Book Review: Two Tricksters Find Friendship by Johnny Aitken and Jess Willows (children's book)

photo by ldyck

Two Tricksters Find Friendship is a year in the life of a new mutually supportive friendship between Jessie, a white girl, and Johnny, an Indigenous boy.

Two Tricksters Find Friendship

Johnny Aitken and Jess Willows

Orca Book Publishers

Recommended for ages 6 to 8

first book of a series

2025

Jessie is new to the island. Her family moved there after her father became the new fire chief. Johnny lives on the reserve, and Jessie meets him in the summer when she is beachcombing. They bond over their love of nature and mutual interest in the Indigenous culture. When Jessie finds a feather, Johnny identifies it as a raven feather. Inspired by their mutual apprehension about returning to school after the summer break, Johnny invites Jessie to participate in a smudging ceremony, an Indigenous healing ritual. The friends are guided through their year of discovery by Jessie's aunt Chris and elders Grannie Annie and Steven.

In June, during the National Indigenous Peoples Day ceremony, Steven gives a short speech...

"'Johnny and Jessie clearly demonstrated support, caring, friendship and the importance of listening to each other. I've witnessed these two friends work through challenging times with love and respect.'" (p. 84-85) 

He's clearly proud of the friendship Johnny and Jessie have begun to build.

Two Tricksters Find Friendship is a cleverly written book. Authors Johnny Aitken and Jess Willows employ various techniques to bring the reader into the story, such as engaging the reader's sense of sound, sight, smell, and taste. Choosing to have the main characters walk into the story is an inviting way to begin the story. Additionally, Aitken and Willows have left threads throughout this story that they can use to recast and knit another installment to this series.

Illustrator Alyssa Koshi has significantly enhanced reader engagement. I loved searching for Raven on the pages of this book. Mayne Islanders will appreciate seeing Johnny and Jessie in front of "our" welcoming figure.

Huy ch q'u, Johnny, Jess and Alyssa for this finely crafted book.

 

photo by ldyck

 On this blog in June...

Sunday, June 29

Book Reviews: Canadian Reads (list)

a list of my book reviews of my favourite books written by Canadian authors

photo by ldyck

My fingers

on my keyboard

My head 

in the clouds

I relish

my days

Book Review: All the Little Monsters by David A. Robertson (memoir)

builds community and leads the way to healing. I highly recommend this book to all those who want to learn how to live with anxiety.

photo by ldyck

I usually share my writing on this blog, but I need to add to that list today. This book is too important not to share. 

I live with anxiety caused by trying to fit my round peg dyslexic self into this square peg world--and other stressors. And I have begun therapy for PTSD. Through the words David Robertson offers in this book, he has helped to make my journey easier--helping to level some mountains that I am climbing. For example, he taught me to see myself not as weak but as sick. That change might seem slight, but it was empowering for me--if I'm sick, I can seek help to heal. It is not a flaw within me, but something I am experiencing.

As Shelagh Rogers writes in the Foreword: 'The book you are holding is a treasure. David Robertson..is wide open, unflinchingly honest, and brave...' He genuinely cares about people and aims to create a supportive community for those who struggle with mental illness. And to that end, he shares strategies such as 'speak louder than [anxiety] can to change the way you see yourself and the world around you.' (p. 18) He shares a healing mindset: 'There's no place for judgment anywhere in the world of mental health, not towards yourself, and not towards others. I have come to learn that kindness, above all else, is the most productive thing.' (p. 19) He stresses that kindness, understanding, and empathy are tools of healing. 

In the final chapter of All the Little Monsters, David Robertson writes: 'I want you to feel comfortable, even if a lot of this can be uncomfortable. I want you to feel as if we've sat together and I've told you a story in person, sitting across from one another, face to face.' He has succeeded in this goal. Reading this book is like talking to a friend who has jumped into the hole you have fallen into and is showing you the way out.

All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety

David A. Robertson

(memoir)

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

2025

photo by ldyck

On this blog in May

Sunday, May 11

Memoir: Tips

Once upon a time, I was asked to help serve tables at a country inn and I...

Sunday, May 18

Children's Story: Ethan's Ferry Trip

For the first time, Ethan travels with his mother on a ferry, and he...

Sunday, May 25

Memoir: Wenlido

Intimidated by the thought of moving from Winnipeg to the heavily populated city of Vancouver, I...

photo by ldyck

A thoughtful friend gave me a bouquet of lilacs last Thursday. Lilac bushes framed the backyard of my childhood home, and their scent now fills my home, conjuring images of happy moments from my childhood—a balm for this healing time.

Book Review: Poems by Maya Angelou, reviewed by Leanne Dyck

 I've been doing a lot of reading but not for pleasure. And I've missed it. I felt the key to returning would be finding something undemanding. Maya Angelou took me by the hand and brought me back.

Photo by ldyck

Poems 

Maya Angleou

Bantam Books

1986

I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with Maya Angelou. She was entertaining, inspirational, and insightful. Admittedly, some of her writing required a second reading, and some escaped me. But others will remain with me long after this book is closed. 

Still I Rise

 You can write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

with the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I’ll rise

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don’t you take it awful hard

‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines

Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I’ve got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

I rise

Bring the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise

Such power... Such pride... 

What does this poem say to me as a Caucasian... as a woman... as a neurodivergent? 

I know my time with Maya Angelou has changed me. I close this book with regret wishing I could have stayed longer.

Other genres that have kept me reading...

short story collections such as...

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

graphic novels such as...

Ducks by Kate Beaton

novellas such as...

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Middle Grade fiction such as...

The Dollhouse: a ghost story by Charis Cotter

Young Adult fiction such as...

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

More... 

How to get back to reading consistently again 

by Akanksha Narang

How to Make Reading a Habit

by James Clear

photo by Byron Dyck

January on this blog

Sunday, January 19

Studying Poetry (a poem)

I was introduced to poetry, as many of you were, in grade school. Later, I matriculated and a professor furthered my studying on the subject. Those two experiences were remarkably different. How? Well...

Sunday, January 26

Making Giant Snowballs (children's story)

Making Giant Snowballs encourages children to show acceptance and kindness--especially to people who are different from themselves.

Book Review: Stones by William Bell (YA, mystery)

 Set in present-day Orillia, Ontario, Stones explores the tragedy surrounding the Oro Township's African Methodist Church through the eyes of Garnet Havelock and Raphaella Skye--two white high school students. 

Stones asks: What do you do when confronted by beliefs contrary to yours?

Stones

William Bell

Seal Books

an imprint of Random House of Canada

Young Adult, mystery

2001

276 pages

CLA Young Adult Book of the Year

Garnet meets Raphaella in grade eleven when they are asked to debate the topic "that love at first sight is a hoax." (p. 18) He is pro; she is con. Garnet confesses that "[e]ven before she finished talking, I had fallen in love with her." (p. 28) Garnet believes "in logic, reason, science, hard fact." (p. 20) Raphaella introduces him to a new way of knowing. 

There is so much in Stones to love. For example, strong women unafraid to take risks and stand up for their beliefs. And Garnet. Garnet emotes feelings--fear and love--that men typically run from expressing. 

This book is so captivating that it is as if it read itself while I sat and listened. I started reading Stones on Canada Day (July 1) and finished a mere ten days later. An unheard-of rate for this slow reader.

"the real question [...] isn't Who's right [...]? It's What is Knowledge?" (p. 220)

Next Sunday...

Book Review: The List of Last Chances by Christina Myers (women's fiction)

 The List of Last Chances is about the friendship that forms between thirty-eight-year-old Ruth "Ruthie" MacInnes and sixty-eight-year-old Kay March on a road trip from PEI to BC.

photo by ldyck

The List of Last Chances

Christina Myers

Caitlin Press

2021

Fred Kerner Award Shortlist 2022

(humour, road fiction)

For Valentine's Day, Ruth decides to surprise her boyfriend and...

"I had come home early [to find]...Jack...midway through sagging the clerk who worked in the flower shop under our apartment." (p. 11-12)

Life in tatters, Ruthie moves out of the apartment she shared with Jack and onto her friend Jules' sofa. For six months, Ruthie's life becomes a bottle--all she does is drink. Jules can't stand to watch her friend exist in that state. She wants Ruthie to do something. She is sure what that something is once she finds the perfect solution...

"Wanted: Experienced care attendant to accompany elderly client by car from New Annan, PEI, to Vancouver, BC." (p. 9)

Kay is content on her farm in rural PEI, but her son David worries about her. He tells Ruthie...

Mom "has been widowed for several years now, and she hasn't yet realized that her isolated living conditions are not the safest environment for her when considering her age." (p. 38)

But Ruthie thinks...

"At thirty years my senior, [Kay] was twice as capable as me in pretty much every way--mentally, emotionally and even physically." (p. 129)

David has painstakingly planned the trip from PEI to BC, but Kay tells Ruthie, " 'There are some things I'd like to do. Things that aren't on my son's list.'" (p. 56) Ruthie describes Kay's list as "equal parts sightseeing tour and sin-seeking, with a dash down memory lane." (p. 58) 

Story question: "But here we were, two boats bobbing together on a big empty ocean, pushed together by currents we couldn't control. Would we let the tide take us where it would? Or should we put up the sail and decide where we were heading ourselves?" (p. 58)

Ruthie is a sympathetic protagonist who grows through the course of the story. How much does she grow? That's a question that is left for the reader to ponder. And in this way, The List of Last Chances is a haunting read.

Though technically a minor character, Kay is a major character to me. She's the kind of senior citizen I aspire to be--wise, fun, dynamic and vital. 

I recommend The List of Last Chances, especially for those amid a major transition.

Poetry in the Japanese Gardens

I attended the poetry reading in Mayne Island's Japanese Gardens yesterday afternoon. The gardens made for the perfect backdrop. They are especially lovely at this time of the year. I was looking forward to listening to poets read their work. However, as I walked into the gardens I was issued an invitation to read some of my poems. I usually invest days in preparation for a reading. I've never read "cold turkey" before. There are many reasons for this: I'm dyslexic so reading is a challenge and I'm shy and... It's a long list. However, I surprised myself by accepting the offer. I had a few moments of panic--or was it excitement--before I stood up and faced the audience of about ten. They were warm and supportive. I read two poems and had such a fun time doing that that I read one more. I even adlibbed the introduction to my work. I was so surprised and pleased with myself. I also enjoyed listening to other poets read their work and poetry enthusiasts read their favourite poems by famous poets. Half of those who attended this event read poems. There's talk of future poetry readings. Will I be there? You betcha. I would love for you to attend, as well. 

 

 Next Sunday...

Book Review: My Effin' Life by Geddy Lee (memoir)

Geddy Lee is an inviting, engaging and generous author. In My Effin' Life, he writes openly and honestly about his life and his music. I highly recommend this book to fledgling musicians and Rush fans.

My Effin' Life

Geddy Lee

co-authored by Daniel Richler

Harper

an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers

2023

(memoir)

507 pages

As a teenager, I didn't listen to metal music. I was scared of the sound, the musicians, the fans. They seemed consumed by an uncontrollable rage. I ran away, hid away, afraid to be near them, fearful that rage would be directed at me. 

However...

One day, my boyfriend (now husband) told me to "Listen to this."

The music was strange, unnerving...Metal

"I don't like--."

"Just keep listening."

I did and... And... "I like that song." and that one... and that one.

I sang along. I attended concerts. I became a Rush fan.

One day, my husband came into the living room carrying a book. "Leanne, you need to read this."

I can count my husband's book recommendations on the fingers of one hand. 

He gave me the book. It weighed a ton. "I don't read thick books. 200 to 300 that's about my range--ideally closer to 200. Thick books don't maintain my interest. And lately, I've been on a bit of a reading jag. I've started one book after another but haven't finished any. I'm afraid I won't do this book just--." I looked up. Byron was gone. He'd left the room.

I had a decision to make, I could leave the book on the end table, unread or hunt Byron down and give the book back or...

I opened the book and began to read... Correction, I didn't so much read this book as was led through it by foreshadowing such as...

'as I will show you in time" (p. 16) 

My Effin' Life is full of humour. I laughed out loud so many times. One of those times, my husband overheard me. "What's so funny?" I told him and he laughed too.

Geddy listed his early musical influences and many--who am I kidding--most of the names sailed right past me, but then he mentioned Paul Simon and Jonie Mitchell and, and... 

"there are certain words I sing in Rush in a very Bjork-like manner." (p. 100)

Bjork? That warmed this Icelandic-Canadian's heart.

Geddy lists his literary influences: John Wyndham and Ayn Rand

"The more influences one has that are then filtered through one's own personality, the more one ends up with a style and a sound that one can legitimately call one's own." (p. 212)

My Effin' Life is infused with wisdom...

"I used to advise my kids or pals whenever they were at a crossroads to just keep moving forward with positive energy, either you will find the answer or it will find you." (p. 503)

There's a lot in this book. Why not take it off the shelf and see what you find.

Did you know...

Dyslexic author

Dav Pikey

And this...

Friday, March 29 at 4:36 pm

I'm blown away by your generous support. Thank you!

 April and May on this blog...

Book Review: We Spread by Iain Reid

What is it like to grow old? What struggles do senior citizens face? Why, how do they (we) keep on living? 

We do not all blend together. We are not ruined, helpless, a burden. We are not the elderly. We are not old people. Now, still, we're unique. Distinct. Regardless of what we've produced or what happens to our bodies. We each have our own memories and experiences, even if they've been lost and forgotten.' (p. 281-282)

 

We Spread

Iain Reid

Scribner

an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK

finalist for the Governor General's Literary award

2023

286 pages

(thriller, suspense, science fiction, psychological fiction)

Senior citizen Penny lives alone as age robs her of all she has ever known, all she has loved, all she has thrived to achieve. She tells us about losing her attention span, her cognitive decline, her fading memories, her lost days, and her uncertain present. When she was younger she enjoyed cooking for herself and others. Now she exists on meagre meals.  She worked as a bank teller in the same bank for over twenty-five years. Now she has difficulty focusing long enough to read a novel. She was in a long-term committed relationship with a famous artist until death robbed her of his companionship. She regrets not investing more time pursuing her passion--painting. Now it is too late. Now all she can do is live in fear of the end. 

The end comes, one day, when she climbs a chair to change a light bulb. She falls and that brings an end to her old life. She has no choice but to begin a new in Six Cedars--a long-term-care facility. In Six Cedars, Penny finds community and friendship; she develops a new appreciation for ageing; she learns that it is not too late to share her art with others. 

At times I found We Spread a difficult book to read. I'm 61 years old and some scenes made me apprehensive about my future. But I'm glad I did finish reading this book. The ending is truly heart-warming.

Did you know...

Dyslexic author

John Irving

Next Sunday...

Book Review: Girlfriend on Mars by Deborah Willis (sci fi, romance, literary fiction)

Thirty-one years old and newly transplanted from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Vancouver, BC, Amber Kivinen and Kevin Watkins are in a fourteen-year committed relationship--together forever. Until... Without Kevin's knowledge, Amber applies to enter a contest to travel to Mars. Amber is selected for the contest, and Kevin stays home to grieve her loss.

Girlfriend on Mars is about space, reality TV, climate change anxiety, infidelity, grow ops, travel...

Girlfriend on Mars

Deborah Willis

Hamish Hamilton

an imprint of Penguin Canada

a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited

2023

356 pages

longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller

Science Fiction, Romance, Literary Fiction

Amber and Kevin are polar opposites. Amber is an aggressive go-getter who lives life to the fullest. Kevin is a deep-thinking, deep-feeling observer of life. Raised by an ailing single mother, Kevin was taught from a young age to fear life and cling to one person. At first, this person was his mom and then Amber. Who will he cling to now that she's gone? 

Girlfriend on Mars is told in altering chapters of first and second person. The first-person chapters are narrated by Kevin. In the second-person chapters, we observe Amber--much as Kevin would. At one point, Kevin tells us, "I realize that Amber is a planet, and I'm a moon to her orbit." I understand this to mean that he doesn't think that he's as important as Amber and I disagree. Girlfriend on Mars is a balanced examination of both sides of a relationship.

The short chapters help to make this book enjoyable--especially for those of us with reading challenges.

If you enjoy reading Girlfriend on Mars (which (I hope) I'm sure you will), you may also enjoy reading An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim.

"Fog" by ldyck

It all starts next Sunday...

Book Review: Rouge by Mona Awad (horror)

"No one knows what's inside grief." (p. 361)

 

Born to an Egyptian father and a French-Canadian mother Mirabelle Nour was raised in Quebec, Canada. At fourteen, she joined her mother in California, USA. She grew up believing that her father's dark features had made her ugly while her mother's red hair and delicate features made her mother beautiful. 

When Mirabelle's sixty-something mother Noelle Des Jardins unexpectedly dies, thirty-something Mirabelle must fly from her home in the Plateau area of Montreal to her mother's home in La Jolla, California and deal with her grief and her mother's legacy (all those many bottles and jars of beauty products).

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall/Who in this land is fairest of all"

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Little Snow-White

"'Beauty...is a mystery... Here one day, then poof. Gone. Smoke and mirrors.'"

Mona Awad, Rouge

Rouge

Mona Awad

(literary fiction, fantasy, horror)

Hamish Hamilton

an imprint of Penguin Canada

a division of Penguin Random House Canada

2023

369 pages

Rouge by Mona Awad is a many-layered novel.

Rouge is literary fiction...

In Rouge, Mona Awad explains women's reliance on beauty products. To gain social status, women must meet society's standards for beauty. When a woman falls short of these standards, she must hide her flaws with beauty products. To maintain social status, aging women must rely on beauty products.

Rouge is horror...

Did Noelle fall from the cliff to the beach below, or was she pushed? And if she was pushed by who and why? Did something, someone, take possession of her in those final hours? If so, is Mirabelle in danger?

Rouge has elements of magical realism...

Mysterious shiny red shoes take control of those who wear them.

Giant red jellyfish that...

Mirrors that... 

No, I have to stop. There are no spoilers in this review. 

Rouge is an attractive, captivating read--from the fairy-tale-like prologue to the enchanting last paragraph.

Reviews of other books by Mona Awad...

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl

Bunny

"Autumn magic" photo by ldyck

On this Blog in October...

Book Review: I Only Read Murders by Ian Ferguson & Will Ferguson (cozy mystery)

 I Only Read Murder is a cozy mystery set against the backdrop of the staging of a historical murder mystery--Death Is the Dickens, written by a local playwright. The setting plays a key role in cozy mysteries. This novel is set in Happy Rock, Oregon...

'Everyone moved slower out here, more leisurely, as though time were less pressing. It was a watercolor come to life. A doily of a town, with marigolds and flowering begnias spilling out of streetlamps baskets. Happy Rock hadn't been built; it had been crocheted into existence.'

(p. 22)

It's a cozy mystery that asks the question: What do you do when you're lost? Can you go home again?

photo by ldyck

I Only Read Murder

Ian Ferguson & Will Ferguson

Harper Collins

cozy mystery

2023

311 pp

Fifteen years ago, Minnesota-born Miranda Abbott left Oregon and her newlywedded husband to pursue fame and fortune. She found both as the star of the popular TV mystery Pastor Fran Investigates.

Fifteen years later, forty-something Miranda has lost her fame and she has lost her fortune.

A postcard from her estranged husband sends her travelling back--a sixteen hours and thirty-seven minutes bus ride--to Happy Rock, Oregon. Will she find love? Will she find murder? What will happen when Actor Miranda investigates?

What did other reviewers think?...

Anne Logan's Review

More recommended books by Will Ferguson

Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw

419

The Shoe on the Roof

On this blog in October...

I'm very happy with the short stories that I've selected for this month. All three have been polished and they're ready to be read by you. That's not the problem. The problem is the book reviews. I'd planned

Book Review: Old Babes in the Woods by Margaret Atwood (story collection)

 I love reading Margaret Atwood's story collections, so I was thrilled to discover that she had released another one. I purchased the book at my earliest convenience. And... Let me tell you what I found within the covers of this book.

Old Babes in the Woods

Margaret Atwood

McClelland & Stewart

2023

15 stories

Old Babes in the Woods is a collection of fifteen stories that is sure to entertain, inspire and surprise the reader. The collection would be of special interest to those fifty-five years of age and older as the book addresses many of our concerns--how to age well, death and evolving family dynamics. By my count, six of the fifteen stories are about a married couple--Nell and Tig. They are a warmly human, sympathetic and relatable couple. Other stories range in genre from literary fiction to speculative fiction. 

As most know, Atwood is a skilled author and I filled many pages in my notebook with her clever turn of phrase and sound advice. Such as...

'Better to march along through the golden autumn woods, not very well prepared, poking icy ponds with your hiking pole, snacking on chocolate, sitting on frozen logs, peeling hard-boiled eggs with cold fingers as the early snow sifts down and the day darkens.'

"First Air" (p. 15) 

Reviews of other books by Margaret Atwood...

The Robber Bride

Cat's Eye

Bluebeard's Egg

Something a hairdresser once confided to me inspired the creation of this short story...

Ducks: two years in the oil sands by Kate Beaton (graphic novel, memoir)

 In 2005, like the three hundred ducks stuck in a tailing pond, Canadian lives were being chewed up and spit out in the northern Alberta oil sands. But Kate Beaton is quick to point out: 'you can have both good and bad at the same time in the same place.'

Ducks: two years in the oil sands

Kate Beaton

Drawn & Quarterly

2022

430 pages

Winner of 2023's Canada Reads

New York Times notable book

With a newly obtained arts degree from Mount Allison University, Kate Beaton is determined to repay her student loans. Through family and the Internet, she discovers that 'the best and fastest way of debilitating student loads' is by working in northern Alberta's oil sands. So she is forced to leave her beloved Cape Breton, Nova Scotia home. 

It's been years since I read a graphic novel. With too much stuffed onto the page, I found it too easy to lose my way. However, when Ducks was chosen by the 2023 Canada Reads panel as the book all Canadians should read, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. And I'm glad I did.

Confession: Before Ducks, I'd been avoiding my daily reading hour. After devoting my entire day to research, my dyslexic brain was too exhausted to process any more words. However, Ducks combination of text and illustrations was the perfect motivation to keep reading. And the subject matter was weighty enough to engage my analytical mind. 

Next Sunday on this blog...

Book Review: The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr, published by Coach House Books

 What Esi Eugen did for jazz and the 1940s in Half Blood Blues Suzette Mayr does for train porters and the 1920s in The Sleeping Car Porter. She offers a thorough examination of the life of a train porter--what are their tasks, what must they tolerate, what regulations must they adhere to, what are the consequences of not adhering to them, where do they live, eat, entertain?

The Sleeping Car Porter

Suzette Mayr

Coach House Books

2022

Winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize

Twenty-nine-year-old R T Baxter was born in the tropics. He immigrated to Canada because he dreamed of becoming someone. He trained to be a porter under the supervision of Edwin Drew in Union Station in Toronto but being a porter isn't his destiny. Being a porter is exhausting, demanding, and at times demeaning work. Porters are excepted to toe a fine line and if they cross the line they receive demerits--receipt of 60 demerits is grounds for dismissal. 

To help him cope with job stress, Baxter reads science fiction novels like The Scarab from Jupiter.

His book 'glows at the bottom of his bag, waiting for him to run his fingers through its pages.' (p. 32)

To cope, Baxter reads and slowly builds his future.

'He found an abandoned dentisty textbook on a train eight years ago...and even before  he reached the end of the first chapter...a bonfire blazed inside him.' (p. 26)

He has set his sights on attending McGill Dental School.

'He's been saving for eight yars and in only two more years, in 1931, if he stays on track, he will have $1,068 saved, enough for four years of denistry school.' (p. 26)

But... But Baxter has a secret. Baxter has a terrible secret. A secret that if discovered would land him in jail--in jail, he fears, for the rest of his life.

Baxter is a memorable, sympathetic character in a difficult situation. His back is against the wall and all he can do is hold tight to his dream. All I could do was root for him and read on.

photo by ldyck

Next Sunday...

Sunday, July 30

Dog or Wolf (short story) by Leanne Dyck

a fable

A memory...

In the early 1970s, when I was eleven going on twelve, my parents and I took a train trip 

Book Review: Flipping Forward Twisting Backward by Alma Fullerton, illustrated by Sarah Mensinga (MG graphic novel)

 Claire Cardin is dedicated, kind-hearted, empathetic, creative, smart, and a problem solver. She excels at gymnastics but she struggles to read and write. Does she have a learning disability?

Flipping Forward Twisting Backward

Alma Fullerton

Illustrated by Sarah Mensinga

Peachtree 

an imprint of Penguin Random House

2022

133 pages

What is it like to be dyslexic? What gifts has our neurodivergence given us? What obstacles do we face? Alma Fullerton tells our story through the eyes of a relatable, likable character.

As a dyslexic, I love the message Alma Fullerton gives the reader--dyslexics are smart; dyslexics are capable. Sometimes we struggle--as everyone does.

Flipping Forward Twisting Backward is an empowering, heart-warming story. I highly recommend this book especially to--but not limited to--striving readers who are 8 to 12 years old.

Beginning next Sunday, January 8...

I introduced readers to Aster in 2009, in my first novel Maynely A Mystery--a mystery set on my island home Mayne Island. Aster was merely a secondary character, still...

'I would have loved to have learned more about the relationship between Aster and her husband.'

wrote Debra Purdy Kong on Goodreads.

And Debra wasn't alone. Many readers wanted me to expand on Aster's story. So, in 2014, when Mayne Island Little Theatre held a playwriting contest, I wrote my play about Aster. And she shone in the spotlight.

Last summer, I visited with Aster once again and she shared even more of her story. In 2023, I plan to share a chapter of Mrs. Kenneth James Stevens Wants A Baby on this blog every Sunday--beginning on Sunday, January 8. I'll share the final chapter on Sunday, July 2.

Kathy Barber, an early reader of Mrs. Kenneth James Stevens Wants A Baby, writes...

'I could not put it down. Had to read the whole thing immediately. It was gripping.'

The Best of 2022 on this Blog...

Book Review: Driven: The Secret Lives of Drivers by Marcello Di Cintio, published by Biblioasis (non-fiction)

 In 2018 author Marcello Di Cintio 'spent a year traveling around Canada'--west to east; south to north--'to seek out the life stories of the nation's taxi drivers.' (p. 5) In Driven, Di Cintio devotes thirteen chapters to introducing cabbies--and in chapter nine he writes about the non-profit ride-share service Ikwe Safe Ride. Ikwe 'matches volunteer female drivers with women needing a ride.' (p. 137)

Driven: The Secret Lives of Drivers

Marcello Di Cintio

Biblioasis

2021

271 pages

As I've lived most of my life in rural Canada, I can count the number of taxi rides I've taken on the fingers of both hands. However, ever since I watched the sitcom Taxi I've been intrigued by the occupation. Taxi was about driving cabs in the United States. Interested to learn about Canadian cabbies drove me to read Driven. (See what I did there. Clever, eh?)

I learned...

An escaped slave from Kentucky, Thornton Blackburn was Canada's first taxi driver but he wasn't the last immigrant cabbie. 

'A federal government analysis of 2006 Census data showed that over half of all Canadian taxi divers were born abroad.' (p. 247)

And...

The male-dominated occupation--'Female cabbies remain a rarity if not an outright novelty' (p. 81)--'is physically and psychologically unhealthy' (p. 69) and life-threatening. 'A 2012 Statistics Canada report revealed that taxi drivers were murdered on the job at a higher rate than workers of any other legal profession. Even police officers are killed less often.' (p. 102)

Cabbies are threatened with violence. The occupation is threatened by Uber. Due to technicalities, Uber drivers can jump through loopholes that taxi drivers get tangled in. If things remain unchanged, cabbies 'figure the industry only has about five years left.' (p. 50)

On page 137, Di Cinto writes: 'During my year among the cabbies, I would come to see most taxi drivers as inherently good.'

Nice guys in tough times. Maybe it's time to ask ourselves, what can we do to help?

I found Driven: The Secret Lives of Drivers by Marcello Di Cintio to be an engaging and informative read. 

by Kathy Lawrence

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