A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Reviews

Warrior Girl Unearthed

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Warrior Girl Unearthed through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Indigenous women go missing every year.  Many of them are never heard from and their disappearances are not solved.  Many factors come into play for this lack of resolution in their cases. Warrior Girl Unearthed tells the story of one young lady and her indomitable spirit.   Interning over the summer and discovering the need of her people to hold to their past while battling and living in the present.  I found myself power reading as I wanted to see what resolution could be gained, at least momentarily, in the now, through the actions of Perry and her friends. 

warrior girl unearthed, Angeline Boulley

The Details for Warrior Girl Unearthed

Title: Warrior Girl Unearthed
Author: Angeline Boulley
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Series: Firekeeper’s Daugther (pt 2)
Pages: 400
Intended Audience: Ages 14-18
Genre: thriller, young adult, teen, women’s issues, indigenous women, mystery, teenage interns
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Available formats: Audio, hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Received: Hardcover with fly

Warrior girl unearthed

About the book and author

Angeline Boulley is part of the Chippewa Indians of Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Ms. Boulley write about her Ojibwe community.  Her first book Firekeeper’s Daughter was a New York Times bestseller.   Currently she lives in SW Michigan as a full-time author.  She has served in Indian education at the tribal, state, and national levels. 

The book: 

Set in the same community as Firekeeper’s Daughter, and featuring many of the same characters, Warrior Girl Unearthed is the story of an Ojibwe teen who, while working as a summer intern, discovers a plot to profit off robbed Indigenous graves.

A group of friends works with her to solve a mystery and to bring back the remains of her ancestors.   In the process they need to deal with generational grudges, bureaucratic subterfuge, stories of missing women, family secrets, and painful realities about the legacy of colonialism.

Digging Deeper

You will find this a compelling story.   Perry Firekeeper-Birch is a strong minded young lady who doesn’t easily fit a mould.  She finds herself (due to some poor decision-making) compelled to work for the summer, her aunt helping her find a position as an intern. 

From this point forward, Perry’s eyes are opened to bureaucratic nonsense for delaying the return of Native ancestorial remains to the people they belong to.  She sees more deeply the lack of desire to deal with “yet another native woman” going missing.  Instead of this beating her down, she discovers a burning desire to do something about it and to help fix the problems plaguing her people. 

In this read, you’ll see her learning, developing new skills, and broadening her understanding, as we in turn, broaden our own understanding of the issues at hand. 

This is not a book filled with illustrations, but rather with clearly written text and simple ornamentation for chapter headings.  Divided into nine weeks, each week starts with a quote. 37 chapters and an epilogue round out the 400 pages. 

You will find native american words used throughout.  Most of the time the meaning of these words was found within context, but not always.   The “not always part” let me feeling a bit frustrated, but overall didn’t affect the quality of the material written. 

Scene breaks were acknowledged by little flowers, words read or messages given written in a different or darker font.  Dreams were written in italics. 

My thoughts?

I love it when stories well a deeper story.  Granted I LOVE reading so a well-told story that is written strictly for entertainment value is appreciated too!   But sometimes you need a story to be more than entertaining right?  And this story is well-told, drawing us into the life of a young Native American girl who is starting to grow up.  She’s not an easy-going, highly compliant child, but a young lady with a warrior’s heart, who wants to fight for what’s important.  

In Warrior Girl Unearthed, Perry learns how some of that fighting needs to be done within the strictures of today’s society.  Realizing how she needs to learn some new skills, and discovering potential within herself hitherto unknown. 

Do note there is some bad language used in conversation.  Nothing horrible.  Difficult topics of missing women, and sexual assault are addressed.   These are scattered throughout the story, but do not make up the WHOLE of the story. If studying Native Americans in history, this book will bring to life some of the ramifications are of what happened in the past. 

Overall, a well recommended read. 

The Girl Who Heard the Music

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Girl Who Heard the Music through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

Looking for a story of hope and of one that sees the possibilities for change?  Look no further than The Girl Who Heard the Music.  One pianist, one person who firmly believed in her, one home fully longed for, one firm desire to an aid to people…. and so hope was born.  Read this with your children and perhaps they might be inspired to be part of change as well. 

The girl who heard the music

The Details for The Girl Who Heard the Music

Title: The Girl Who Heard the Music
Words by: Marni Fogelson with Mahani Teave
Pictures by: Marta Alvarez Miguens
Publisher: Soucebooks, Explore
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: Ages 4-8
Genre: musical biographies, picturebook, Art and Music, Environment, Performing arts, juvenile non-fiction, biography,
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: international edition, softcover picturebook

About the book and author

The Author:

Marni Fogetson worked with Mahani Teave to tell this story. Ms Teave is an award winning concert pianist and a environmental activist. 

Marni Fogelson is a children’s book author, lifestyle writer, and nonprofit professional. With a huge love of reading, she loves how books have the potential to make us better humans. Together with an affections hound, Marni shares a home with her family in Philadelphia.  

The Girl who Heard the music

Looking Deeper

Imagine if you would having a deep love for music and then discovering the piano.  But you live on a small island where pianos, and those that love them, are few and far between!  Fostering her love and ability to play the piano was a bit of a challenge…. but her talent was recognized!

She had to leave the island in order to play. 

As you can see, the text is easy to read. The beauty of the illustrations show how much Mahini is drawn back to her island.  Hear the music.  Feel the music course through your body.   See how Mahini becomes inspired to give back to her community. 

And so she does.   Finding a way to help her community help themselves through the waste they see around them.   You’ll find yourself enjoying Mahini’s love for her people and her willingness to consider unconventional methods to help them to help themselves. 

My Recommendation?

I hope my review of The Girl Who Heard the Music makes you as curious to read it as it did my cat! 

He, being a curious young cat that he is, saw me flipping through the pages of this lovely read and thought he should come join me.  🙂   He’s a fantastic cat for sitting on the couch with and reading a book together.  Perhaps one of your youngsters would love to join him over Mahini’s story?  or better yet, with your own cat!   It makes me curious if other cats might be as drawn to the pictures as my cat is!  🙂 

O is for Ocean

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for O is for Ocean through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

Alphabet books can be so much fun!  Greg Paprocki focuses on oceans as he walks us through the alphabet.  We’ll see flying fish, lagoons, and submarines.  Do you think you could walk your way alphabetically through the ocean?  What types of things might you think of?  It’s fun to look through these books to see if the author is seeing the same things in the ocean that you are! 

O is for Ocean review

The Basic Details of O is for Ocean

Title:  O is for Ocean
Author: Greg Paprocki
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Pages: 32
Format: Board Book
Genre: alphabet books, oceans, water book, oceanography, ecology,
Series: BabyLit
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: Boardbook

About the Author

Greg Paprocki works full-time as an illustrator and book designer.  He’s worked with the Curious George books, as well as a number of other BabyLit alphabet books. 

About O is for Oceans

An engaging collection of illustrations teaching children all about the plants, animals, and features of our beautiful oceans from A through Z. 

O is for Ocean Review

A closer look

Aren’t the illustrations in O is for Ocean engaging?  Lovely bright colours dotting the pages, with details sharply contrasting so you can clearly see everything that is going on?   Children imagining the whale swimming with the fish, and sea creatures darting in and out among the anemones?  

So many talking points on each page, engaging readers.

As you can clearly see, the font is large and very easy to read using proper terminology.  Yet, while children are taught in a non-complicated manner.  Easy words with brilliant images. 

One word for every page, gradually taking young readers through the alphabet in a nicely created, well-built board book. 

If you have a love for the ocean, and want to help your children learn the alphabet, O is for Ocean by Greg Paprocki is one that you will want to pick up.  Let your children fall in love with the ecology of the ocean and build their love for learning. 

If you are a homeschooling parent doing a unit on the oceans, what a fantastic way to include your youngest children in your studies.  🙂   A great way for your older ones to explain what they are learning to your littles as they help them learn the alphabet. 

Homeland

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Taking the time to share our memories with our children tells them where we have come from, whether it just be general stories of our childhood, or specific memories of a former homeland.   In Homeland: My father dreams of Palestine we see a dad sharing his memories of Palestine with his family.   I found it poignant that his daughter considers his memories as memories of HER homeland as well. 

homeland: my father dreams of palestine

The Basic Details for Homeland

Title: Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine
Author: Hannan Moushabek
Illustrator: Reem Madooh
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Intended Audience: 5-8 years, kindergarten to grade 3
Style: Picture book
Genre: children’s social situations, children’s parents, immigration, emigration, memories, Palestine,
Formats available: kindle, hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: Hardcover

About the Author

Hannah Moushabeck has given us her first ever picture book that shows you her roots.  She is a second generation Palestinian-American.  Not only is Hannah an author, who grew up in a family of booksellers, but also an editor and marketer.  She learned the value of books and literature from an early age. 

About the book

Homeland is about a dad’s remembrance of his homeland of Palestine, retelling stories to his family of the food, smells, music , and activities.  He was surrounded by poets, musicians, historians, story-tellers and pigeon keepers!   Read his stories, and be inspired to tell your own. 

homeland: my father dreams of palestine

Taking a deeper look

There is so much that I enjoy about Homeland: My Father dreams of Palestine.  I love the dad taking the time to tell his stories to his family.  I love how his family claims his homeland as their own as well, even as they know they might never see it themselves.  Dad must make those stories so real for them.  🙂  Can you imagine having your stories make your children long to live your childhood? 

The font is easy to read, perhaps not quite large enough to read easily with a group of children, but easy enough to read with children sitting right next to you.   The illustrations draw the eye in and help tell the story so well. 

I love how you can see how music infused his childhood, and it makes me wonder, if music infuses the life of his children.  The guitar and drum I see in their family home hints at this truth.   So many talking points on each of the pages.  Can you imagine how you can follow up the pigeon keeper with perhaps finding a pigeon keeper in real life?  Seeing how homing pigeons always stay at home? 

In my family, my mom will talk about the food they had growing up, the difficulties during the war and how their parents helped.  My mom will speak to the faithfulness of God in so many of her life decisions.  But seeing the food and the memories it elicits for the dad, makes me wonder, what dishes from my childhood can I share with my boy?   What might you share with your children? 

At the close of this tale you will see arabic words and their definitions, in case you missed the meaning throughout reading.   Did you know what a fez was? 

If you were doing a study on Palestine and wanted to see what life might be like for a boy living there, you’ll find Homeland to be a useful primer.  It can definitely add a deeper element to your homeschooling studies into this war-torn land (without the scenes of battle). 

We need to talk about Vaginas

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for We Need to Talk about Vaginas through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Not an easy topic to you know?  To talk with young ladies about their bodies and how they work.  Too often we let them learn from others who don’t have their best needs at heart. We need to talk about vaginas is written by a doctor who wants to help young ladies understand their bodies.  Let’s look deeper shall we? 

we need to talk about vaginas

The Basic Details of We need to Talk about Vaginas

Title: We need to Talk about Vaginas: An important book about vulvas, periods, puberty, and sex!
Author: Dr. Allison K Rodgers
Illustrator: Annika Le Large
Publisher: Neon Squid
Pages: 64
Intended Audience: 10-14 years
Genre: Teenage girls, nonfiction, books on maturing, girls and women’s issues, sexuality
Formats available: Flexibound, Kindle
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: flexibound

About the Author

Dr. Allison K. Rodgers is an Obstetrics and Gynecology doctor based in Chicago, Illinois. She discusses common issues for young women.  Her goal is to give accurate health information to those interested. You can find her on Instagram (mostly about fertility) and TikTok.

About the book

But KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, ergo the more we know about our vaginas and vulvas the better equipped we are to deal with our bodies. In this beautifully illustrated book Dr. Allison K. Rodgers explains in simple tems everything from why we have periods to sex and consent in the age of social media. You’ll learn the correct names for everything, understand periods, vaginas, self-care, and puberty changes. 

we need to talk about vaginas

Looking Deeper

Clear illustrations are provided, giving accurate descriptions and facts throughout. The language is non-complicated, the focus on providing clear information to a younger audience.  A book like this would have been hugely helpful to me in my early teen years as talking with my folks about such things was basically a no-go.  

You’ll find all skin tones used throughout, as is the openness about different sexual attractions. I didn’t know there was so much variation in how hymen presents itself. Good to know information eh?   Popping up you’ll notice references to non-traditional sexual orientation. 

For the most part, each new topic covers a two page spread. Each topic broken down into easy to understand bite sized pieces.  Giving just enough information that if a young lady wanted to know more, she would know the search terms to use. 

Would I recommend it?

If I could rip out about four pages of this short book, I could heartily recommend it.  BUT the woke part of it, where gender identity becomes part of the conversation… made me want to hurl it into the garbage.  You won’t find this book only talking about vaginas but also about sexuality, puberty, masturbation and the like.  It is written from a non-faith perspective.  

BUT all said … if you want a resource to help your daughter (or even yourself if you’ve not seriously looked into how your body work) understand her body and the changes in store as she becomes a woman, this is a clearly presented treatise that speaks to girls well. 

Inclusivity matters

I love the inclusivity of all skin colours, the accurate drawings, the clearly presented facts, and even the presentation of aspects I wouldn’t have thought to include.  

Can “we need to talk about vaginas” be used within a faith based household?  FOR SURE.  Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about how it’s an insult to be called cisgendered, how men are men regardless of their mental illnesses, and women are always women even if they don’t always feel like it. Talk with them about periods, how our bodies work, sexual choices, and protecting themselves.  Talk about how our faith influences how we live our lives. Girls need to know these things.  Talk about how dealing with our sexuality in a faith-based way in a world the encourages deviance is difficult. The more we know, the more we can help ourselves and others within our communities. 

Please, just use this book as a conversation starter, to help your girls think more deeply about who they are as women and what that means…even if their idea of being a woman looks differently to them than it does to you.  🙂  Help your girls be comfortable being the women they are becoming. 

The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

You might remember I recently reviewed A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest.  You will find The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed to be just as excellently done. I can’t wait to tell you all about this fantastic resource, I learned so much!  You will too and your children will have fun with the variety of activities included within! 

The Science & Superpowers of seaweed

The Basic Details for The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

Title: The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed
Author: Amanda Swinimer
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
Formats available: paperback
Pages: 168 pages
Intended Audience: 6-12 years, grades 3-4,
Genre: Seaweed, Kid’s activity books, Education resource, flower and plant book, environment and ecology book,
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing
Format received: paperback

The Author

Amanda Swinimer moved to British Columbia where she opened her business Dakini Tidal Wilds. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Dalhousie University with an advanced major in Marine Biology. For two decades, Amanda has been sustainably harvesting, by hand, wild, edible seaweeds.  She is passionate about preserving the diversity of our coastlands and the health of our oceans.  An international speaker who eagerly shares her love of seaweed. 

About The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

This colourful, activity-packed book explores the science of seaweed from the Atlantic and Pacific coastlands.  As you learn about the different types of seaweed, you’ll be shown how to sustainably harvest and use it.  You will be provided with many fun facts about marine plants and animals. Expand your nature studies with a unique focus as you comb the beaches around you.

The science & Superpowers of seaweed

Taking a closer look

Did you know just how many different types of seaweed there are?   Brown, red and green varieties.  Amanda Swinimer takes her time in introducing us to seaweed from Pacific and Atlantic coastlands.  Seven chapters round out the 168 pages. 

I don’t know why I found this amusing to learn about the dead man’s fingers seaweed.  What a unique name, and I can see why they chose the name.  What would you call them if you saw these bloated seaweed on the coast?   As she goes through the different types of seaweed you’ll find drawings, pictorial images, the latin name, and basic information on them. 

Discovering, as you learn about seaweed, a variety of activities to do, from making a sea weed soak to using seaweed in recipes, learn about cleaning up the coastlands, and the importance of reducing the amount of plastic you use.  Did you know you can use Turkish seaweed as a dishcloth? 

Tons of images dot the pages.   Every page has images or drawings.  From seeing the size of brown kelp next to orcas to making boas out of feather kelp. 

The sheer amount of information shared, you can just see how passionate Ms. Swinimer is about seaweed and the coastlands. 

Would I recommend?

I absolutely adore books that provide excellent resources to supplement learning about a topic.  Can’t you just see the delight on your children’s faces if they find a detached dead man’s finger and squirt you with water?   Or made use of Turkish seaweed to wash the dishes when you go for a picnic lunch at the beach?   

The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed is a fantastic resource to expand your studies of life on the coastland of Canada or the USA.  Observe, learn, and create!  Use this excellent kid’s guide to help your children better understand the importance of seaweed in the world’s ecology. 

A Kids Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for A Kids Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

I ADORE books that seek to teach in practical ways as well as educate.   A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic book, complete with teacher’s guide filled with cool facts, activities and recipes to delight the reader.  Reading through this paperback makes me wish they had one called “Plants of Ontario!”  Although, observing the layout and activities I’m sure it could be adapted!  🙂 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

The Basic Details for A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

Title: A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Author: Philippa Joly
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
Pages: 192
Intended Audience: 6-12 years, grades 3-4
Formats Available: Paperback
Genre: Pacific Northwest, Plants, Flower and Plants book, Children’s plant books, Environment and ecology, children’s activity books,
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing
Copy Received: Paperback

Author

Running an outdoor school for children, and leader of workshops, Philippa Joly uses her education and a clinical and community herbalist, paramedic and outdoor educator to open up nature to children.  She lives in British Columbia with her plant-savvy daughter and cat.  Ms. Joly delights in helping people understand the healing properties of the plants around us while teaching about ethical wildcrafting.  You will see her knowledge brought out in A kid’s guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

This Resource

Encourage your children to get outside and enjoy the weather and nature as they take in the world around them in the Pacific Northwest. 

Plants surround us wherever we are, and using them we can boost our children’s self-confidence, increase their attention spans and their physical well-being.  This book helps our children appreciate the world in which they are growing up in. 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

Looking More Closely

I have enjoyed walking the trail near my house, figuring a berry I would eat regularly were some type of raspberry.  In reading through A Kid’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest I learned these berries are blackcap raspberries.   Fantastic to learn eh? 

Discover within, recipes, games, mysteries, personal anecdotes, crafts and so much more.   You can even learn how to make your own salves!  Plantain grows all around where I live so this would be rather cool to try don’t you think? 

The font is easy to read. The copious use of images and photos makes it so easy to follow instructions or to learn what the plants are you are learning about.  Latin names, pictures of leaves and berries, wildlife you might see around, and so much more. 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

Personal anecdotes add such a nice touch, drawing out stories from the reader itself.  Drew to mind a time when I was out walking in the bush and came across a youngish possum hiding in a stump.  The sheer amount of noise coming from such a small critter.  You would have thought it was a small bear!  🙂  I thought for sure it would play dead but it chose to hiss and hiss at me.   

Plant profiles are divided into seasons, spring is probably the biggest section.  You’ll also find chapters dedicated to the indigenous peoples of the area, the regions covered, the dos and don’ts of wildcrafting, plant families and guilds, poisonous plants and invasive plants.   

At the close you’ll find a glossary, a plant quiz, suggested readings and comprehensive index. 

What do I think of a Kids guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest?

A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic resource for teachers, or parents, wanting to ensure their charges/children learn more about plants in this area.  With interesting facts, a variety of activities and yummy recipes, this book is sure to please!  With all the work done for you it makes it easy to review, gather supplies, and let your children learn. 

Don’t think this book isn’t helpful if you don’t live in the Pacific Northwest.  Many of these plants grow in a wider area.  I live in Ontario, not in British Columbia through to California.  And just think of the ideas you will get!  And the fun you will have with your children learning the value in the plants around you.  🙂   Add this resource into your bookbag as you conduct your nature studies.Â