A Net in Time

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The Personal Librarian

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I listened to The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, a bit back. I still think on it.  I’d suggest you give it a read (or listen) if you have a chance to.  Let me tell you why.  

You’ll find romance, deception, books, and female determination.  A strong matriarch, children divided about loyalties, and solid look into real life history.  Come discover more about Belle da Costa Greene, personal librarian to J.P. Morgan. 

image shows a pile of books text the personal librarian the story of bella da costa greene

The Basic Details for The Personal Librarian

Title: The Personal Librarian
Author: Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Narrator: Robin Miles (audio)
Publisher: Berkeley
Pages: 368 pages
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: adult fiction, historical fiction, racism, black & African-American women’s fiction, women’s fiction, American history, biographical, 
Available formats: Paperback, kindle, audio, hardcover
Format Used: audio

About the Book and Author

Belle da Costa Greene lived in a time where black women were relegated to jobs such as maids and washer women.  BUT she had lighter skin and a momma determined not to let people know she had African-American blood. This gave her children more freedom in the jobs they could hold.  Enter in the story of Portuguese blood to help explain their darker colouring.  Family fractures happen. 

This story speaks to the hardship of hiding heritage, to the status of women, and the difficulties she faced.  Learn more about how J.P. Morgan conducted himself, the work of a personal librarian, and catch glimpses into her personal life. 

the authors

Marie Benedict is a lawyer who loves to discover stories about women in history and telling their stories.  She loves to dig into history and discover the nuances about these women and bring their stories into the light of day.  Victoria Christopher Murray has an MBA in Marketing, grew up in New York, and discovered her love for writing in 1997.  She has since received numerous awards for her work.  Some of her awards are for work as an African-American author. 

Looking Deeper

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Bella da Costa Greene.  She was a remarkable lady who learned how to function well as a woman in a man’s world.  She did so with style and finesse. 

Even though I admire all the work she did, and how determined she was to make her way, I didn’t like all the choices she made.  It’s not necessary to like everything about a person and still like who they are overall though eh?  🙂  

I loved that she was able to meet the various expectations of her family, both the immediate and the more estranged.  This was a relief to her as well, albeit at times an added pressure to do well. I have a hard time imaging that one person could be so pivotal in helping their whole family do better.  I wanted at times to shake a finger at her adults siblings (and their spouses) and tell them to do better themselves.  That they shouldn’t expect one person to make it all more bearable. 

I liked the story in and of itself and was happy to to have listened to it.  For those who want to learn about a remarkable woman of history, listen to this story (or go read it).  🙂  You’ll see hard life decisions being made, see the joys of procurement of rare items, and satisfaction of learning the business end of life. Being able to scoop your rivals… fantastic!  🙂 

Author’s Remarks

I did wish that I didn’t listen to the author’s remarks.  Like many author’s remarks I expected to hear how the story was changed.  This was accurate, but then they went to on to say why they wrote it and brought racism into the picture and tied it into life today.  I would rather NOT have heard that part.  It changed the story from one that I enjoyed into “one I should have used to learn hard life lessons.”

That’s not what I wanted. I wanted to learn more about a woman from history.  Being, in essence, forced to consider deeper issues changed the whole impact of the life shown to me. It was a spoiler, not a help.   A help to me is “this is the true story, this is how I revamped it to make it read better”.  Or these things happened, but I changed the order, etc. 

Final Thoughts

So go read The Personal Librarian.  Skip the author’s remarks.  Enjoy the story and let the history of the day seep into your beingness.  Learn, but mostly just enjoy her story. 

The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Are you interested in the First Nations people of Canada?  Want to take in a unique perspective?  Enter in The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog.  I never knew that woolly dogs were a thing for our First Nations people… DID YOU?  Well, if you are like so many of us (I asked my colleagues at work and they too were surprised), come along for the adventure eh? 

The Teachings of Mutton

Basic Details for The Teachings of Mutton

Title: The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog
Author: Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa with Coast Salish Contributors
Publisher: Harbour Publishing Co
Pages: 264
Intended Audience: high-school, young adult, adult, 
Genre: indigenous stewardship, weaving and textile arts, native american biographies, history, northwestern North America,  
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback, 
Received: Paperback
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing

About the Book

Did you know that there used to be a woolly dog?  It was an integral part of the Salish Community.  In this read by Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa we are privileged to learn more about this dog and the people it was part of.  The woolly dog was bred for thousands of years for its woolly fibres.  These fibres were woven into traditional blankets, robes and regalia. Despite careful efforts to protect this breed by the by Coast Salish peoples, by the 1900s, the Woolly Dog had become so rare it is now considered extinct.

About the Author

Formerly the Director of Research Services, Liz Hammand-Kaarremaa is now retired and spends her time researching the Coast Salish peoples. She holds a Master Spinners Certificate and the textiles of the Coast Salish peoples are naturally a focus for her. Liz was instrumental in identifying a rare blanket in the Burke Museum to be made of Woolly Dog hair.

The Teachings of Mutton

Looking Deeper

Eleven chapters round out this educational read that is filled pictures, illustrations, and maps. As we progress through the chapters we get to see how the wooly dog came to be.

  1. Finding Mutton : The ancient story of Swuq’us
  2. Mutton’s journey to the Smithsonians: The Dog Children and the Original Occupations
  3. The Woolly Dog: The teachings of Fibre
  4. The Wool: The Cultural Importance of Blankets
  5. Where are all the Blankets: Misunderstanding our relationships with the Woolly Dog
  6. Mutton’s Ancient Origins: Connecting to our Ancestors
  7. Other Dogs: The care and Feeding of Dogs
  8. The Diet of Woolly Dogs: The care and Feeding of Dogs
  9. Processing Wool: The impact of Colonialism
  10. What did Woolly Dogs Look like? : Fur Beings and Woven Visions, Connecting with Musquem History
  11. An Ending and a Beginning

I appreciated how as part of the forward she mentioned how she wanted to respect the Coast Salish people.  Recognizing that she has her own preconceptions so hopes to let the Coast Salish people speak with their own words as much as possible.  Recognizing the Mutton may have been the name of this particular Woolly Dog, but wasn’t a name respected by the Coast Salish people. 

A scholarly read

This is a scholarly read, filled with illustrations, pictures, and maps to bring the text to life.  For instance, without this map I wouldn’t have clearly understood the range of the Woolly dog (the yellow area).  For such a niche breed, I didn’t expect that.

Native art featuring the Woolly Dog has a prominent place.  I just loved this inclusion.  Made everything so much better you know? Makes me regret that the Woolly Dog is no more.  It looked like a fun little dog to have around.  Not too big, not to small, and very useful besides! 

These dogs were such an integral part of their community, rather cool to learn about. 

My recommendation

If you want to take an unique look at indigenous peoples of Canada, check out The Teachings of Mutton.  You will find loads of information about the textiles, the geography, and the history of this helpful little dog.   It’s kinda too bad that their usefulness waned.  Technology and imports isn’t always a good thing when it comes to a niche population. 

Seeing the quality of the blankets they made with their wool, makes me wonder if they can use DNA from the blankets to somehow bring them back.  What do you think?

A useful book if studying the First Nations people of British Columbia.  A fascinating book if you love textiles and their history. A wonderful look into a type of dog I’d never heard of before.  Give it a look see,  you won’t regret it! 

Farther Than the Moon

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

Did you know that I used to work with CP kids?  They are SO MUCH FUN.  Granted not all the time, sometimes life with CP kids is hard.  Helping them control their bodies, helping them to show their intelligence to those around them, helping people see more than their physical limitations, and helping them deal with the pain of life.  It’s not always easy for them, OR their families/caretakers.  Farther Than The Moon by Lindsay Lackey gives some insight into that WHILE showcasing the abilities of another family member.  Family and friends learning to work together.  It’s a VERY good read and suggest you run out and get it now!  🙂 

farther than the moon

The Basic Details for Farther Than the Moon

Title: Farther Than the Moon
Author: Lindsay Lackey
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 336
Intended Audience: 10-14 Years
Genre:  children’s books, epilepsy, Jr Astronauts, children’s sibling books
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the author and the book

Californian Lindsay Lackey grew up with big curly hair, and is the proud owner of two small dogs.  Growing up in Colorado, where most of her stories are based, she was (and still is) an avid reader.   Never wanting to be a story writer, she always wrote books making construction paper books as a wee child.   Her encouragement to aspiring authors is to keep at it.  Only we can tell our own stories!   A bonus!!   Lindsay has a jr. astronaut program on her website!   

About Farther Than the Moon

Thirteen-year-old Houston Stewart wants to become an astronaut. His dreams feel like they’re finally coming true when he’s accepted to the highly-competitive Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program.  Problem though, he’s made a promise to his younger brother. 

Ever since their dad left, Houston and Robbie have been inseparable. It’s hard to tell where Houston’s love of space ends and where Robbie’s begins. But Robbie’s cerebral palsy and epilepsy mean he needs medical attention at home, so Houston is forced to take this giant leap for the two of them all on his own.

At camp, Houston is quickly drawn into the orbit of new friends, cosmic adventures, and a long-lost grandfather. But can he keep his promise to his brother Robbie?  Will his idea work?  What if Robbie doesn’t like it?  Then what?  Can he make the right plan using his new friends and family? Can he and Robbie still shoot for the stars?

farther than the moon by lindsay lackey

Digging Deeper

I love a book that shows youth learning, growing, and following their passions.  Houston does all these things.  He learns and does so much it’s just a fantastic read.  Ms. Lackey did an excellent job of bringing the insecurities and devotion of a 13 year old to life.  She showed the determination that teens have to following their passions… in this case to be astronauts! 

Houston has SO much work to do that JARP (Jr.Astronaut Program), assignments to complete, a grandfather to get to know, and working in group situations with people who are difficult.  Life became just a wee bit complicated.  Lies, truths, equipment failure, lack of confidence, bullying, and worry over his brother… it was all a bit much.  Will advise from his astronaut grandfather help?   

Part of the learning that Houston had to do was discovering what it means to make promises to his brother.  It’s hard to be a person with limitations, and it’s even harder when promises are made that seem impossible to keep.  Hurt feelings abound on both sides of the equation.  Houston and his teammates struggle to find the solution. 

I love how Ms. Lackey showed all these intense emotions and thought processes.  Each member of the team felt like real people.  The adults adulted well, which I find is an important part of middle school fiction. I love how mom admitted to struggles in the past but through changing her perspective onthose events (now as an adult) decided she could change the present.  

I love how it was not just Houston who needed to learn, grow, and change, but all the members of the his team learned new things.  Such a nice well-rounded book to encourage young teens to follow their passions and be better people in the process.   Farther Than the Moon is well worth reading whether young or old! 

The Curse of the Shaman

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So I’ve been slowly sorting through books that I held for my boy to read during our homeschooling years.   Sometimes I go “hey, that might make a good read” so I grab it up and kept it in my stash.  Unlike me, my lad didn’t turn into much of a reader, I would have liked for him to read though The Curse of the Shaman. Themes of determination, community, and help from unexpected sources.  

The curse of the shaman

The Basic Details for The Curse of the Shaman

Title: The Curse of the Shaman
Author: Michael Kusugak
Illustrator: Vladyanan Krykorka
Series: A Marble Island Story
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 168
Intended Audience: 9-12 years, Elementary Students, Middle School
Genre:  first nations, Canada, folk lore, Inuit, 
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback
Read: Paperback

About the Author 

Michael Kugusak is a Canadian author who has written several books.  Growing up in Repulse Bay, NWT he currently lives in Sooke, BC.   As a child he rode dog sled, went hunting and fishing, and lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle.  This history can be seen in The Curse of the Shaman. 

About the Book

The Curse of the Shaman takes us into the life of Wolverine from birth through to young adulthood.  We get to see him grow up within the Inuit lifestyle. The anger of a Shaman led to a curse which is later rescinded, but Shaman’s magic helper disagreed. And so the story unfolds…. 

The curse of the shaman

What Did I Think?

There were things I loved in this story and things that took me a bit to adapt to.   

I struggled with some of the names in this story as well as some of the Inuit language.  And a part of me wanted the author to make it easier for me!   How my… how selfish of me is that eh?   Good thing I recognize that eh?   Changing the names would also have changed fundamental parts of the story, which I so much enjoyed. 

The focus on family and community is fantastic!  People care for their family units deeply, and getting together with others is a time of work, celebration, and appreciation of each other.  People shared what they had and who they were freely because that was the best way to live in community.  Share and share alike is how folks survive in a harsh environment. 

Stories told to Wolverine as a youngster prove to be invaluable, again showing the importance of family.  And as children grow up and develop new skills, so do shamans!  🙂   It is good to see not only children learn new skills but the grown ups on their lives as well!   It’s a pleasant twist on a story, and another twist (though as an adult reader I rather anticipated it) is a good one as well.  🙂 

All in all, a good story that immerses us into the lives of the Inuit and a possibility of how shamans work their magic.  The Curse of the Shaman is well worth reading if you are looking at doing a study on Inuit of Canada.    

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. 🙂

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. 🙂

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. 

Decrypting Cryptocurrency

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Decrypting Cryptocurrency) through Jenkins Group, Inc. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

So my hubby has been learning about cryptocurrency from one of his co-workers.  This fellow has been kind enough to gift him with some crypto.   He’s been having fun learning and so has encouraged me to learn a bit as well.  So when Ascot Media asked if I’d like to review Decrypting CryptoCurrency I said sure!  I find it difficult to learn about blockchains, tokens and such, it’s a whole new language and I’m not as young as I used to be.  Magnus Carter takes his time helping new people understand the terminology and it is good!

Magnus Carter's Decrypting CryptoCurrency

Discovering more about Decrypting CryptoCurrency

Decrypting CryptoCurrency: Riding the data path to financial freedom was put together by Magnus Carter.  Magnus Carter started to work when he was 12 years old. As he matured, he discovered that not only do you need to work for money, you need to have your money work for you. And so he shares with us, some of what he has learned about working with Cryptocurrency. 

Running at 177 pages, you won’t find it a long hard read.   Legendary Products & Services, LLC in publisher provides lots of white space and clear headings to make the reading easier.  Nine chapters round out the pages, along with a big bibliography (149 entries).  This enables the reader to continue researching this fascinating field of currency. 

Don’t you just love when an author breaks down educational text into smaller segments?  Each chapter has many smaller sections often closing with a “fact” section.  This section brings clarity to specific concepts presented. 

Mr. Carter makes a point of telling us frequently to not invest money we aren’t willing to lose.  You need to carefully consider not only the possibilities but also the risks.  Crypto could completely take off and you could get a fair amount of money out of it.  BUT, just as with stocks and bonds, you need to consider, what happens if I lose my money?  Crypto really is just another way to make money. 

Magnus Carter takes his time helping new investors learn the lingo of cryptocurrency.  There really is a lot to learn about how blockchains work, what a token is, and what the different styles of crypto are etc.  Crypto is all digital and the different types are developed to solve problems or do specific tasks. Take your time reading, go over it again until you have it straight, and then consider if you want to invest. 

I use Wealthsimple and Coinbase.  One of the things I love about Coinbase is that you can earn crypto simply by doing their learn-to-earn activities. But for ease of use, I like Wealthsimple better.  🙂   I have risked very little!  🙂 

Add it to your shelves?

As I’ve only done a wee bit of research into cryptocurrency I can’t tell you if Decrypting CryptoCurrency is a fantastic book or not.  I can tell you that Mr. Carter has helped me gain a broader understanding of this new financial tool.   He walks the reader through everything he can think of and has therefore given me more peace of mind. That’s worth something yes? 

Just as with any method to making money, only risk what you can afford to risk.  Just as you’d take your time buying a house, investing in a business, or finding stocks and bonds.  Take your time.  There are a fair number of scams out there, so research, study, and then make a wise investment. 

I will most likely have my lad read this book for grade 12 just so he has a firmer understanding of this new market.  Part of preparing him for adulthood eh?