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A Net in Time

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Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior

December 6, 2023 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior through Raincoast Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog.  It costs you nothing to do so, and is a huge encouragement to me.  As such it is deeply appreciated. 

Sometimes, just sometimes, you need to read a book twice to make sure you understand where it is going.  When I read the description of Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior I thought it would be about a woman from history.  Instead, it’s about a girl of today and how history has influenced her.   I urge you to learn the history, and see the present fight for the Anishinaabe and others. 

autumn peltier, water warrior

Basic Details for Water Warriors

Title: Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior
Author: Carole Lindstrom
Illustrator: Bridget George
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 40 
Intended Audience: 4-8 years
Genre: Picture Book, Children’s multicultural biographies, Native Americans, Environment, 
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook 
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: Hardcover with fly

About the Author and the book

Autumn Peltier’s story is told in short form by Carole Lindstorm.  Carole Lindstorm is Anishinaabe/Metis and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe.  Her goal is to write about her people and their strength and resilience.   Always and avid reader, she discovered her love of writing children’s literature when her son was a young child.  She has written three books. 

About the book:

Ms. Peltier’s story is told in the book Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior.  It tells the story of how Indigenous women have long cared for the land and water, which in turn sustains all life on Earth – honoring their ancestors and providing for generations to come. Yet there was a time when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, leaving entire communities and environments in danger and without clean water.

But then came Grandma Josephine and her great-niece, Autumn Peltier.

autumn peltier, water warrior

Digging Deeper

You’ll find clear, big, and easy to read text telling this story of inspiration.   I always love a book where I can choose to read it with a good of children, or with a single child gathered next to me.   In this particular story, the water tells the story. 

Water tells it’s story from the beginning to the present.  How at first everyone helped water creating ways to it to be safe for seven generations into the future.  Then other voices began to speak who didn’t listen to or care for water.  People needed to learn about the importance of water again.   People need to speak out for what is right.  Clean water for all! 

Throughout you will see images of water, with blues flowing throughout leading from one page to the other.   The closing notes will teach you about Grandma Josephine and the Water Walk.  35 days of walking around Lake Superior where the water was not always blue and clean.   The encouragement is strong throughout…. fight well for life-giving water! 

My Thoughts

You can see the heart that Carole Lindstrom has for encouraging people to fight for what is right.   In Autumn Peltier Water Warrior we see a young lady learning to care for water.  Of seeing the examples of her ancestors to encourage her along the way.  Indigenous activism, to help make communities and the world a better place to live.   This is a good thing yes? 

Filed Under: Homeschooling, Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Books for Children, Books for Elementary School, history, picturebook, Raincoast

Waiting for Tomorrow

November 15, 2023 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Waiting for Tomorrow 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. 🙂

Oh my, what a sweet book of family love. Seriously, Waiting for Tomorrow such a nice book with great illustrations.  It reminds me of when I used to visit my sister and her children.  She couldn’t tell them I was coming until the morning since her children would get so excited.  Two excited children left alone to await a loved one’s arrival…. and they tried so hard to make it special.   The love of family shines through!  You’ll want to share that love with the children in your life. 

waiting for tomorrow

The Basic Details for Waiting for Tomorrow

Title: Waiting for Tomorrow
Author: Susan Yoon
Illustrator: Julie Kwon
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: 4-8 years
Genre: Picture Book, Siblings Books, Social Situations, Asian American
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author and Book

Susan Yoon was born on Seoul, Korea but grew up on Toronto, Ontario where she still lives.  She draws inspiration from her Korean heritage, family, and friends. Waiting for Tomorrow is her first book.  She loves to doodle, and writes all sorts of things like poetry, screenplays, short stories, and books for children. 

About Waiting for Tomorrow

Appa is coming home tomorrow after a long time away, and sisters Haejin and Hanna want to make something very special to greet his return. They spend the day preparing their favorite treat – hotteok, a brown-sugar-filled Korean pancake. But when their batter is ruined, how will they make something special for tomorrow?

waiting for tomorrow

Looking More Closely

I love this story.  It is so sweet.  Two girls who love their Appa dearly and he’s coming home!!!   Oh my oh my the excitement!   And the girls, they will make it ever so special.  And so unfolds the story.  We get to watch two girls work on loving their family.   And as they do so, we get a glimpse into their culture which I think is South Korean (based on the dish they are making). 

Family is central in Waiting for Tomorrow.  This truth is brought out in the colourful illustrations by Julie Kwon.  We get to see their joy, frustration, and silliness.   The clarity of expression and the shown by an older sister for a younger one.  It’s just so sweet and lovely, a great book to read with children. 

Don’t you agree that reading a book that is sweet and showcases loving your family is a good thing to do?  The love that is central throughout and leaves you with a smile of satisfaction.  Lots of talking points within as well. 

My suggestion is go and find Waiting for Tomorrow.  Read it with your littles.   Smile and laugh, and then go make your own Hotteok. You’ll find the recipe included.  Let your children mix and create with you. 

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Books for Children, history, Raincoast

A Long Way Gone

October 11, 2023 By Annette1 2 Comments

I am not going to tell you that A Long Way Gone is an easy read.  It might be a necessary read, but it is not an easy read.  The hard things these boys went through, and yet, and yet their resilience.  They stayed together, they fought for each other, and came out on the other side hurt, but figuring out there is something better.   Something more worth fighting for.  That hope in the end… made this hard read worthwhile and that’s not a bad thing! 

Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

a long way gone

Basic Details for A Long Way Gone

Title: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a boy Soldier
Author: Ishmael Beal
Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books; First Edition (August 5, 2008)
Pages: 229
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: Historical African Biographies, Boy Solider, African War, Biography, Black Biography
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback

My Thoughts

My mom I think gave me this book to read a while back.  She told me it was interesting but a hard read.  

I’d call that a fairly accurate description.  Take some boys, going to school, enjoying their life and then throw them into a middle of a war. A war filled with brutality, complete loss of life, and families torn apart.  Make them fight for survival.   Have them do well, (well as well as can be expected), until they are captured and made to fight.

Not only were they taught to fight, they were drugged up and encouraged to be violent.  Be violent and live, or die.   Survival means living.  

Life in that war-zone was so very hard.  Not just for the boy soldiers but for anyone getting in the way of either side of the conflict.  People died, villages literally disappearing overnight, people fleeing everywhere.  Everyone just needing to survive.

Something beyond survival

Until one day it suddenly stops.  And you have to learn a new way to be and it’s hard, just so hard to see beyond the now to the future.  

So much was hard.  I hated reading about the brutality and wondered why it needed to be included.  Then I read about the end, about the need to change, and how sudden and difficult it was. And the hope offered once the boys figured it out things could be different. That hope at the end.  It made all the pieces fit together. 

So A Long Way Home, a hard read, but necessary if you want to understand the plight of the boy soldiers during the war in Africa. It is not one I would recommend for sensitive readers as it is not an easy read.  But if you appreciate a hard book offering hope at the end, a book that speaks truth, this might work!  

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: biography, black history, Book Review, Books for Adults, history

Stolen Sisters

September 27, 2023 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

There I was on vacation with a couple of books from the “Canada proud books” I won a couple of years ago that I simply haven’t gotten to.  Stolen Sisters was the first one I grabbed up.  It’s not a very large book and I thought it would be a quick read on a quiet afternoon when the lads were out kayaking.    Two girls have gone missing and we’re drawn into the politics and ideology surrounding their disappearance. 

Stolen Sisters by Emmanuelle Walter

The Basic Details of Stolen Sisters

Title: Stolen Sisters: The Story of Two Missing Girls, Their Families, and How Canada Has Failed Indigenous Women
Author: Emmanuelle Walter
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 240
Intended Audience: 8-12 years
Genre: Indigenous, Canada, Police, Missing Women, true crime,
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio

About the story

Maisy Odjick and Shannon Alexander, indigenous teenagers from western Quebec, who have been missing since September 2008. Using personal testimonies, interviews, press clippings and official documents, Walter pieces together the disappearance and loss of these two young lives, revealing these young women to us through the voices of family members and witnesses.

Stolen Sisters by Emmanuelle Walter

My Thoughts

I expected a story about these girls and a working through of the mystery surrounding their disappearance.   That’s how the excerpt read to me. 

I was wrong.   The disappearance of these two girls is a background to the politics and ideology surrounding the lack of action with the disappearance of indigenous women.   We are introduced to cultural aspects (for instance: poor people, finding jobs, can’t afford a car, so need to hitchhike).  The backdrop of indigenous children being taken from their homes and the breakup of entire families, and the resultant issues arising from that (such as: drunkenness, lack of involvement from the community). A variety of other issues were brought into play such as stereotypes, racism, and more.   

I got about 1/2 way through and said “I’m done.”   If I had wanted to read a treatise on all possibilities leading to indigenous women disappearing, or the maybes of why so many cases are left unsolved, and such like I would have continued.  But I was more interested in reading about these girls in a real way, not in a clinically detached way. 

I wanted to understand the viewpoint (and perhaps the frustrations) of the police or native law-keepers in trying to solve this mystery.   Having all the “other stuff” interposed into that story would have made it more interesting and seem more relevant rather than like a bunch of guess work and supposition about why the solve rate of these disappearances is so low. 

I may try to give it a go another time, but for a read on vacation, this simply wasn’t it.  But honestly, now that I’m home for a bit, I still don’t want to finish it.  That feeling persists EVEN THOUGH I hate leaving a book once started unfinished.  🙂 

Potential Uses?

Homeschooling for high school students seeking to know about true crime and to understand the reasons why some crimes have low solve rates.

Good for helping with critical thinking.  Could all the reasons the author listed by solved, or even be part of the problem?  Are solutions possible? 

Understanding the impact of history on a present population. 

Seeking to understand how communities operate affect the lives of the youth living within them. 

Filed Under: Homeschooling, Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Canada, history

The Diamond Eye

September 6, 2023 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

So I’m reviewing this book Diamond Eye because I just liked listening to it.  I listened through CloudLibrary which means I kinda borrowed it through my library?  I’m not quite sure of the logistics of how the system works.   Apparently if you borrow it through audible there’s a PDF you can get with it, I never looked into that though.  Free is better than paid you know?  Reviewing just because I want to and yes, I’ll link to amazon so you can find it easily should you be so inclined.

So why tell you about The Diamond Eye.  I learned a facet of WW2 history that I wasn’t aware of before.  Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a Ukrainian woman with a young son she was raising on her own. The Germans attacked, wiping out entire families.  Mila got angry, and her national pride kicked in, and before you know it, she was a sniper on the front lines of WW2. 

The Diamond Eye

Talking about The Diamond Eye

The Diamond Eye was written by Kate Quinn.  Just recently published, this past March.  

I found it to be a well-written story and the after story where the author talked about Mila and some of the changes she made, I found myself looking for more information on this formidable woman.   Her life was a bit sad after she stopped being in the army… She suffered from PSTD which led to alcoholism and her eventual early death. 

BUT she stopped 309 Germans from decimating her people.   She served her people well by speaking to the need for American and Canadian troops to attack the Germans from the rear.  And upon her return after her propaganda tour she again served her people well by teaching the next generation of snipers. 

YES, Kate Quinn changed the story a bit to make it all fit the narrative, but the things that were pivotal in Mila’s life she kept the same. 

Recommendation

If you like books about WW2, or just like learning a new piece of history, Kate Quinn’s The Diamond Eye will suit you.   I had not known about Ukrainian snipers in WW2 before this, I also didn’t know about the wiping out of complete villages in Russia either.   All I really knew prior to this story was Germany fighting a battle on two fronts was not the wisest decision on their part, but they really managed to hurt the Russians.  (another fact I sorta knew but didn’t really know, if you know what I mean).  🙂 

Good history, written as if it were Mila herself talking her way through her life.  Seeing her friendship with Mrs. Roosevelt develop, and her growing confidence not only as a sniper, but then later as a public speaker.  She did many hard things as a woman in the 1940’s and her history is worth knowing. 

Filed Under: Homeschooling, Reviews Tagged With: Books for Adults, Books for Young Adults, history, WW2

Squire & Knight

August 30, 2023 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Squire & Knight 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. 🙂

Squire & Knight brings us two very different heroes – one with lots of brawn who gets all the glory, and the other, a thoughtful, nerdy type that most people ignore.   Can they solve a problem in a rather mysterious town?   Will they conquer the enemy and solve the mystery?

squire & knight

Basic Details for Squire & Knight

Title: Squire & Knight
Author: Scott Chantler
Series: Squire and Knight, book 1
Publisher: First Second
Pages: 176
Intended Audience: grade 4-6
Genre: graphic novel, fantasy, folklore, medieval times, legends, fairy tales, comic, magie
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, paperback
Received: paperback

squire & knight

About the Author and Book

The Author

Scott Chantler is a local boy!   He works and lives out of Stratford, Ontario.  Wow…he’s just a hop, skip and a jump from me.  🙂  A critically-acclaimed, Eisner-nominated cartoonist who spends time on Instagram. 

The Book

Two protagonists: Squire a nerdy, rather under-appreciated under study to Sir Kelton, a brawny, inept knight.   The two mismatched heroes find themselves coming to the rescue of a small town where things aren’t quite what they seem.  Sir Kelton rides to the rescue while Squire stays behind to read and problem solve.   Between the two of them, can they rescue the town? 

Digging Deeper

Graphic novels can be fun ways to read a story, providing images to help tell the story, and breaking the story down into less words for people who struggle with too many words on a page. 

First Second does a good job with their graphic novels making the text easy to read while moving the story along nicely.   They provide good colour, show emotion and action well, and overall.. it’s a good read in bite sized pieces. 

Don’t you just love the colour?   So bright and one that draws you in.  I love that not every page is filled with text, and sometimes the illustrations tell the story. 

You’ll also enjoy the character and setting development.  I can totally… if I believed in dragons and magic … see this world being plausible.  People do foolish things sometimes when they are put into difficult situations and that’s precisely what happens here.  The dragon who barters made me laugh! 

My Recommendation

Such a classic story between good and bad, and brawn vs brain.  Which is better?   Who will win out in the end?  You’ll meet a squire, a knight, a wizard, a dragon, an unusual dog, and lots of townspeople. 

Everyone will have different ideas about just what the problem is…and how to solve it.  You’ll have to read how creative solutions were found.   

Do I think middle schoolers would enjoy Squire & Knight?   Of course!   Who doesn’t love a story with wizards and heroes?   We all need to have some heroes in our lives! 

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Books for Middle School, history, Raincoast

Eagle Drums

July 19, 2023 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Eagle Drums 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. 🙂

A solitary family living up in the Artic.  A people untrusting of strangers, with legends of their own, and suddenly the youngest one finds himself caught up in one.   The question is: can this lad survive the experience?   Will he learn what he needs to?  How will it change life for him if he does?  Throughout this story, told in a…. what seems to me a very native way… one is left wondering… will he survive til the end? (and I’m not going to tell you if he does). 

Eagle Drums

The Basic Details of Eagle Drums

Title: Eagle Drums
Author and Illustrator: Nasugraq Rainey Hopson
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 256
Intended Audience: Middle School
Genre: Native American tales, American folk tales, Myths, 
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Available formats: Audio, hardcover, Kindle, 
Received: Advanced Reader Copy, softcover

Eagle Drums

About the Author and Book

The Author

Born and raised in the rural expanse of the North Slope of Alaska, Nasugraq Rainey Hopson grew up on fantastic tales from her unique and rich Indigenous Inupiaq culture. When she is not writing or creating art inspired by these stories, she is studying how to grow food in the arctic and is working at preserving traditional Inupiaq knowledge. She has a degree in Studio Art and has taught all levels of Art from kindergarten to college level. She lives in Anaktuvuk Pass Alaska with her husband and daughter, three dogs, and a small flock of arctic chickens where she lives off the land and the amazing bounty it provides like her ancestors did for thousands of years.

The Book

A magical realistic middle grade debut about the origin story of the Inupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.

As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must travel up the mountain to collect obsidian for knapping – the same mountain where his two older brothers died.  

When he reaches the mountaintop, he is immediately confronted by a terrifying eagle god named Savik. Savik gives the boy a choice: follow me or die like your brothers.

What comes next is a harrowing journey to the home of the eagle gods and unexpected lessons on the natural world, the past that shapes us, and the community that binds us.

What do you get?

Scattered through the story you’ll discover artwork that helps tell the story. The drawings are indigenous in their make-up giving glimpses into various aspects of the folktale.  They fit the story. 

An easy to read text, told in a manner I’ve heard Native Americans tell stories before.  Stories to show one’s history, and yet teach truths.   The sights and sounds of the Alaskan wilderness are evident throughout.  The story revolves around Pina and the things that he is learning.  We see how sometimes he has to dig deep into himself in order to keep going, learning how to deal with difficult people and situations. As he survived the realized the wisdom of his parents and even his dead siblings. 

Songs and words are highlighted in a different font and colour. Highlighting their importance and helping us to pay attention. His journey is not easy, but at the end of it, we know the importance of the songs, and we see his determination, and then the creation of the Messenger Feast. 

My Recommendation?

If you are doing a unit study on Native Americans, or on myths and folklore from around the world, Eagle Drums would be a good one to add to your pile.  Perhaps you want to understand the world of the Inuit more. 

Understanding the stories of a people gives you insight into who they are.   Since this story also includes insights into their faith system I would want my middle/high schooler to seek out where there are glimpses of God’s truth and then to think about where the faith system went wrong.  

Don’t misunderstand me.  Eagle Drums is a decent read on it’s own.  And I don’t want to ruin it by suggesting options for digging into it or only using it to gain some insight into a culture you may know nothing about.  I enjoyed the story and I think you might as well.   

But I do like to see beyond the story sometimes and Eagle Drum’s lends itself to seeing beyond the story.   So why not eh?  🙂   Killing two birds with one stone isn’t a bad thing is it?  

Filed Under: Homeschooling, Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Books for Middle School, history, Raincoast

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