having to choose between that dream, and that of helping all the other suffering women workers. In the end, in spite of the violence she endured by strikebreakers, goons, and police, she continued organizing for the union.
The backmatter contains information about Clara Lemlich and shows that she was an activist up until she died in 1982. It also includes the transcript of interviews with her children and grandchildren. There's a glossary and a bibliography. Alas, there is no recipe for the rugelach her family spoke so fondly of.

CURRENTLY

I'm still reading Yara's Spring by Sharon McKay & Jamal Saeed. (I'm not a fan of reading digitally) My loan for the audiobook of The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by by Karina Yan Glaser expired before I could finish it. I'm now listening to Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! by Fannie Flagg. I crowdsourced part of my #MustRead list this year and the sequel to it was one of the recommendations so I'm reading this first. Everytime I read a book by Fannie Flag I am in awe of how beautifully she crafts her characters .

UP NEXT

I will make time for Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins. (It will be my 10th big book of the summer.) I hope to get to Monsters by David Robertson. My next audiobook will be Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. There is a pile of picture books I need to get to as well.

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

Big Books Summer 2020 9/10

#MustReadIn2020: 18/25

#MustReadNFIn2020: 8/12

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors: 17/25 100

Books by Canadian Authors: 105/100

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 244/333

#IMWAYR March 16, 2020

Hello out there. 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.

This week I celebrated women's history month by reading some amazing books about amazing women. I needed all the feel good moments I got from them. 
I understand math well enough but still, grasping the idea of exponential growth of COVID-19 is overwhelming. It seems like we are readying ourselves for impending doom and trying to escape it. I guess that's because we are. On Sunday I went out to pick up a few library books I had on hold. I'm wondering how long the libraries will remain open. It's getting quieter and quieter out on the streets. There is still traffic - just not what it usually is. Lots of shelves in stores are empty. I'm now about ready to hunker down here at home to sew, knit, and read, but I worry about people who live pay check to paycheck, and those who don't have the kinds of options I do. I hope the rest of you are staying safe. Lets keep working to flatten the curve!

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.

BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK

Salma the Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan & Anna Bron (Illustrator)

Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

Salma the Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan & Anna Bron (Illustrator) 🍁

This is a story about being forced to leave a land you love. It's about what we miss when we are away from our roots, and reminds us to be thankful for the diverse, multicultural communities we now live in here in Vancouver, Canada - my home town. Go and read my blog post to read and see examples of the gorgeous writing and art.

3 stars

Cat Knit by Jacob Grant

This is a cute story about a cat who befriends a ball of yarn. Cat isn’t so happy when Girl transforms Yarn into a sweater. Eventually Cat comes to appreciate Yarn’s new form. As a knitter and cat lover I wanted to love this more than I do.

5 stars

If I Was the Sunshine by Julie Fogliano & Loren Long (Illustrator)

Oh just Wow! I love this book poem so much! I had fun anticipating the next rhyme and bet readers will too! Loren Long’s illustrations are just dazzling!
The grammar didn't bother me one iota. In fact, the whole thing made me want t write my own stanzas following Julie Fogliano's pattern. It is a brilliant mentor text that I would love to share with students before going on to write our own.

5 stars

Mr. Gauguin's Heart by Marie-Danielle Croteau, Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator) & Susan Ouriou (Translator) 🍁

This introduction to Paul Gauguin informs us how he became an artist. It's full of whimsy, sadness, and beauty. Isabelle Arsenault's art is perfect with Marie-Danielle Croteau's somewhat lengthy text. Based on real life, this would make an ideal starting point for learning more about this famous painter. I want to know more about the old man who taught him to paint!

GRAPHIC NOVELS

5 stars

Helen’s Birds by Sara Cassidy & Sophie Casson (Illustrations) 🍁

Anyone who thinks wordless books are simple, should be given a copy of this wordless graphic novel. I've now read it three times and am pretty sure I will get more out of it if I spend more time with it. It's an emotional roller coaster.
It's about the relationship between the oldest and youngest generations. I wondered who Helen was until I read the back cover where it explains that this is the story of a friendship between Saanvi and her elderly neighbour Helen. It's a glorious bonding. They laugh, play games, and read together. Helen introduces Saanvi to the world of birds. Together they build bird houses and bird feeders. They watch eggs hatch and chicks grow. And then, the inevitable happens, Helen dies. But just like in real life, the world goes on. Big changes are in store for Saanvi as she grieves for her friend, grows up, and takes on the mantle of bird minder herself.
I would love to know how Sara Cassidy and Sophie Casson worked on this together. Casson's art has a vintage feel to it that isn't captured on the cover. It's line drawings filled in with mostly yellow, blue, red and green. It is spectacular. The image of Saanvi looking out her windows at the ambulance in the night gives me shivers just thinking about it.
Don't miss this.

NOVELS

4 stars

Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

Sweat Pea (Patricia DiMarco) is a loveable character that adult and kid readers are going to connect to. She’s going through a lot. Close friendships are dissolving and reforming. Her parents are getting divorced because her father has acknowledged he is gay. Even if they are still close friends, it’s not easy. When Miss Flora Mae, her neighbour and local advice columnist has to go away, she leaves Sweet Pea in charge of watering her plants and taking care of her mail. Sweet Pea can’t resist answering a few of the letters herself, ultimately making things worse for herself.
Sweet Pea is a large sized 13 year old. She is the ideal role model and mirror for readers like her, and the ideal window for everyone else. I hope this is the first in a series!

4 stars

It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison Levy & Robbie Daymond (Narrator)

When a group of students are forced into a Justice Circle for a week, their lives are changed dramatically for the better.
I couldn't stop listening to this. I stayed up late at night knitting because I wanted to know who had destroyed Theo's photographs.
This is one of those books that reminds us that we are so much more than what we see on the surface.

NONFICTION

5 stars

Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito & Laura Freeman (Illustrator)

Georgia Gilmore was an amazing woman!  Working with a secret group of women who cooked to raise money, she was an important actor ensuring that the Montgomery Bus Boycott was a success. Following that, her home became a gathering place for civil rights readers. I am delighted to read about her and can't help but wonder how many other women participate in the background doing work that keeps social justice movements functioning. Are they still there while men work in the limelight?
The back matter contains additional information about Georgia Gilmore and on the last endpaper is a recipe for pound cake!

5 stars

A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice by Nadia L. Hohn & Eugenie Fernandes (Illustrator) 🍁

This vibrant picture book tells the story of young Louise Bennet and how she came to write poetry full of the vernacular of her country. I connected to this one as I am old enough to remember when if it wasn’t the Queen’s English, it didn’t count. I’m thankful for Louse Bennett and others who pushed through this barrier.

5 stars

Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Journey to Justice by Debbie Levy & Whitney Gardner (Illustrator ) 🍁

In this story of RBG, girls and boys will find an ideal role model for how to achieve their own goals and become the person they want to be. At the same time as they learn about the life of this important American Woman, they are exposed to the history of the women's movement from the 1960's on. It's also a really entertaining read! 
The main part of the book is in a graphic novel format. The clean lines and straightforward text make it easy to read. Legal vocabulary is explained in notes at the bottom of the page. It begins with RBG's birth and ends with her appointment to the supreme court. The following words only pages tell of her life after that. The back matter includes a timeline, a bibliography, and numerous pages of quotation sources.
This is ideal for students from 10 years to adult.

CURRENTLY

I'm listening to Swing by Kwame Alexander & Mary Rand Hess. I'm still reading Nevers by Sara Cassidy because I put it in a safe place and couldn't remember where. I eventually found it in a different compartment in my work backpack... 

UP NEXT

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas is lined up to be my next audiobook. Other than that, I will continue pulling out books from the boxes and see what happens. I suspect my upcoming book club will be cancelled, but I'll still try to get to John Lewis' March trilogy.

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2020: 4/25

#MustReadNFIn2020: 3/12

25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors: 9/25

100 books by Canadian Authors: 49/100

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 114/333

What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan & Genevieve Darling (Illustrations)

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here is the book blurb from Goodreads:

"What Makes Girls Sick and Tired is a feminist manifesto that denounces the discrimination against and unfairness felt by women from childhood to adulthood. The graphic novel, illustrated in a strikingly minimalist style with images of girls with varied body types and personalities, invites teenagers to question the sexism that surrounds us, in ways that are obvious and hidden, simple and complex."

I'm not sure I would categorize this as a graphic novel. It's more like an illustrated manifesto that will appeal to girls from 12 years and older.  I like to hope that some aspects are not appropriate for younger readers, but am always amazed by what young readers already know. Boys will benefit from reading it too. 
The author and illustrator are from Montreal, Quebec in Canada. My copy is a translation from the original French publication.
What Makes Girls Sick and Tired addresses a massive spectrum of issues that encompass all the ways that sexism destroys the lives of girls and boys. In places it isn't a comfortable read, but then, generally it isn't comfortable being a girl either and in some places it's harder than others.

Here are some examples:

"Girls are sick and tired when they hear parents tell their sons, "Don't cry, you're not a girl"

"Racialized girls are sick and tired of being asked where they're really from and being doubted if they say, "I was born here." They are sick and tired of being stereotyped and underrepresented in media, film, public events and politics. "

"Girls are sick and tired of being stoned, kidnapped, exiled, and subjected to genital mutilation in the name of cultural tradition."

Many of the statements in this manifesto are backed up with citations showing where the information comes from.

Pair this book with Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson & Ellen Hagan. Their characters could have written this book. 

Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey & Júlia Sardà (Illustrator)

I started reading this book last fall at our local children’s bookstore. I didn’t have a budget to purchase it, but knew I needed to read it again. My library had it on order and I have waited for what seems like forever to finally get this book in my hands again. It was worth the wait.

Linda Bailey takes us through the life of Mary Shelley. Her mother, the famous feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft and author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, died when she was only eleven days old. Mary, a lonely child, spent her early years reading, writing and daydreaming in front of her mother’s grave.

Not only was Mary influenced by her mother’s writing, her father raised her to read and think. Philosophers, artists, scientists, and writers were regular visitors at their home. Samuel Taylor Coleridge left a lasting impression on her. 

When her father remarried, Mary’s conflict with her stepmother led her to being banished to Scotland. After her return home a few years later, the trouble continued. Soon after, Mary eloped with Percy Bysshe Shelly. Her stepsister, Claire, accompanied them. 

They travelled across Europe, eventually ending up in a house on Lake Geneva with Lord Byron and John Polidori. One dark and stormy night, Byron challenged them all to write a ghost story.

This challenge led to Mary eventually turning one of her “castles in the air” into one of the most famous horror stories ever written. 

Júlia Sardà’s illustrations capture the essence of this Gothic era. The storm image at the house beside Lake Geneva is spectacularly ominous, but each page is full of gorgeously creepy delight. I recommend you take a look the art at her website. 

As much as I enjoyed the illustrated section of this book, I also loved the author’s note in the back matter. In it Bailey provides additional details about Mary’s life and times. She also makes connections between Mary’s life and her writing process.

Ultimately Linda Bailey shows us how a story like Frankenstein has its roots in many different kinds of experiences.

I especially related to these lines here: “Mary loves stories too. She tries to write the kind that she reads. But the stories she sees and daydreams are the most thrilling of all.” The stories that I try to write do not compare to the stories I see in my “castles in the air” either.

#IMWAYR January 7, 2019

#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.

New Years Day my partner and I headed off to our Okanagan house for a few days of rest and relaxation. I planned to go on long walks but slammed my foot into something and ended up damaging one of my toes. It made wearing shoes impossible. Wool socks with flip flops worked to go visiting, but isn't conducive to wandering outside in winter. We arrived safely back in Vancouver late Sunday after a bit of a harrowing journey through sections of snow and icy highway. 

One of my plans this year is to highlight books by Canadian authors. We are so close to the USA that our brilliant writers can easily get overlooked. I'm also wondering if I should actually try to read less. It's hard to keep track of even the best books with so many to remember. My rememberer doesn't work as well as it once did. How do you all keep track?

BLOG POSTS LAST WEEK

Favourite Graphic Novels of 2018

Notable Novels from 2018

PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell & Frané Lessac (Illustrator)

I read this and was so awed I put the book down to come back to it again. I think it was better the second time round. Frané Lessac's art is spectacular. This book does two important things. First it shows us modern indigenous people living lives steeped in their culture. Second, while focusing on those aspects of their lives that they are grateful for, it reminds all of us to be thankful for the ordinary as well as the extraordinary aspects in our own lives. Cherokee vocabulary is integrated into Traci Sorell's text. I appreciated the pronunciation guide at the bottom of the pages. 

4 stars

Off & Away by Cale Atkinson

This is a multilayered book about overcoming our fears. Jo is afraid of what lives beneath the surface of the ocean. When her father is too ill to deliver bottles full of messages, she has to take on his job. Not only does she overcome her fears, she discovers that many of them are imaginary and makes new friends.

Cale Atkinson is Canadian author. He makes his home in the beautiful province of BC. 

5 stars

Night Job by Karen Hesse & G. Brian Karas (Illustrations)

A young boy accompanies his father while he works as a janitor at a school. Lyrical is the best word to describe the gorgeous writing in this book. Karen Hesse's words are breathtaking.

We pull into our space.

Dad hauls out a ring of keys

as big as the rising moon.

He opens the door,

and the building sighs.

Come, it whispers to us.

G. Bryan Karas' grey toned illustrations capture both the ambience of the night and the loving relationship between the two of them.

4 stars

Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin

I'm glad I don't have to decide what I like best about this series: the illustrations or the stories themselves. I love how Woollvin twists these traditional tales wherein strong women and girls vanquish evil. I also love her artwork. It's mostly black and white with one other color. In this case it's the yellow of Rapunzel's hair.

NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5+ stars

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reefs: The Story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation by Kate Messner & Matthew Forsythe (Illustrator)

This was my first nonfiction picture book of 2019. It sets a very high bar for the rest of them to meet.

Matthew Forsythe's illustrations are beyond stunning. They are mesmerizing. I want a framed copy of the page that shows Ken Nedimyer as a young boy sitting on the beach staring out at the golden ocean. I love how Nedimyer has captured the essence of this young boy with his hair whorl and ears sticking out. His art unites with Kate Messner's lyrical text to create a spectacular book that is both informative and inspirational.

I wonder if they can collaborate on a new book explaining why the sea urchins died and what is being done about this.

4 stars

Do You See My Tail? by Anita Bijsterbosch

Each two page spread begins with the question, Do you see my tail? This is followed by a brief description and another question, Guess who I am? Lifting the flap on the next page reveals the animal. I like this book and think that my grandchildren will too. I'm reserving the right to change my evaluation of this book depending on what they think.

3.5 stars

Snails Are Just My Speed! by Kevin McCloskey

This is a fun informative toon book that introduces readers to snails. It provides detail about their biology, their predators and reproduction. I liked the use of comparisons to other animals to show how fast they move. I had no idea that snails make mucus roads that other snails follow, but that does account for why some of my plants get devoured before others.

NONFICTION

3.5 stars

Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell by David Yaffe & Xe Sands (Narrator)

Back in the 1960’s and 70’s my sister and I sang along to our treasured Joni Mitchell albums. We knew all the lyrics. These days when I run into another fan we often end up crooning our favourites together. I feel as though I have met a soulmate if they can join me in Twisted.

Thus I was excited to see this biography. I enjoyed Xe Sands’ narration and appreciated learning the backstory that led to the different albums. 

It's just, sometimes you don’t want to know exactly everything about your idols. You want them to maintain their mythic status. You don’t want to learn about their pettiness and flaws. You don’t want them to be human.

I would be lying if I told you I loved this book. I almost abandoned it at one point, but didn’t and am glad I finished it. It turns out that it’s ok to see that people you admire are just human after all. It made me appreciate Mitchell’s genius even more.

I especially appreciated my Spotify account so I could go and to listen to the music I was reading about. Being able to listen in conjunction with the book turned out to be a brilliant way to appreciate her music and life more deeply. It’s what enabled me to continue when I was ready to give up. In retrospect I think it would be better to have the music in the background while reading the book with my eyes. I recommend it if you decide to give this a go. 

NOVELS

4 stars

A True Home (Heartwood Hotel #1) by Kallie George & Stephanie Graegin (Illustrations)

This is the first in a charming series with animal characters. It’s for readers moving into longer transitional chapter books. The Heartwood hotel is a hollow tree in a forest that is run by different animals for the benefit of other ones.

It centres around Mona, a spunky mouse, who comes upon the hotel by accident ands stays to work as a maid.

I’m off to find the next in the series.

Kallie George is not only Canadian, she lives in my city!

4 stars

Sadie by Courtney Summers

This book took me WAY out of my comfort zone. It's told in two parts. One part is the story of a girl name Sadie, who is searching for her sister's murderer. The other part is the transcription of a podcast about the two girls and what happened to them. It's a dark thriller that brings awareness of child sex abuse and highlights why so many girls go missing.

Courtney Summers is Canadian author who lives in Ontario.

GRAPHIC

4 stars

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

I loved the story, the world building, the art and the characters in this science fiction graphic novel. I loved that it is entirely populated with individuals who are women or nonbinary. It showcases many different aspects of love within fully authentic relationships. Across the span of the book they all grow and change. Walden's artwork: the buildings, the different parts of the universe, and the boarding school are atmospherically gorgeous. I really appreciated the contrast between the expansiveness of her universe juxtaposed with the intimacy of the connections between the characters.

However, the font is nearly minuscule and unless I was sitting in front of window with the sun shining through, reading the text was an exercise in frustration.

CURRENTLY

I've downloaded and plan to start listening to The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny. I'm reading What If It's Us by Adam Silvera & Becky Albertalli. I've just started The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag.

UP NEXT

I've got a couple of graphic novels to read, Aquicorn Cove by Katie O'Neill & Illegal by Eoin Colfer. I hope to start Odd One Out by Nic Stone.

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2018 1/25

#MustReadNFIn2018 1/12

25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 0/25

25 books by Canadian Authors 3/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge 8/333