Poetry Friday is hosted today by Irene Latham at Live Your Poem. She shares Words of Peace and Wisdom by Native Americans and a poem of her own inspired by them.
Don't forget to check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
Last week I found this book of poetry in a library I was working in. I had to bring it home because of the author and the illustrator. Seriously, who could resist this cover?
I've read it at least three times and pored over the illustrations. The book contains poems about eighteen important hispanic individuals who lived in what is now known as the United States of America. The earliest character, Juan De Miralles, was born in the early 1700's and one of the most recent, Baruj Benacerraf, died in 2011. Women and men are highlighted. Many of them are mixes of African and indigenous peoples. Their contributions are diverse. Some, but not all of them are famous. I knew of a few of these people, but most were new to me. The back matter contains short biographies of each of them.
The poetry is exquisite. I was already a Margarita Engle fan, but her work here is profound. If you don't know her wordsmithing, you are in for a treat. She manages to reveal much about each person with her straight forward deceptively simple free verse. The first person narrative has lines that will blow your mind.
Here are a few snippets from the poems:
Julia de Burgos 1914 - 1953
MY RIVER OF DREAMS
Six of my twelve brothers and sisters
died of hunger, but my gentle mother
took me for long walks
beside a river
of beautiful dreams.
I learned to love nature and the island,
even though we were so poor that I
had to climb into classrooms
through a window, because we
could not afford school tuition.
...
Juana Briones 1802 - 1889
ON MY OWN
This is a land of good herbs
and great sorrows -- the conquest
of los indios, my soldier-husband's
cruel job.
....
I survive as a rancher and healer,
curing the sick with medicinal plants,
and healing myself
with independence.
Rafael López' art is as gorgeous as the poetry. Each portrait reveals information about the individual's character. Other details hint as to their time and place.
Ever since I finished this collection, I've been thinking about my grandmother. Margarita Engle has inspired me to work on a poem about her and her life. Here is a rough draft of a beginning stanza.
When I was a young girl
I saw Buffalo Bill’s
Wild West Show.
That’s why
I learned to shoot
and how Annie Oakley
came to be my hero.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. It will be released November 12, 2019 by Annick Press.
I truly appreciated this book. I highlighted chunks of text and made notes to refer back to for when I wrote this review. Unfortunately, one week later, when I went to use all that, I couldn't open the ebook. Apparently there was 'no valid license’ for it. I can download another copy to reread, but I don't have time.
The history of indigenous peoples isn't comfortable reading. This book begins with a preamble explaining the story of the eagle and of the old North Trail. The trail spans the North American continent from north to what is now the Yukon, south to Mexico. Indigenous peoples used it for millennium prior to first contact with europeans. What the Eagle Sees spans Indigenous history from their victory over the Vikings, to how people manage to survive and thrive today. I appreciated the many photographs, and inserts of additional information.
It’s not as in depth as Thomas King’s The Inconvenient Indian, but it’s a brilliant introduction for readers unaware of indigenous relationships with settlers.
This is an important read for everyone eleven years and older. It should be mandatory reading for all educators. It goes without saying that it provides an important mirror for indigenous children, and a window for the rest of us. I plan to now go and read the authors’ first book, Turtle Island: The Story of North America's First People.
#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.
Halloween is over and I only managed to finish reading one creepy novel and one creepy graphic novel last month. How did you do?
Although I am a second tier Cybil judge in the graphic novel category, I've been trying to read many of the nominations anyway. I like to know what the finalists were up against. Really tiny font is a killer for me no matter how fabulous the story and artwork!
Titles with a 🍁indicate this is a Canadian Author.
Clicking on the title of the book will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Poetry Friday November 1, 2019
Poetry Friday October 25, 2019
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 3 stars |
Red Parka Mary by Peter Eyvindson & Rhian Brynjolson (Illustrator) 🍁
I enjoyed this heartwarming tale about a boy and an elderly woman who become friends. The characters are indigenous but the author is not. It was published in 1996, before the #Ownvoices movement. All the money from the sales of this and the author's other books go towards funding homes in Haiti for abandoned children. I'm wondering if this justifies cultural appropriation.
 |
| 4 stars |
Charlotte and the Rock by Stephen W. Martin & Samantha Cotterill (Illustrations) 🍁
I read this picture book about a girl and her pet rock in a classroom I was in. They were studying geology. Readers will learn there are advantages and disadvantages to having a rock for a pet. I liked the surprise ending but wish there had been some hints earlier. Delightful vintage illustrations.
 |
| 4 stars |
Poppy's Best Paper by Susan Eaddy & Rosalinde Bonnet (Illustrations)
I read this one while subbing in Carrie Gelson's classroom recently. It's a charming book with two important messages: celebrate our friends' successes and it takes work to be a great author.
GRAPHIC
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| 3 stars |
Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea & Yana Bogatch
In this small town all the women have special powers. There is a special force field around the town that makes it impossible for them 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 learns the dark side of having powers.
I was impressed as all get out by the artwork here. I had a devil of a time reading the font though. I appreciate the story line, which is truly creepy, but the ending didn't leave me feeling satisfied.
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| 4 stars |
Click by Kayla Miller
This is a delightful novel about friendship and finding your own way of fitting in. When the Fifth Grade Variety Show is announced, all of all of Olive’s friends form groups and make plans for what they want to do. Olive is left out. At a sleepover with her aunt they watch old variety shows and Olive finally decides what she would like to do. I love the diverse cast of characters. I like Olive and her friends. I’m looking forward to meeting them again.
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| 4 stars |
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
What I loved most about this book is that Raina and her friends discovered that authenticity is best. Being and sharing who you are helps all of us realize that we are not so different.
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| 5 stars |
Best Friends by Shannon Hale & LeUyen Pham (Illustrator )
In this book Shannon Hale explores the difference between being part of a popular group, and having real friends. Her grade 6 year is full of near crippling anxiety. Her worries about fitting in get in the way of her just being who she is. She makes some terrible mistakes before she comes to understand that it is ok to follow her own passions.
NOVELS
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| 5 + stars |
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss & Nick Podehl (Narrator).
Just Wow! What a story! It was more than 28 hours of listening, but I hated each time I had to pause and deal with the details of real life. In this book Kvothe, the protagonist, tells of his early life and time at the university learning magic. I feel compelled to start the next in the series, The Wise Man's Fear, but at 994 pages, I might wait for next Summer's Big Book Challenge! At almost 43 hours, I don't think I will listen to it.
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| 4 stars |
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
As you might have noticed from the quote at the top of this blog, I am a hard core Terry Pratchett fan. Sometimes a person needs to escape the realities of of their ordinary life and visit Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. This hilarious novel is a parody of football. Like all of Pratchett work it’s full of important messages about living a good life and getting along with others. I always come back from his worlds refreshed and full of laughter .
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| 5 + stars |
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
Gu Miyoung is half Gumiho. She needs to feed on human energy. Her conscience is appeased by killing only evil men. Then she rescues Jihoon, a teen boy, from a goblin. Their fates become entwined.
I couldn't put this book down. I adore the combination of mythology and modern times. Readers will discover plenty of pathos, action, and humour in this love story that highlights doing the right thing. Although it has a satisfying ending, it also introduces us to the sequel. (I can't help but wonder if schools in Korea really have this level of bullying.)
I don't say this often about a book, but this was the jewel in my last two weeks reading life.
 |
| 3.5 stars |
The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills 🍁
Three generations of Cree women live together. They all have the ability to see ghosts, catch them, and help them move on. Shelly, the youngest of them is in 6th grade and looking forward to following the family tradition. When her mother dies in a car accident Shelly searches for her ghost and ends up collecting and keeping a menagerie of other ghosts in her bedroom.
I liked the three characters. My problem with this book is that it's more about dealing with grief than it is about the ghosts. I wanted more. I wanted to be more connected to and afraid for Shelly but that never happened.
NON FICTION
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| 3 stars |
Meet Tom Longboat by Elizabeth MacLeod, Mike Deas (Illustrator) 🍁
This was ok. I appreciated reading this biography of an important indigenous Canadian. I tried to find out if either the author or illustrator have any indigenous connections but unfortunately couldn't find any. I can't help but wonder how different it might be if it was. This was published in 2019, well after the #Ownvoices movement. I don't see how Scholastic Canada can justify this cultural appropriation.
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| 4 stars |
Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia by D. Anne Love, Pamela Paparone (Illustrator)
This is a good introduction to an unknown philosopher and mathematician. It doesn’t address the challenges that must have faced Hypatia and her father as she was brought up with the freedom and education only available to men. The art is spectacular.
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| 5 stars |
What the Eagle Sees by Eldon Yellowhorn & Kathy Lowinger 🍁
The history of indigenous peoples since first contact with Europeans isn't comfortable reading. This makes it necessary to read about it from an indigenous perspective.
I've written a blog post that I will share this week, closer to the publication date. If I was still in my library I would preorder two copies of it. I would book talk it at a staff meeting and strongly encourage every teacher in the school to read it.
POETRY
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| 5 stars |
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris (Illustrator)
As gorgeous as the poetry in this book is, it's almost completely overshadowed by the spectacular art.
CURRENTLY
I've just started listening to Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. I'm into Positively izzy by Terri Libenson. I made a bit of progress on The Creativity Project by Colby Sharp and The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago.
UP NEXT
I've got Miles to Go by Beryl Young, Estranged by Ethan M Aldridge, Exit Strategy by Martha Wells are up next. I'm also planning on reading the full version of Pumpkinheads: A Graphic Novel by Rainbow Rowell. I downloaded it from Netgalley without realizing it was just the first bit. In retaliation I decided to read the whole novel before reviewing it. (I hope the rest is as good as that snippet)
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 23/25 one in progress
#MustReadNFIn2018 11/12 - one in progress
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 24/25
25 books by Canadian Authors 79/25
Goodreads Reading Challenge 353/333
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Tabatha Yeatts: The Opposite of Indifference. If you are interested in a writing retreat for yourself, Tabatha has information for how to accomplish it! Don't forget to check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
Last week's post was all about the creepiness of Halloween. I have been working a lot this week and didn't expect to post today. Then I saw this picture of my two grandkids. The poem wrote itself.
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Karen Edmisten. She is sharing an ode to autumn, October by Helen Hunt Jackson. Don't forget to check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
Halloween is my favourite holiday. There's no feast to prepare and no gifts to purchase. You just buy candy, get dressed up, and enjoy all the delightful scariness. Plus, it's a fun way to get to know your neighbours and their children.
For many years I taught family groupings of grades 3/4/5 students. Each October I would dig out my copy of Jack Prelutsky's Nightmares: Poems to trouble your sleep. (I wanted to take a photograph to show you how beat up it is, but it's tucked away in a box somewhere.) The collection was originally published in 1976. Throughout my career I never found anything so delightfully macabre that's appropriate for elementary students. In that last week before All Hallows Eve, I would read one or two poems aloud every day. These are not playful verses with happy endings. They terrify. I am not a fan of the horror genre, but can manage to get through one or two at a time. Prelutsky's rhyming poetry is rich and explicit. Even when students don't really grasp the vocabulary, they understand the ominous tone. Arnold Lobel's sinister illustrations just make it all the more scarier.
The collection is chock full of creepiness, but my favourite is The Ghoul. It is guaranteed to intimidate even the most bold and brash students.
THE GHOUL
The gruesome ghoul, the grisly ghoul,
without the slightest noise
waits patiently beside the school
to feast on girls and boys.
He lunges fiercely through the air
as they come out to play,
then grabs a couple by the hair
and drags them far away.
He cracks their bones and snaps their backs
and squeezes out their lungs,
he chews their thumbs like candy snacks
and pulls apart their tongues.
He slices their stomachs and bites their hearts
and tears their flesh to shreds,
he swallows their toes like toasted tarts
and gobbles down their heads.
Fingers, elbows, hands and knees
and arms and legs and feet -
he eats them with delight and ease,
for every part's a treat.
And when the gruesome, grisly ghoul
has nothing left to chew,
he hurries to another school
and waits...perhaps for you.
© Jack Prelutsky 1976
I've never found a book quite so perfect for the season. Have you?
I was most likely under Prelutsky's influence when I penned Anthrophobia. I wrote it in response to this month's padlet challenge at Today's Little Ditty, "write a poem about something a monster is afraid of." Michelle Heidenrich Barnes shared it here. Spiders give me nightmares - especially if I see one before I go to sleep. I try hard to get along with them and mostly succeed if they follow the rules and stay outside!
ANTHROPHOBIA
In my web I hide in silence
Fearful of your awful science
What harm I’ve done I do not know
I wish you did not hate me so
I munch the bugs that harm your plants
I decimate both flies and ants
I venture out at times it’s true
But I don’t mean to startle you
I do my best to help you out
Still you see me and scream and shout
You grab a shoe prepared to swing
I bolt hole from that ghastly thing
Cowering now inside this crack
I wait in fear your next attack
Please not the long and roaring pipe
That suctions web and devours life
Viler still is the noxious spray
From which no beast can get away
#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.
My partner and I went off for a few days to our home in the Okanagan Valley. On our way we discovered that a cousin of mine had died and his funeral was on the following Saturday. We decided to stick around for that. Besides lazing around, baking, eating and reading, I got all the windows washed and vacuumed and dusted the basement. Then on Saturday we travelled east with another cousin and his wife to the service, a three hour drive from there and another three hours back. Early Sunday we got up, tidied the house, and headed back to Vancouver. We sure are glad to be back with our grandkids!
Today is a big day here in Canada as we are voting to elect a new federal government. Not only to I have to get out early and vote, I have to pick up and prepare food for book club at my place at 1:30. I'm also booked to go and help get out the vote for the candidate of my choice after that. All this means that I will try and read everyone's post later this week. Keep your fingers crossed that we will end up with a progressive government.
Titles with a 🍁indicate this is a Canadian Author.
Clicking on the title of the book will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
PICTURE BOOKS
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| 5 stars |
The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc & Claudia Zoe Bedrick (Translator) 🍁
A lion finds a wounded bird. He nurses it back to health. The next spring the bird flies off with the rest of it's flock. The lion, missing the bird, goes on with his life waiting and hoping. While this book is about friendship, it also reminded me about parenting. It's nearly wordless. The illustrations are breathtaking. Dubuc is the queen of how to use empty space. She reveals so much emotion and story in her images. I'm not even sure it needs the sparse text that's there.
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| 5 stars |
Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed & Anoosha Syed (Illustrator)
This is a delightful story about friendship, cooking, and trying new things. Anoosha Syed's bright art highlights a community very much like the one I live in. On top of that, there is a recipe at the back of the book.
Guess what we are having for dinner tomorrow?
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| 4 stars |
I'm Worried (I'm Bored! #3) by Michael Ian Black & Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Illustrator)
While there are some humorous aspects to this book, ultimately it's a serious book about dealing with anxiety. While I doubt anxious children will suddenly recover from their worrying after reading this book, it might help them realize they are not alone. What it does well is provide an opportunity for building empathy and understanding in others.
Debbie Ridpath Ohi is Canadian. 🍁
NOVELS
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| 4 stars |
Tree of Dreams by Laura Resau
I appreciated so much about this book. There is a lot going on. It begins with a betrayal between two best friends. Our protagonist, Coco, and her mother own El Corazón, a chocolate shop that is losing money and will soon have to close. She enters a contest to win a trip to the Amazon where she plans to track down a special mother tree and find a treasure. Leo de la Cueva, her former best friend, also enters the contest. It's a tie so both of them, their mothers, and their elderly landlord take off on a journey into Ecuador. They end up to a remote Huaorani village in the heart of the Amazon. There Coco discovers that there are many different kinds of treasures.
Young readers will appreciate this story of redemption and forgiveness while they learn what devastation of the rainforest means to indigenous people. They will also learn a lot about chocolate making and how it makes everything better! I especially loved the magical realism aspects to the story that integrates science and wonder.
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| 5 stars |
Are You Ready to Hatch An Unusual Chicken? by Kelly Jones & Katie Kath (illustrator)
The first book in the series made me want to own my own flock of chickens. Living in the city makes that difficult. Upon finishing this one, I’m seriously contemplating moving to the country just so I too can be a poultry farmer.
In this book Sophie learns how to hatch unusual chickens. For the rest of us, it’s a lesson in how to hatch regular ones. It turns out that one of her chicks has truly unusual powers. Will Sophie get to keep it after a visit from the unusual poultry inspector? Read the book and find out!
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| 4 stars |
A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying by Kelley Armstrong & Xavière Daumarie (Illustrator) 🍁
This is an action packed novel full of monster fighting and narrow escapes. Rowan, queen elect turned monster hunter, doesn't always think things through. This lands her into all kinds of trouble. If she is to take on the mantle of the Royal Monster Hunter, she going to have to kill a gryphon. Luckily she manages to find friends in unlikely places to help her.
I was ok with all the monster chasing, subterfuge and betrayal, but nearly stopped reading when monster spiders entered the story. Why did their have to be spiders? I pretty much skipped that section.
This is the first in a series but comes to a satisfying conclusion none the less.
I couldn't help but make connections to Tamora Pierce's Alanna series, only this one is for a younger crowd.
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| 4 stars |
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett & Hope Davis (Narrator)
I was nervous about this adult novel. As soon as I started listening I realized I had started it before. I must have picked it up, started it, and then left it. I'm not sure I would have continued with it this time except I had a lot of work to do and this was the only audiobook I had to listen to.
Somehow, I became fascinated with this dysfunctional family. I couldn't stop listening.
It's the story of a divorce and six step siblings who learn to get along with, and even love one another. There are a lot of characters - some of them seemingly despicable. Yet Ann Patchett fills them all with humanity and tenderness. These are not caricatures. These are people - children and adults dealing with their circumstances and surviving.
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| 5 stars |
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin & Scott Brick (Narrator)
This is another adult novel. It celebrates the treasures and pleasures of being a reader. It’s loaded with romance, mystery, and even parenting tips. It highlights that we are made up of stories. It’s about love in all its many facets.
“There is only one word that matters.... We are what we love.. We are that we love.”
My eyes leaked a bit.
NON FICTION
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| 4 stars |
After Life: Ways We Think about Death by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox 🍁
This is an appropriate middle grade resource for learning about death. It's certainly an interesting read. It provides a broad spectrum of information about many aspects of dying, death and grief. I like the multicultural nature of the book. I liked the layout. You could read it cover to cover, or just browse through it reading a section that interests you. It includes ample captioned photographs, diagrams, side bars, and fact boxes. The headings are highlighted in different colours. A life expectancy map shows where people have the longest life span. A chart shows what happens to a body after death. The back matter contains a resources list, a glossary and an index.
My only quibble is not so much that the font is small, although for my eyes it is, but that often text on photographs blends in making it challenging to read.
I would definitely purchase this one for my elementary or middle school library.
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| 4 stars |
Undocumented: A Worker's Fight by Duncan Tonatiuh
This is a book that needs to be shared again and again with people of all ages. It tells the story of one undocumented worker in the United States and introduces readers to others. The author's note at the end provides additional information.
I worry about the accordion fold format of the book. Published in the ancient Mixtec codex that represents this worker's background, I fear for it's durability in a school library. I also found some of the font difficult to read against the background.
CURRENTLY
I've just started listening to Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. I'm in the middle of The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills. I've barely finished What the Eagle Sees by Eldon Yellowhorn, a Netgalley title, and will be writing a blog post about it this week. I made no progress on The Creativity Project by Colby Sharp or The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago because I left them in Vancouver. Sigh...
UP NEXT
I'm trying to decide between Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong, and Wicked Fox by Kat Cho. Laurie Hnatiuk has recommended I read the scary novel, Button Hill, by Canadian author, Michael Bradford. I did check out a digital copy from my library, but I'm still trying to dig up enough courage to start it.
PROGRESS ON MY READING GOALS
#MustReadIn2018 23/25
#MustReadNFIn2018 11/12 - one in progress
25 Books by Canadian Indigenous Authors 22/25 - two in progress
25 books by Canadian Authors 74/25
Big Book Reading Challenge 10/4
Goodreads Reading Challenge 338/333
Poetry Friday is hosted today Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Jama is an "author, blogger, foodie, alphabet lover, picture book nerd, soup maker, bear collector, diehard anglophile and secret wife of Colin Firth." (That's taken from her blog.) I am lucky to be Jama's facebook friend. Each day my feed is filled with gorgeous illustrations from modern and classic picture books. Today Jama is sharing snippets of poetry from Charles Ghigna’s new book, Dear Poet: Notes to a Young Writer. Go on over and take note of the stunning illustrations created by his son. Don't forget to check out the links to other participants sharing poetry today.
I had a post ready to go last Friday with Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core, except for needing a final check and to add details about her post. I woke and went looking for my laptop to do just that. It wasn't where I usually leave it. I searched all over our living room for it. It wasn't under any of our furniture. It wasn't snugly tucked into our book shelves. I even checked the grandchildren's toy shelves. No laptop. I ransacked the rest of the house. No laptop. Being more than halfway convinced that it had been stolen, I phoned Apple and they helped me lock it so all my stuff was safe.
As we were planning on leaving town, I gave up and started to pack. My favourite sweatshirt wasn't in the closet so I went to the hamper of folded laundry that I still hadn't put away. There in the middle of the basket under folded clothes was my laptop. By then I had run out of time, so I'm sharing last week's post today. A friend of mine suggested my computer had gone searching for missing socks. Another that maybe the hard drive wanted cleaning. Catherine focused on gratitude last week. I'm very grateful to have found my laptop.
A couple of weeks ago Catherine and her Swagger friends showed off their zenos. She explained, "invented by J. Patrick Lewis, a zeno is a ten line form with a 8-4-2-1-4-2-1-4-2-1 syllable sequence an abcdefdghd rhyme scheme." Having a penchant for patterns in mathematics, I couldn't resist having a go. I played around with this format off and on. It is much harder than I expected! At first I ended up having too many 4-2-1 sequences. I gave up and figured I'd use them all because I couldn't decide which one to abandon. The good thing about missing posting last Friday is that when I looked at it this week, the words just came together to make the whole poem work.
M's Quilt
here stitched with love is Marguerite's quilt
patterns dance in
white and
red
spinning centre
braided
edge
gracing now an
empty
bed
I made this quilt for my mother in law who died a number of years ago. My partner and I inherited the house and contents so the quilt has come back to me.
