Great Reads for Kids - Summer Break Edition

Aside from our Smart Folders, this summer the kids have been given the chance to earn Book Bucks. They get one 'buck' for every 15 minutes they read and at the end of the summer they'll be able to cash in their book bucks for a gift card to Chapters.

They have each been busy reading and wracking up the 'bucks.' We have been combing through thrift stores, garage sales and our own shelves to find new favourites and old friends to help them earn their bucks. Here are some reviews of their favourites ...

By Mischief (for boys age 5 to 7 years old)

Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak)- This book is about this kid who dresses up like a kind of monster, wild thing guy. His name is Max. He scared the dog and got into a lot of mischief so he got in trouble from his mom. He gets sent to his room without any supper. When he was there his room turned into a jungle or something and there was this boat that sailed him away to where the wild things are. He gets to be king and stuff but then he misses his family so he goes home.

I like this book because it has lots of imagination and I know all the words. I even have a Max costume. The pictures are pretty good to.

Other favourites are:
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Corduroy by Don Freeman
I Can Read 'Spiderman' series by Susan Hill



By Dude (for boys age 9 to 12 years old)

100 Most Dangerous Things on the Planet (Anna Claybourne)- This book tells you about 100 of the most dangerous things on the planet. It tells you about volcanoes erupting, earthquakes, tornadoes, lightening storms too. There is also a lot of information about animals and bugs too. The book is in two parts; nature stuff and human stuff. It is very interesting because it also gives you good information on how to survive these very dangerous things.

Other favourites:
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Knights of the Round Table by Gwen Gross


By Crafty (for girls age 7 to 10 years old)

Ivy and Bean (Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackwell) - These books are about two girls who become friends. They do lots of stuff to bug Bean's older sister, its kind of funny. They do stuff like play tricks on her with money and they also through worms at her. I like these books because Ivy and Bean are kind of like my best friend. These books are funny and interesting.

Other favourites:
Cam Jansen by David Alder
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osbourne
Little Women by Lousia May Alcott
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstien


To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one.
~Chinese Saying

Fiction Friday - Dust of 100 Dogs

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to review this one but I have to tell you I'm ashamed of myself for keeping this one under wraps for so long!

I first picked Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King up a little more than a year ago. It was the buzz of my writer's group and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I got about 50 pages in before the book was stolen from me.

One night while I was reading in bed Mr. Awesome read the back cover, asked me if it was really as good as it sounded and when I said, 'better' he yanked the book from me. That's the last I saw of it for a while.

When I finally got a chance to sit down with this unique tale of pirate treasure, curses and regular teenage angst I was thrilled at the wit, charm and humor that King threaded through the entire store. It captivated me from the first!

The story is about an infamous seventeenth century pirate who is cursed to live a hundred dog life's before she can return to human form. The catch is she remembers every minute of each of her 101 lives, dog and human. When she finally is granted a human life after nearly 300 years as a dog, she cannot wait to pick up where she left off, in hot pursuit of her pirate treasure.

Toted as a young adult book, this is the perfect read for anyone with a sense of humor and a passion for adventure. Its fast paced action mixed with notes on life from a dog's perspective and the unique commentary of a three hundred year old teenager is the perfect balance in this new twist on the old pirate story.

Be sure to add Dust of 100 Dogs by AS King to your summer read list this year!

Great Reads

This weekend I was asked by seven different people for recommendations for a 'great read' so I thought that maybe it was time for a little Nic's Picks book update.

The first book I always, always recommend is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. It is a beautiful story with compelling characters and no matter whether you are a man, woman, young or old you will find something to love about this book.

My next 'go to' pick is Townhouse by Tish Cohen. Its a quirky little tale that is wonderfully written with funny, charming and perfectly flawed characters. Another favourite of mine in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. I love how this piece of fiction hits the truth right on the head from the perspective of a teen with Autism.

For the thriller lovers out there the 'Byte Series by Cat Connor (Killerbyte, Terrorbyte and Exacerbyte) is the perfect blend of crime, poetry and nail biting terror/suspense. Her characters are as intricate and complicated as the crimes she constructs for them to solve. If you enjoy nonfiction than Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison is a fantastic read as is the memoir of a mother and her struggle to balance her responsibilites as a mom with the fight of her life in Cancer is a Bitch by Gail Konop Baker.

Here's a list of some of my all time favourite reads ...

Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet
Roots - Alex Haley
The Sacketts  - Louis L'Amour
The Painted House - John Grisham
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

When God Whispers Your Name- Max Lucado
My Utmost for His Highest - Oswald Chambers

I think that's it for now ... start there and let me know when you need some more suggestions!

Wanted: Commitment Filter - URGENT!

I reread an interesting book yesterday. I do book reviews for a local radio station and this was one of those books that landed on my desk a while ago. I read immediately, wrote my review and then went on with my very busy life.

Yesterday I found out that the station never received my review and I can't find it anywhere so I picked up the book and gave it another read. I was trying to get through it fast because I had a million things to do. I had a lesson plan for a student team to prepare, another lesson plan for a crafting club I run, minutes to type for a parent council meeting I was secretary for, emails to review about a playground reno committee I'm on, clothes to iron for the kids for picture day today, horse homework for Dude's Equine Therapy class plus we had to pack up Simon and deliver him back to his previous owners (sad, frustrating and overly dramatic story that I will not get into) and then there was all the regular mom work of cooking, cleaning, laundry, baths and bedtime to do too. I had a weeks worth of work to get done in four hours.

By the time I dragged myself to bed at midnight and picked up the book for another read, I was exhausted and frustrated. I had only finished about half the stuff that needed to get done and what I did manage to do, I did not do well. I remembered what the gist of the book was about but as I skimmed page after page I felt like I was being slapped to attention. The whole book is about obligation, over commitment and how 'the shoulds' will sap your life's calling out of you and leave you ruined if you let them rule your life.

Just what I needed to hear. So often I say 'yes' to things I don't want to do because I want people to like me, I don't want to leave things undone and I want to feel like I am contributing to the community. I have over committed myself to the point of madness, vowing to never do it again, but when asked ... I always do it again.

There's a story in the Bible about two sisters, Mary and Martha. They had a whole bunch of people, including Jesus, over to their place one day. Martha busied herself in the kitchen, desperate to make everything just so. I can just picture her cooking and cleaning and fussing over every last detail in hopes of presenting the perfect meal to her guests. I'm sure she imagined the compliments she would receive and the resulting sense of accomplishment and pride she would feel for a job well done. She was working hard but they would love and appreciate her for it.

Martha waited for her sister to join her in the preparations but she waited in vain. Mary never came to help. As Martha slaved away by herself, Mary hung out with the guests, visiting, catching up and learning from Jesus.  As time wore on Martha become bitter and resentful towards her sister. Martha was exhausting herself while Mary relaxed with friends. How is that fair?

When Martha whined to Jesus about Mary's laziness Jesus essentially told her to relax and figure out what is really important. He pointed out that Mary had decided what was important to her and did it, without guilt, worry or fear. Jesus told Martha that she was worrying about too many little things when all she needed to do was focus on what was really important to her.

Bing. IGIM!

How often do we run around, worrying about every little thing, and lose focus on what really matters? Why do we, as moms and wives, so readily commit to every good cause without stopping to think if this 'good cause' is good for us and our families? Why can't we say 'no' without feeling guilty? Why do we allow our self esteem to rest on the opinion of others rather than embracing and feeding into our strengths?

If ever there was a timely word spoken, or written, to me, it was now, with this book. I have been running from one obligation to the next at the expense of my family and my mental well being, at times. I want to do everything, to please everyone but what I really need to do is reassess my commitments and filter each request for my time from the perspective of my strengths, my life direction and what is best for my family. Once I streamline my commitments I know I will be a happier, more productive wife, mother and volunteer.

The book is Sand to Pearls by Heidi McLaughlin and look for the full review on Manitoba Christian Online in the days to come.

Fiction Friday - SENSE AND SENSIBILTY by Jane Austen

Do you ever have those times when all you want to do is sit back with an old friend and have a good chat? Times when you'd give anything for just a few minutes of peace and quiet to catch up with your pal except your pal died 193 years ago so you have to settle for reading one of the spectacular books she wrote? Yeah, me too.

I firmly believe that had I had the chance to know Jane Austen we would have been great friends. She was spunky and witty and completely divine and the work she left behind is an unmatched commentary of life and the role and expectations of women in society in the late 1700s. Of her six completed novels Sense and Sensibility is my favourite except for Pride and Prejudice, oh and Northanger Abbey and Persuasion...anyway, it is one of my top six favourite Jane Austen novels.

Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters who are polar opposites. Elinor, the elder sister, is practical, levelheaded and responsible whereas Marianne, the younger sister, is emotional, sentimental and impulsive. Although both sisters find themselves disappointed in love, it is how they each deal with the disappointment and what they learn about themselves and each other that propels the story.

Austen created a cast of characters that bring humor and light and charm to this novel in a way that is truly timeless. From the selfish sister in law to the nosey neighbors to the empathetic and unlikely rescuer of the Dashwoods, the characters give the landscape of country cottages, rolling hillsides and opulent galas colour and life. The joys and heartaches experienced by the Dashwoods are so universal that contemporary readers will easily find themselves identifying with these characters and the journey they are on.

I love classic literature so much that it never occurred to me that some readers find Austen, Dickens and Bronte too daunting and therefore stick with contemporary fiction. How sad! So today my hope is to inspire just one person who has never spent an afternoon with Jane to pick up Sense and Sensibility (the book first, then you may watch the movie) get lost in her world of wit and charm and recovered love.

Fiction Friday - WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen

All right, if you know me you have probably heard me rant incessantly about how awesome this book is but I just can't stop!

Released in 2006, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS has been my go to book suggestion for years. I have bought it for Christmas presents, birthday presents and randomly given it away to people who need a taste of good storytelling.

Gruen has created some of the most compelling characters in modern literature, Jacob the veterinary student turned circus vet, Marlena the beautiful performer caught in an abusive marriage with the explosive equestrian director, August and most of all Rosie, the charming elephant that ties these characters together.

Jacob Jankowski was an ivy league student until his parents death, just ten days before graduation. Left with nothing but an overwhelming sense of loss, Jacob wanders away from the life he had and unknowingly into the centre of the tumultuous Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets a wild array of characters including Kinko the dwarf clown, Camel the alcoholic roustabout, Barbara the cooch girl and of course Marlena and August.

When the circus acquires Rosie, the elephant whose only apparent trick is drinking gin and eating copious amounts of watermelon, Jacob gets pulled further into the complicated life that surrounds his new found family of ragtag performers and working men. His disdain for August's cruelty and his growing love for Marlena forces Jacob into keeping a secret that impacts the rest of his life.

As the 90 or 93 year old Jacob narrates the story of his experience aboard the circus train the reader is guided through the wonderful and strange world of this Depression-era circus. We are treated to vivid descriptions of the life and habits of the circus in a way that adds to the flavour and pace of the story. Every paragraph and page leaves the reader hungry for more. Each scene is laid out perfectly, with the right balance of character, action and description.

Pick up WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, read it and let it become one of your favourites too!

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS the movie, featuring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christof Waltz, is due to be released in Spring of 2011.

Fiction Friday - KILLERBYTE by Cat Connor

Cliches like 'edge of your seat' and 'page turner' are often used to describe well written suspense books and now I know why. Although I am not a seasoned reader of thrillers I must say this book has everything you'd want in a thriller and some things you wouldn't expect.

KILLERBYTE is the week-in-the-life tale of FBI agent Ellie Conway as she simultaneously hides from and hunts a cyber psycho who is doing his best to scare her to death before he kills her. Along for the ride is Ellie's friend and recent love interest Mac Connelly. This pair spends 400 pages dodging bullets, house explosions and creepy email messages. When they are not finding bodies (or parts of bodies) in cars, trees and dumpsters they are attempting to sort through the evidence and figure out who the killer really is.

Connor does a phenomenal job of creating characters that have real human reactions to unreal situations. Ellie Conway is an intelligent, fiercely independent and resourceful FBI agent that weathers this emotional roller coaster with wit, focus and a macabre sense of humor. The reader is drawn into Ellie's world easily through Connor's perfect balance of descriptive detail and action sequences. Her ability to write in detail about police and FBI procedure and the DC area only enhances the realism and suspense that builds through out the story.

Connor leaves no stone unturned and no body untouched as she guides us through the adventure, terror and mystery that is KILLERBYTE.

KILLERBYTE is available on Amazon and is published by Rebel ePublishers. **I'm giving this an older teen/adult reader rating due to some graphic crimes scene description and coarse language

Fiction Friday - The CRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD by Heather Brewer

In honour of Halloween weekend for this week's Fiction Friday I am featuring the kind of spooky I can handle. Most people who know me know that I have a bit of a fear of vampires and bats but Heather Brewer and her unlikely half vampire hero have all but cured me of that.

Eighth Grade Bites is the first in a five book series that takes the reader deep into the vampire world, Elysia, and to the equally as terrifying world of a high school student. Vlad may be half vampire but he is all teenager. He deals with bullies, first loves and the ups and downs of friendship all while trying to uncover the mystery of his parents' deaths. He also has a minor problem of dodging the slayers who instictually hunt him and members of the Elysian council who want him dead for their own reasons.

Throughout the series we learn that high school Bites, Slays, Bleeds, Burns and Kills and being the chosen one isn't all that its cracked up to be. Brewer creates memorable, endearing, and loathsome characters that the reader is drawn to but would never want to meet in a dark alley. The story weaves seamlessly through five books, never dropping the suspense or tone for a minute. This series is a true word-treat for any reader.

This Halloween weekend pick up all five books, lock your doors, turn down the lights and scare yourself bloody!


**Note - These books can be found in the Young Adult section of your bookstore and are appropriate for the same crowd who enjoyed the Harry Potter books.

Fiction Friday: FALL by Colin McAdam

The more time I spend writing and chatting with other writers the more important I think it is to support up and coming authors and home grown Canadian authors. That's why this week's Fiction Friday pick is by Canada's own Colin McAdam.

FALL was a finalist for the Giller Prize this past year and after soaking in the pages of this dark and twisty book I can see why. McAdam pulls you through his story word by word and before you realise it you are tangled up in the delusions, lies and guilt of his main character. Noel is an intelligent yet socially awkward senior at St. Ebury, an elite boarding school in Ottawa, who sees himself as the perfect sidekick to his popular and charismatic roommate, Julius.

His curiosity about Julius, his friends and his girlfriend, Fall takes a dark turn into obsession. Noel becomes inwardly disgusted and frustrated by Julius' oblivion and crass behavior while outwardly he continues to play the role of the devoted roommate. Noel's angst builds to the boiling point when one night he conceives a plan that is sure to win him Fall and give him the status and respect he deserves.

This book is a handful and not one that the average reader could breeze through but it is definitely worth the time to sit back and savour one of Canada's best and brightest authors. Well done, Mr. McAdam!

Fiction Friday - The Truth About Delilah Blue

The Truth About Delilah Blue - Tish Cohen

Tish Cohen is one of my favourite authors and she has done it again. I am wowed, bowled over and in love with this quirky cast of characters that Cohen has created for this gem of a tale.

The Truth About Delilah Blue is, on the surface, a story about a young wanna-be art student who is willing to go to nearly any lengths to get the art degree she desires while she juggles the responsibilities of caring for her ailing father and the shock of dealing with the truth about how they came to be on their own. As the reader dives into this perfectly sculpted story the line between right and wrong gets blurred and just as in 'real life' no one in Delilah's world is entirely good or entirely bad.

It takes little more than the first few pages to fall in love with Delilah, her life and her author. So before you head out to the lake, board a plane or sink into your comfy couch be sure to pick up this fantastic read...you won't be sorry!