Showing posts with label wordless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wordless. Show all posts

#IMWAYR July, 11, 2022

Welcome readers! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have beouten 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. 


We enjoyed having our two grandkids visiting with us for four sleeps last week while Mom and Dad got the new house ready to move into. They arrived and left earlier than expected, so I am able to get a post in. The youngest had never been away from her parents before. During the day she was fine, but bedtime was hard. They returned home on Sunday. It was time. I came home, picked five pounds of raspberries, froze them, and crashed on my reclining rocking chair listening to an audiobook. My partner came in saying he already missed them. It will take me a day and getting all the chaos of toys strewn all over the house cleaned up before I do. As I write this, I am just enjoying the quiet down time. 

The best part of having them with us, is reading together. Ada is on the cusp of becoming an independent reader so we read fun pattern books to help her on her way. We also read lots of different picture books, but today I'm mostly just sharing books that are newish to me. 

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 
 
4 stars


A family spends the day at the beach in this wordless picture book. The three children spend their time trying to build a sand castle. Time and again it is destroyed by different things. A toddler totters through it. The wind blows a woman's hat into it. Waves crash into it. The siblings remain undaunted and rebuild after each disaster. Then it's time to go home. 
Qin Leng's artwork is brilliant. I spent hours poring over the illustrations. 
Then I gave it to my granddaughter to try out by herself. I think she isn't ready for this kind of book yet - at least, not all by herself. 

I like how this book is laid out. Each animal is given two full page spreads. In the first, the second page is folded over so we see an imaginary version of the unique creature we are about learn about. 


The inside spread has an illustration showing the animal in its habitat. Information boxes, written in scientific jargon, surround the beast. Each page has a fact box on the bottom right hand side with details about the animal. I like that these show a silhouette of a scuba diver or their mask compared to a similar image of the creature. This is a brilliant way of getting a sense of what the size data means. 


On the right hand side of the spread is large print text written from the perspective of each animal. I read and enjoyed this by myself the first time round. Then Ada and I read a few pages of the book for a few nights til it was done. Those personalized entries were what fascinated her most. 

CHAPTER BOOKS

5 stars

Charlie and Mouse Series by Laurel Snyder & Emily Hughes
Charlie & Mouse (#1) April 11, 2017; Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy (#2) January 1, 2017; Charlie & Mouse Outdoors (#4) March 3, 2020; Charlie & Mouse Lost and Found (#5) August 24, 2021

Charlie & Mouse Are Magic, the newest book in this charming series will be released in August. Luckily, Lost and Found was available at my library so I was able to introduce these two brothers to my five year old granddaughter, Ada. She ended up loving these characters as much as I do. We laughed together at all the same places. I then found some digital versions available at the library, downloaded them, and we binged a bit. We read the first book in the series a couple of times. Ada especially enjoyed the Bedtime Banana story. We both agreed that Grumpy is a lot like her Grandpa. 
I am thinking I will get one entire set for her and another for her cousin who is the same age. 
If you know nothing about these books, they are based on the author's two sons. They capture the joys and humour of everyday life. Emily Hughes' illustrations are the icing on the cake. She captures an innocence in childhood and shows us a diverse cultural community living together in harmony.

Ada and I enjoyed the first in this series well enough. Eva is a young owl who tries to organize a festival all be herself. It's an overwhelming task. At first she thinks she can do it by herself, but by the end realizes she needs help. Along the way she learns a valuable lesson about delegating and turns a foe into a friend. 

5 stars

The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale & LeUyen Pham (Illustrations)

Ada and I are now caught up in our Princess in Black reading. We might have read this together before, but I didn't keep track of it. In this one the princesses superhero alias' have to work together to give a bath to a very stinky monster.  

NOVELS


This memoir by Jordan Sonnenblick goes a long way to explain why his fictionalized young men are some of the sweetest I've encountered in middle grade fiction. 
A lot happened to young Jordan when he was in grade four. His pet snake had way too many babies. He had bullies to watch out for, drum lessons to keep on top of, and had to take a lot of medication for his asthma. To top it all off, his teacher hated him - really hated him. (This last bit really made me really angry.) When she hit him his parents put him in a new school with a new loving teacher. 
This is an important book for teachers. As someone with asthma who on occasion has to take a lot of medication, I am fully aware of how jittery this makes us. I've always cut kids like young Jordan as much slack as I could. For those who never had to experience this, it gives you insight at what it feels like. The whole book is full of insights to help teachers become better people in the classroom. 
For readers, this book will help struggling students realize that they are not alone. They are sure to appreciate the humour in this.
I loved all the connections to comic books and literature. I managed to miss Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series. (I was in my last years of high school and taking in 'serious literature' when it was first published) After reading this I am convinced that I missed an important reading experience in my youth. 

4 stars

The Crosswood by Gabrielle S. Prendergast January 19, 2021 🍁

This is from the Orca Currents collection. These books are "are short, high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Reading levels from grade 2.0 to 5.0. Interest level ages 9-12"
Blue Jasper loves his twin siblings, but they are a handful to look after. One day when he is trying to give his mother a break, he takes them for a hike in the forest. Just like that, they disappear. It turns out they have been kidnapped by the Fairy King. Blue discovers that they are actually the children of the Fairy Queen. In exchange for her saving Blue's life, his mother made a bargain to look after the twins. Now the queen wants to take his mother's life for failing to take proper care of them. Blue makes a bargain with the queen and sets off into the dangerous fairie realms to rescue his foster siblings. Along the way he makes all kinds of new friends. 
As is common with these books, the plot zips right along. I was enthralled enough to keep turning page after page. What really impressed me was how much character development Prendergast managed to fit into this novel. I finished up wanting to read the sequels, The Wherewood & The Overwood. 
As a fan of Holly Black's fairie books, I wondered if this book would work for me. It turns out to be like a stripped down version of one of hers. It might not have the rich complexity of Black's books, but I was still pleasantly surprised. 


I am thankful to Karen Yingling, who highlighted this book a number of years ago. Anytime she gives a book 4 or more stars, it goes onto my must read list. I am a sucker for any book with grandparent connections and this book did not let me down. 
Set against the backdrop of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, this story of forged friendships unfolds through the perspectives of three main characters. Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko are two girls who lived in the city at that time. Both lost their fathers through the accident. Rita Grigorievna fled Kiev in 1941, just prior to the Nazi invasion. At first Valentina and Oksana seem to be enemies. Then they end up travelling together and staying in Leningrad with Valentina's grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. As Oksana gets to know Valentina and her grandmother she discovers that her abusive father's anti-Semitic rants were false. As the two girls and the grandmother get to know one another, love grows between them. Then Oksana's mother comes to take her back to Minsk. The man she is now with turns out to be as abusive, if not even more than her father was. It's up to Valentina and Rita to come up with a plan to rescue her. In the end it involves the Muslim family who save Rita in the 1940's. Fans of Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch will enjoy this. 

CURRENTLY

The Body by Bill Bryson
Traitors Among Us by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

UP NEXT 

Three Women and A Boat by Anne Younson
Truckers by Terry Pratchett

READING GOALS

#MustReadFiction 13/24 one in progress

#MustReadNonFiction 11/18 one in progress

Canadian Authors 41/100 one in progress

Canada Reads shortlist 5/5 

Indigenous Authors 12/25

2022 Big Book Summer Challenge 4 one in progress

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 162 /250

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#IMWAYR May 3, 2021

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.

#CCBCBookWeek2021 began on Sunday. Canadian Children’s Book Week is a celebration of Canadian authors of children's literature. 
"From May 2 to May 8, Canadian children’s authors, illustrators and storytellers will embark on our first-ever virtual tour, reaching 17,205 kids and teens across the country. Hosted on digital platforms, our goal is the same as it has always been: to share stories and captivate the imaginations of children and teens. Throughout the week, 45 authors, illustrators and storytellers will visit hundreds of schools, public libraries, bookstores and community centres across Canada to read from their books and share with children the magic of reading, writing, illustrating and storytelling. Touring participants will be visiting students all across Canada, including remote communities like BC’s Salt Spring Island, Fort Simpson in the Northwest Territories, and Lennox Island First Nation, PEI."
I've tried to focus on sharing books by Canadian authors this week and will try to read #CanKidLit books this week.

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. 

BLOG POSTS FROM LAST WEEK



PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars

My Family, Your Family! by Kathryn Cole & Cornelia Li (Illustrations) September 8, 2020  🍁

I love that this features so much diversity in families. I've ordered copies of this board book for my youngest grandbabies.

4 stars

Blue Rider by Geraldo Valério March 1, 2018  🍁

In this wordless story, A young girl finds a picture book on a busy street and brings it home. When she opens it, she is taken from her drab city existence into a world of nature. Pages explode with colour as she reads it. When she finished the book, her bedroom has been transformed.

5 stars

At the Pond by Geraldo Valério March 1, 2020  🍁

A boy visits a pond with his dog and ends up discovering a new way to be in relationship with the animals, plants, and world around him. 


This wordless book is stunningly gorgeous. 

5 stars

Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore & Kristi Valiant (Illustrator) May 1, 2014

I connected with this book right from the first page. I remember being a child watching my slightly older aunts and uncles cooking with my grandparents. Just like Cora, I longed to be a part of that crowd. When her older siblings go out to the mall, Cora and her mother cook pancit together for the rest of her family.
I appreciate that there is a glossary and recipe for pancit at the end of the book. I had to adapt it for only the two of us, but it was delicious.

There is so much to love about this book. I ordered two copies - one for each of my almost four year old grandkids to help prepare them for kindergarten. The 'Richard Scary' format will keep them entertained and ensure they go to the book back again and again. You can read my full review here. 

3 stars

Skunk on a String by Thao Lam March 15, 2016  🍁

Somehow a skunk has been tied to a helium balloon and, unable to untie himself, is floating across a city sky.
The art in this is gorgeous, but at times I had a bit of difficulty making sense of the story.
 
CHAPTER BOOKS

This graphic novel style picture book packs an overload of sweetness and humour. Read my whole review here. 

NOVELS

5 stars


This book is for everyone who has had that defining moment, that episode of utter humiliation that changes their lives for at least part of their life. I've got at least one of my own and bet you do too. This is about how, with a little humour and help from friends, you can rise above it.
This is about the power of friendship. It’s about being friends across ages and cultures. It’s a little bit about finding romance when you least expect it. Ultimately it's about becoming the best kind of person you can be. You can read more about this book here. 


Hiram Walker was born a slave. His father was the plantation owner. He was much smarter and more responsible than his white half brother. It doesn't matter. He will always be a slave. It turns out that Hiram has the special power of conductivity. Eventually he is freed from slavery from an unexpected person and ends up joining the Underground Railway. This is an odd book to review because it's a mixture of magical realism, fantasy, and historical fiction. While there were places where the narrative got a bit bogged down, I was compelled to finish listening to Hiram's story. 

NON FICTION

This memoir reminds me that Indigenous people on Turtle Island lived here long before it was separated into different countries. The history of Gansworth's family showed me a history similar to those I've read of Indigenous people here in Canada. 
I was struck by the many references to Canadian place names and pop culture. I was reminded that the Sylix here where I live have close family on both sides of the border. There is one particular section when he writes about sharing a Tragically Hip tune with his niece that says it all. "The Canadian side of her DNA wakes up, and since we don’t consider it another country, the Canadian side of my DNA wakes up as well, as we listen to Gordon Downie singing of poets and hockey and ice storms and hockey and Toronto and hockey and penguins and hockey and fireworks and the power of phantoms, or fleeting, phantom power, and in return she walks into the house and returns, offering me slices of cornbread, buttered and salted, on a paper towel." 
That's big picture stuff.
In the minutia of one family, this is a story of tragedy, determination, resilience, and love. It's a story of redemption, reconciliation, and rejuvenation.
Some of these poems made me weep. Others made me laugh. I was always in awe.


Wab Kinew is a well educated, former CBC reporter who is now the leader of the NDP party in Manitoba. This memoir was written by him as his father neared the end of his life. It's the story of his father's experiences and how these in turn influenced his own. Kinew's father was a residential school survivor who became an accomplished academic and politician. He was often away from home and emotionally distant from his family. Kinew's mother is a white woman. He is comfortable in both worlds. 
This book is full of what reconciliation means. The official apology for residential schools was just the beginning, not as many people might think, the end. 
It was fascinating to be listening to this book at the same time as I was reading Gansworth's memoir with my eyes. There are many similarities in their family's experiences. Just as Gansworth's family stretches into Canada, Kinew's stretches into the United States. Unfortunately, The Reason You Walk lacks the emotional intimacy of Apple: Skin to the Core

DISCWORLD NOVELS


I finished listening to this more than a week ago, and then started it all over again. I have so much love for this book and this mini series inside the Discworld collection. In this, the second to last book, Tiffany is now the fully-fledged witch of the chalk. The baron dies and Roland, his son, takes over. Roland has gotten himself engaged to a weepy, but beautiful, princess with a tartar for a mother. Tiffany's conflicted feelings about his engagement are compounded by his no longer seeming to be her friend. On top of this, a powerful demonic spirit, the Cunning Man, is stalking her. The Cunning Man despises all witches and uses his powers to fill minds with suspicion and hate towards them. Tiffany must defeat him, because if she doesn’t, and he manages to take over her body, the other witches will have to destroy her. Thankfully Tiffany has many allies, including new witches, a promising young man, and the fearless Nac Mac Feegles to help her.

CURRENTLY 

This is what I have on the go:

Not On My Watch by Alexandra Morton
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 
Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

UP NEXT

The Electric War: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse and the Race to Light the World by Mike Winchell
Love Is A Revolution by Renee Watson

BLOG POSTS NEXT WEEK

This Is Ruby by Sara O'Leary

Out into the Big Wide Lake by Paul Harbridge

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 11/25 one in progress

#MustReadNFIn2021 4/12 

#MustReadPBIn2021 29/100 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 16/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 44/100

Canada Reads 2021 4/5 

Discworld Series 39/41 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 168/333

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#IMWAYR April 12, 2021

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.


It was cold last week,  but I managed to finish weeding all the garden beds. Compost is spread over the vegetable patch. Monday (today) we will rototill it in and then go for another load of compost. Some will go in the remainder of our gardens and the rest will go to the neighbours. I've managed to get the grape and flowering bushes pruned. It's all just in time because many of the seeds I planted with my grandkids are ready to get transplanted into real dirt. 

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. 

BLOG POSTS FROM LAST WEEK

On the Trapline by David Alexander Robertson & Julie Flett (Illustrations)

Thao by Thao Lam

PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Pierre & Paul: Avalanche! Caroline Adderson & Alice Carter (Illustrator)  🍁 March 15th 2020
This was delightful! It's the story of two boys who head off on an adventure, but then the two explorers become hungry. They return to Pierre's house. Paul does not want salad so they end up making a magnificent mountain of a sandwich. When it ends up collapsing, they have to eat it out of a large bowl.
The book is written with English and French mixed together. Although sometimes I had to dig into my highschool French, for the most part, the meaning of the French vocabulary is accessible from the context of the story and illustrations. I appreciate that it wasn't a huge struggle and can see that this book (and hopefully there will be more in the series) is ideal for French immersion and French as a second language learners.

5 stars

Over the Shop by JonArno Lawson & Qin Leng (illustrator) 🍁 January 5, 2021

This is a book you want to pore over a couple of times at least. It is so richly nuanced and detailed that you need at least two go throughs to begin to appreciate it fully. You also need time. Don't rush to finish it.
On my first read I just grasped the story. The second time I reveled in the little details. One of my favourites is the maple leaf on the syrup jug when the young girl and her grandmother are eating pancakes. It shouts out, I am Canadian!

Over the Shop is about acceptance and transformation. A girl and her grandmother live behind their small grocery store. The apartment above them is vacant, but needs a lot of work. Many people come to view it, but no one wants to rent it. Then an energetic young couple arrive and with the help of the girl, mange to improve the place. At the same time as they transform the apartment, they manage to transform their community.

5 stars

Thao by Thao Lam 🍁 April 21, 2021

The author writes about her experiences growing up with a different sounding name. It's an important book that teaches readers awareness and empathy. It encourages other new immigrants to take pride in their own names and identity. To see more images from it, check out my full blog post here. 


A young boy travels with his Moshom (Grandfather) to visit the family trapline. On the journey he learns more about his Moshom and his culture. Julie Flett's artword is spectacular. I expect this one to win awards. To see more images from it, check out my full blog post here. 

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Kou-skelowh - We are the people : a trilogy of Okanagan legends by Barbara Marchand (illustrator) 🍁 most recent edition: 2017

I wanted to know more about the Syilx, the indigenous people who live in the part of Canada where I grew up and have returned to. This bilingual trilogy is written in both Syilx and English. It includes: How Food Was Given, How Names Were Given, and How Turtle Set the Animals Free. Barbara Marchand's illustrations bring the tales to life. 
The story of how these three origin stories came to be is as interesting as the stories themselves. Syilx elders were an integral part of the process from start to finish. Two of their criteria were that the stories remain unauthored, and that a profit not be made from them. 

NOVELS

5 stars

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn Mar 09, 2021

Kate Quinn writes brilliant historical fiction. I devoured the 600 pages of this book in two afternoon & evening sessions of reading. It is a compelling story of three  women from different backgrounds who become friends while working at Bletchley Park in the UK. I loved these characters. I wept for them, I feared for them and I celebrated with them. I loved learning about life at Bletchley Park during the war. In the author's note at the end of the book, Quinn talks about the real women her fictional characters are based on. It was as fascinating and satisfying as the book itself. 


Omakayas and her family receive warning that they must leave their home. This novel takes place just before the migration begins. Omakayas grows and matures while a group of men head off to collect what is owed to them after signing a treaty with white people. I loved the complex relationships between the siblings. While they are often frustrated with each other, there is also a lot of love.

3.5 stars

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston & Imani Parks (Narrator) Jan 19, 2021

Amari's older brother, Quinton, has been missing for a while, so when she receives an unexpected package from him, she follows his instructions. Soon she's enrolled in a paranormal school and training to be a Supernatural Investigator. She just has to pass a series of three tests and not let the fact that she is a magician get her disqualified.
I liked lots about this book. I like that Amari's skin colour and her family's financial situation are dealt with realistically and provide a connection to the ordinary reality of kids like her today. I liked her relationship with Elise and even Dylan. I liked the complexity of some of the 'evil' characters. I liked the integration of all the mythical creatures.
I had a hard time with all the bullying stuff. I just don't like books that have this as an issue, especially when those characters are never shown to be much more than empty antagonists. I really hate to see girls in these kinds of situations when what I want to see and modelled is cooperation between them.
I anticipated the final betrayal, but won't spoil it for the rest of you who haven't read it.

This hilarious novel is a parody of football (soccer) and the world of sports. Like all of Pratchett work it’s full of important messages about living a good life and getting along with others. With the introduction of Mr Nutt, (a goblin) he forces us to examine stereotypes and the issue of inclusion vs exclusion. I like how this book introduces us to the ordinary people who 'work downstairs'. I especially appreciate that it is these ordinary folk who end up saving the day for the wizards. Glenda is one of my new Pratchett heroes. 

CURRENTLY 

This is what I have on the go:

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatwood & Theodore Taylor III (Illustrations), 
The King of Jam Sandwiches by Eric Walters
Making Money by Terry Pratchett

UP NEXT

My next audiobook will be Starfish by Lisa Fipps
I plan to start Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth
My goal is to read and review two Netgalley titles: Alice Fleck's Recipes for Disaster by Rachelle Delaney & ROAR-chestra! by Robert Heidbreder. 

PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2021 7/25 one in progress

#MustReadNFIn2021 3/12 one in progress

#MustReadPBIn2021 22/100 

Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 14/25

Books by Canadian Authors: 32/100

Canada Reads 2021 3/5 

Discworld Series 38/41 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 136/333  

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#IMWAYR July 23, 2018


#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 another busy week. My partner and I travelled to our house in Oliver, BC where we went to a gender reveal party for our friends' daughter. They will be having a girl. I'll be dropping off off the baby quilt at the quilters' Monday afternoon.
Other than that my brother and I travelled to go to a memorial service for one of our aunts. He didn't have any outlets that I could connect my Iphone to, so we couldn't listen to the audiobook I had picked out, (Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.) We ended up listening to the absolutely WORST BOOKS ever.

PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars
Fox & Chick: The Party: and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

I loved this so much that I am in the middle of writing a blog post about it. 
It is a collection of three little stories that are perfect for fans of Elephant and Piggie and ready to move on to slightly more challenging books. It is written in a graphic format. Lovely colourful illustrations are deceptively simple. They are rich in detail and nuance. I adore the interactions between the two characters. You have to pay close attention to the facial expressions because much of the humour is revealed there.

3 stars
Fishing with Grandma (English) by Maren Vsetula, Susan Avingaq & Charlene Chua (Illustrations)

Two children go to visit their grandmother. Then they decide to go on an outdoor adventure. Readers, along with the children, will learn a lot about ice fishing. At the end of the day when they have caught more char than they can eat, they learn a lesson in generosity.
I like a lot about this book, including everything I already got mentioned. I appreciated that it is a woman taking the children to learn traditional outdoor activities. The back matter contains a glossary of Inuktitut terminology used in the book and images with accompanying information about the fishing tools used.
Th illustrations are a bit too cartoonish for my liking, but the publisher, Inhabit Media, is an Iqaluit company, so what do I know?

3 stars
Kamik Joins the Pack (English) by Darryl Baker & Qin Leng (Illustrations)

This is another Inhabit Media publication. Jake dreams of owning his own dogsled team. He brings Kamik, his dog, to visit his uncle, who is a musher and winner of many races. Jake learns that being a musher involves much more than he imagined. Then he and his uncle harness Kamik to the back of pack and take him on a run with the rest of the dogs.
I liked this for the most part. The pages are a bit heavy on the text side, but still ok. The artwork is done by Qin Leng so it is gorgeous. What I wonder though, is why an Inuit artist wasn't involved.

4 stars
Pool by JiHyeon Lee

Two children dive beneath a throng of people at a swimming pool and discover a magical underwater world. The crowd is in black and white, but this realm beneath them is abundant in colour. This is a beautiful wordless book!

3 stars
Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden & Melissa Castrillón (Illustrations)

There are specific things about this book that bring out my inner cranky old lady. First off this kayak does not look like a very seaworthy boat. Second that’s a baby out there in this tacky boat all by itself. Aside from these things, the book is visually gorgeous and I liked the poem that accompanied it.

NON FICTION PICTURE BOOKS

5 stars
Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen by Deborah Hopkinson & Qin Leng (Illustrator)

Jane Austen is my preferred author across time and space. For a number of years I would reread her books on a regular basis. I have no idea how many times I’ve read each one. Emma is still my favourite book, but have you seen the BBC mini series production of Pride and Prejudice? It is the best film adaptation! 
Obviously I had to read this. So far I’ve read it three times. Qin Leng’s illustrations are gorgeous. I love how she captures the time period and essence of these characters. Deborah Hopkins has introduced me to aspects of Jane Austen’s life I didn’t know about. Of course I loved this! Now I’m off to read it again before it goes back to the library.
I realize I forgot to mention that this book is an important inspiration for want to be writers. The back matter is also significant. There is a timeline of important events. A section titled “Jane’s Bookshelf” provides a synopsis and quotes from each of novels. There is also a bibliography with internet and hard copy resources.

NOVELS

4 stars
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Amal is a character you can’t help but like and admire. Readers will experience vicariously how difficult it is for people in other parts of the world, especially for girls and women. I appreciated the notes at the end explaining more about indentured servitude and that many are not as lucky as Amal.

1 star
The Guns of Avalon (The Chronicles of Amber #2) by Roger Zelazny & Alessandro Juliani (Narrator)
This is one of the two audiobooks my brother had in his car. We both thought it was godawful! There were times when the similes and metaphors were so outlandish both of us would burst into laughter. When the book finally came to an end, we were both disgusted because it just left us hanging without resolving the story at all. The best thing about it was that it made the next book we listened to seem almost reasonable. Imagine my surprise when I went to look at this on Goodreads and saw that the average rating is 4.15 stars. Obviously I am not the target audience. 

2 stars
The Devil's Badland (The Loner #2) by J.A. Johnstone
Louis L'Amour would have loved this. Me, not so much, but it was better than trying to read my book and get carsick. It was palatable because it was so much better than The Guns of Avalon, but that isn't saying much. My brother will finish listening to it on his way home. I've abandoned it. This one has a Goodreads rating of 4.33. Again, I am not the target audience. 

The worst thing about this road trip with my brother was that just as we were almost home, my brother mentioned that he thought the sound system could be accessed through blue tooth. I checked and it could. Grrrrr. 

CURRENTLY

My partner and I have been listening to The Grapes of Wrath while we are in our car. Perhaps it's the contrast between this and those other audiobooks that make them seem so awful. I'm also about 2/3rds finished reading The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl.

UP NEXT

I'm hoping to get to The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya. Then I'll decide between Rebound by Kwame Alexander and Out of Left Field by Ellen Klages.


PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS

#MustReadIn2018 17/25

#MustReadNFIn2018 5/12 1 in progress

#BigBookSummer 2/4 1 in progress

25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 14/25

Goodreads Reading Challenge 252/333
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