Library Matters

#IMWAYR May 9, 2016

Hello world, it's time for #IMWAYR. Come join this group of bloggers who read and write about children's and young adult literature. Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host this weekly event.

Last week I posted in Slice of Life and managed to complete a proper kind of review for Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager.

PICTURE BOOKS

Spare Dog Parts by Alison Hughes & Ashley Spires (Illustrations)

4 stars

This is such a lovely book about what makes a dog (or anything or anyone) perfect. It isn't about what is on the outside. It is all about whether the parts work, and it does what it should. I was in love with this book as soon as I read this section on the body:

"There was an odd, tubby, stubby body that didn't fit any other dog. They used that, and covered it with leftover wiry, scruffy fur. It's a comfortable body, perfect for cuddling."

Ashly Spires illustrations (always stunning) show that the body has met all the important criteria.

I am unfortunately allergic to furry things, otherwise, I would run out and get a dog after reading this book.

Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) by Julie Falatko & Tim Miller (Illustrator)

5 stars

Talk about fun!

Snappsy the Alligator is just trying to live his ordinary life, when a pesky narrator shows up to describe, exaggerate, and embellish everything he does. Snappsy takes umbrage and tries to defend himself by revealing the truth in his behavior.

This story will be a hoot to just read out loud, but it can be read on other levels as well. I would love to use it as part of a critical literacy session and unpack it with a group of older readers. We would examine how the narrator has used language to stereotype Snappsy and manipulate our feelings towards him. It would be very interesting to see the kinds of connections we can make to our real lives.

5 stars

The New Small Person by Lauren Child

This book captures the tension between siblings. It isn't easy for this older child to adjust to no longer being the center of their parent's world. Thankfully, over time, they start to realize that having a younger sibling can be ok. I love how Lauren Child's illustrations convey point of view and emotions in this book. I wish it had been around to read to my oldest child after his baby brother arrived to interrupt his world.

INFORMATION

Mary Cassatt: Extraordinary Impressionist Painter by Barbara Herkert & Gabi Swiatkowska (Illustrations)

5 stars

This book is a decadent visual and lyrical treat. It begs to be read out loud. Here is an example of the lush language:

"Mary grew up tall and temperamental, the map of her fate etched in her mind.'

"Mary swept jewel tones across her canvas. She rendered cropped angles, sparkling light."

Cassatt was influenced by Degas and other impressionists. With their encouragement and support, she came into her own as a painter who "celebrated mothers and their babies in her paintings."

Gabi Swiatkowska's illustrations are a rich accompaniment to the text. From the first page I was halfway in love with this book. It just got better.

NOVELS

Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz

3 stars

I liked this one well enough. It starts out like a dystopian science fiction and then melds with fantasy. This isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed this motley crew of diverse characters. They are well enough developed that I wanted to find out what would happen to them. The villains were just nasty enough. Imagine a future world where the earth has been completely despoiled and what remains is a frozen wasteland. The oceans are loaded with toxic chemicals and mountains of garbage. There are rumours of a safe haven somewhere off shore. Blue, as it is called, is reputed to be world where the marked, like Natasha, can be safe, if only they can escape. Enter Ryan Wesson, a mercenary who Natasha out scams a small fortune from, and then hires to take her to this mythical land.

My Haunted House & The Sword in the Grotto by Angie Sage (Araminta Spookie books 1 & 2) narrated by Katherine Kellgren

4 stars

I have wanted to read some of this series for ages, but finding time for them was an issue. Last week I discovered them available from our public library, so I started to listen. It turned out that there were two books together! And leaping librarians, Katherine Kellgren narrated them!

There are many younger readers who want to read books that are scary and I've thought that these might fit the bill. They do! They are the adventures of Araminta Spookie who lives with her Aunt Tabitha and Uncle Drac in a haunted old house. Angie Sage combines humour and suspense to make these a delightful fun and creepy read. Just after I started listening I had one of these younger readers come in looking for something scary. I recommended it easily because I could speak authentically about it. On Monday, I'm going to track down Sally to see what she thinks of it.

I've put the next two on reserve. It's Katherine Kellgren for goodness sakes, I can't not listen!

5+ stars

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager

This book is just stunning. I know it will be one of my top reads for this year. If I could have given it more stars on goodreads, I would have. One of our classroom teachers has offered up her class so I can read it to them. If I can carve out enough time, I'm going to take her up on it.

(PS It has an inspiring, strong mother!)

CURRENTLY

I'm listening to The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. I purchased the book at Costco a week or so ago, but I have listened to the rest of the series. I started to read this, but it just doesn't feel right without Will Patton's narration, so, because I couldn't wait for our library to bring it in, I downloaded the audiobook from itunes. I'm also in the middle of Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding by Linda Liukas. I've just started reading Bone and Bread by Salema Nawaz, a Canada Reads finalist.

UP NEXT

Birdie, another Canada Reads finalist has also become available for me. What's with this that everything arrives at once? I just picked up four more novels from the library today! I may start Birdie, or possibly The Boy who knew Everything by Victoria Forester as it is on my must read in 2016 list. I brought Dreaming in Indian home from school, so I need to get to that one too.

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager

"Things are only impossible if you stop to think about them."

Now I know why students come into the library holding books tight to their chest. This is that kind of book. I finished it and held it close, not wanting to let go of these characters and this world. I wondered if words would ever come to me so I could do this book the credit it deserves.

There are so very many threads of meaning woven into this tale. There are questions that connect to how we care for our environment. It takes a hard look at what makes for a meaningful life and what will we give up for the right to live it how we want. It explores how we treat others in the name of what's best for them and us. It's a parable reminding us to think and ask questions before passing judgement. It reminds us of the power of forgiveness.

On the surface it's a story of a girl who meets her aged grandfather for the first time and comes to love him. She travels with her mother, father, baby brother and older sister to New Mexico to move him to a care home near to them. The family dynamics are mundane and painful. There is the ordinary crankiness of the older teen sister, and the profound estrangement of the father and son. I wept and raged for these characters.

The landscape of New Mexico is almost a character in this plot. Deserts hold a special kind of beauty for me anyway, but Lindsay Eager's depictions of this place captured the magnificent spirit of it.

I'm a sucker for magical realism to start with, but I love that the grandfather's stories always begin with, Once upon a time there was a tree. It's in these stories where magic and reality coalesce. It's through these stories that the past and the future meet one another. It's in the telling of these stories that forgiveness is forged.

Eager's Writing is both straightforward and lyrical. I'm sure I swooned more than once. I was forced to stop and scribble down quotes. Here are a few that resonated with me.

"Stories don't end, he says. They just turn into new beginnings."

"Squeeze the juice out of every day.... Do not be afraid to live. And you will not be afraid to die."

"When a loved one is sick, the days are long, but the years are short."

This book will be in one of my top ten of the year, maybe in all time. I wish more than anything that I had a classroom full of students to read it to. I'm going to preorder a set for literature circles for when it becomes available in paperback.

Slice Of Life: Waiting

I thank the SOL community whose kind words give me courage to continue to work on my writing. I especially appreciate Two Writing Teachers for hosting this weekly event.

This poem was drafted during the last days of my mother's life. We all knew what was coming, we just didn't know the when of it. Each evening I went to bed wondering if this would be the end, and in the morning, the vigil continued. My siblings and I were ensconced in an alternate reality where the rest of the world didn't seem to exist anymore.

Waiting

Waiting.

Anticipating.

(I don't do this well)

pulsating

nerves

hiss

along

rigid

lines

hovering

over

the

edge

detonation

ambushed near midnight

there,

in the reprieve of sleep

a young girl,

(I don't recognize her at first)

wakes me up,

weeping for her mother

#IMWAYR May 2, 2016

Mondays are a day to celebrate ever since I joined #IMWAYR. Jen at MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host this event where readers of kidlit get together to share what they have read in the past week.

It was a hard week for me. Grief got in the way of settling into a book and reading. I ended up binging on Murdoch Mysteries and knitting. It wasn't a complete literary loss because I did finish up those books I was reading last week, and I listened to books while out and about and cleaning house. I found enough focus to read some great picture books and one remarkable graphic novel.

Since May is here, and with Mother's Day coming up next weekend, I went searching for books to set up a display highlighting strong mothers. I found plenty of picture books. I even found a few YA novels with strong mothers, but for the most part, what I discovered is that while there is a plethora of books with missing and or absent mothers in middle grade fiction, there is also a dearth of strong supportive ones. Can you come up with any suggestions? I'm open to 'mother substitutes,' like in One For the Murphys.

INFORMATION

5 stars

Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber by Sue Macy, & C.F. Payne (Illustrator)

What an inspiring story this is for young women with all kinds of plans for their future. Mary Garber was a sports reporter who learned how to handle discrimination from watching how Jackie Robinson dealt with it. C.F. Payne's illustrations have a vintage feel to them that captures the time and Mary's character perfectly. I especially love the quote at the end, "That's Miss Mary Garber. And she doesn't care who you are, or where you're from, or what you are. If you do something, she's going to write about you."

PICTURE BOOKS

4.5 stars

The Night Gardener by Terry Fan & Eric Fan

OMG these illustrations!! I can't help but wonder if this book, created by two brothers, born in America, but now residing in Canada, will be eligible for the Caldecott award. A young boy is captivated when a topiary gardener comes during the night and transforms trees into all kinds of different creatures. I was a little bit creeped out by this because I mostly like trees just as they are, and am not sure I would appreciate someone coming and doing this to the trees in my yard. My other niggle is that I once did research on creating topiary. Fabricating them on this scale overnight just isn't plausible.

5 stars

All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant & Nikki McClure (Illustrator)

I read this once and was so stunned I went and read it again to see if it could really be that good. It is. I adore these vintage style illustrations. I'm not always a fan of rhyming text, but I didn't realize until halfway through that it does have a rhyming pattern, so it didn't get in the way. By the end I was completely enjoying it.

3 stars

The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown & Christian Robinson (Illustrator)

I enjoyed these updated illustrations, but the whole text felt disingenuous: a superficial look at death and dying.

3.5 stars

My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith & Julie Flett (Illustrations)

This is a sweet picture book that celebrates the everyday life of aboriginal children. Julie Flett's illustrations are, as usual, gorgeous. I don't usually bring board books into the library, but didn't realize until it arrived what it was. I wish it were available as a larger format picture book.

NOVELS

3 stars

The Book of Kings by Cynthia Voigt & Paul Boehmer (narrator)

I enjoyed this third book in the Mister Max series, but not as much as the first two. In this one, Max comes up with a plan to save his mother and father who are being held captive in Andesia, a country somewhere in South America. This story has adventure, suspense and is a fitting finale for the series, but I missed Max being The Solutioneer and solving the many problems in his own community.

4 stars

Upside Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, Emily Jenkins & narrated by Rebecca Soler

I thought this would be a fluffy, fun book dealing with magical mishaps. I didn't expect much more, but should have known better with these authors at the helm. It is the story of Nory, a young girl who is unable to control her magic. It isn't as straightforward as that of her siblings and father's. When she fails her entrance exam to attend Sage Academy, she is sent away to live with her Aunt Margo. (now here is an interesting motherish figure) She ends up in a special class with other students with UDM. (upside down magic)

There is so much more going on here than just the hilarious mishaps that the UDM students cause because of their magic. It is a story of prejudice, friendship and being accepted for who and what you are. What I liked most is that these students with UDM are revealed as not just being different, but maybe, because of this, having more going for them than the so called normal students.

4 stars

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones

This powerful book, written in verse, is based on Sones' experiences of her older sister's descent into madness and the aftermath. It is a very emotional work. From what she reveals about her sister's actions, it seemed to me that she might be bipolar. Historically shock treatment was the option for many different kinds of mental disorders. Thankfully, It isn't the treatment these days, at least not for a member of my family with this diagnosis.

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke (from netgalley)

4 stars

I was left with two strong impressions upon finishing this book.
First, these illustrations are not just beautiful. Drop dead gorgeous is closer to the truth.
Second, I really hate this cliffhanger ending.
Still, this take on Jack and The Beanstalk is visually and creatively stunning.
I guarantee my readers will love this one!
(longer review in the works)

CURRENTLY

I've just started reading Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Bagar, and I'm listening to Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz

UP NEXT

I have I Am Princess X ready to download to my device, but I'm having trouble with it. I'll be reading that if I ever get it to work properly. I've got a whole mess of other books that I expect will arrive from the library all at once, so I'll just wait and see what happens.

Spaceships - Slice of Life

Thank you so much to the SOL community whose kind words encourage me to continue to work on my writing. I especially appreciate Two Writing Teachers for hosting this weekly event.

Since January, my mother languished in the hospital. Writing kept me sort of grounded. Words clamoured their way out of me whenever and wherever they wanted. I've continued to work on a few of these pieces. This poem was written after Mom was transferred to the palliative care ward. A tender intimacy develops there between staff and patients and families.

Spaceships

Here on this space station

We are not the astronauts

This is not the arrival gate

We wander the halls of the departure area

Find refuge in small rooms,

Make coffee,

Smile at one another,

Make eye contact,

Exchange names,

Ask about each other's travelers.

Occasionally, we celebrate.

A departure is delayed.

We know (without words)

Their ships launch them into unknown galaxies.

Our only certainty,

They won't be coming back.

#IMWAYR April 25, 2016

Hurrah! #IMWAYR time again. This weekly event is sponsored by the inimitable Jen at Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers. Check out their sites for links to other bloggers writing about kidlit. It's a great way to get ideas for what to read next. (Although be warned, it can be a tad expensive)

Poem in your pocket day at Dickens was a smashing success!

The pockets full of poems I put out on Wednesday were emptied before the end of day. (I forgot to take pictures of them full) In a mad frenzy I printed off more and came in early Thursday morning to cut them out, fold them and refill the pockets. Through it all, children, (mostly boys) came to show me the poems they were carrying with them. Some had poems they had copied themselves. Others were poems they had pulled from the posted pockets. A few carried poems they had written themselves. Everyone was excited even if they couldn't read them! One seven-year-old came and recited from memory, The Creature in the Classroom by Jack Prelutsky. Actions accompanied it. The library was crowded during open book exchange with children searching through poetry collections hoping to find a just right poem. One of our grade seven girls sat in the library and read Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones. It was then passed around by a group of girls and eventually made it's way to me.

Aside from that, I have been reading and listening to many kinds of books this week.

PICTURE BOOKS

4 stars

Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer

This is a delightful book about a boy discovering that poetry abides in all aspects of ordinary life. These beautifully coloured illustrations are filled with details to get lost in.

Friday afternoon, in preparation for retirement at the end of June, I started cleaning out my work room. I'm not sure why I call it that, as there is too much junk in it to do anything! I have been keeping a collection of older picture books (and some information titles) that I wasn't ready to weed completely. I went through them and put a few aside to keep and put the rest of them in the hall to give away. This meant I had to read or at least peruse them. Here are some of the ones I read and will keep.

INFORMATION BOOKS

4 stars

When Jackie and Hank Met by Cathy Goldberg Fishman

The only sport worth watching is Baseball, but not on TV. You have to be there in the stands. Baseball fans are a culture unto themselves. It's a relaxed party atmosphere where strangers chat with other strangers. There is barbeque and beer. I bring along my knitting and a book, because the game leaves spaces for other activities. I also love to read about baseball. The important thing about the best baseball narratives is that they regularly deal with bigger philosophical issues.This book shows us how two very talented players, Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg, grew up, dealt with prejudice, and became friends.

PS If you haven't read The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles, you better go and do it ASAP!

4 stars

Traveling Butterflies by Susuma Shingu

This is an excellent introductory book on the migration of monarch butterflies. I read it twice to really appreciate how much information is in the simple text. The illustrations that accompany it are flat out gorgeous, and enhance a reader's understanding of this remarkable creature's journey.

NOVELS

3 stars

Raymie Nightingale by Kate Dicamillo

I'm a little bit heartbroken. I wanted to love this book, but it just didn't quite work for me. Yes, there is some beautiful writing, and I even had moments where my eyes filled with tears. The problem is that I just couldn't really connect to the characters, so I didn't care enough about them. It felt like the novel skimmed the surface of what might otherwise have been a powerful read.

4 stars

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein narrated by Jesse Bernstein

This one started out slow for me, but then, just like in Grabenstein's last book, before I knew it, there I was, right inside the story. Everything I loved about the last book was here: great characters, the connection to children's literature, the gaming, the puzzles and riddles, the sense of creation and wonder! I especially appreciated the connections to banned (and missing) books.

5 stars

Salt to the Sea by Rutya Sepetys narrated by Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, Michael Crouch

I'm still kind of gobsmacked by how stunning this book is. It's the story of a group of refugees from different backgrounds trying to escape the advancing Russian troops at the end of the second world war. This exquisitely written book reveals to us the humanity of strangers against a backdrop of evil, and what horror, terror, and brutality that entails. These different narrators brought the characters to life for me as I listened to this book.

CURRENTLY

I started Famous Last Words by Katie Alender, but it is too creepy and scary for me. (I'll try reading it with my eyes since it's easier to skip over the really nasty bits.) I abandoned it and started listening to The Book of Kings by Cynthia Voigt. I'm in the middle of Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. Books in verse seem like you can read them quickly, but I find I need to take a bit of time and savour them.

UP NEXT

I still haven't started those coding books. Maybe I should just accept defeat and return them to the library. Otherwise, I've got a mess of audiobooks that should be available soon from the public library and I just picked up Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar, so maybe that will be next. I've also got Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke and The Memory of Things by Gae Polisner ready to read from Netgalley. (I'm actually amazed they let me read anything at all after the long list of books I didn't get to before they were archived)

Slice of Life: HOPE

I started participating last week in Slice of Life, so this is my second public post. Two Writing Teachers are the generous hosts for this event.

HOPE

Some days I weep and scream [soundless] in the shower.

Today I brood over how I might push through the pervasive disorientation of my mother's brain.

I am a miner, digging for meaningful conversations.

I am a prospector, scavenging through the rubble left from a traumatic brain injury and a body ravaged with cancer.

I search for precious gems: memories to last the rest of my lifetime.

What tools admit me into the heart of meaningful dialogue?

I shape words into questions and conversation gambits and put them on a list.