CM Volume 1 Number 17

Volume 1 Number 17

October 6, 1995

Table of Contents

Book Reviews

A Sled Dog for Moshi.
Jeanne Bushey. Illustrated by Germaine Arnatauyok.
Review by Lorraine Douglas.
Grades Pre-school - 2 / Ages 4 - 8.

How Much, How Many, How Far, How Heavy, How Long, How Tall is 1000?
Helen Nolan. Illustrated by Tracy Walker.
Review by A. Edwardsson.
Grades 1 - 6 / Ages 4 - 10.

Spud in Winter.
Brian Doyle.
Review by Elaine Seepish.
Grade 6 - 9 / Ages 10 - 13.

Dreamers.
Mary-Ellen Lang Collura.
Review by Elaine Seepish.
Grade 10 - 12 / Ages 14 - 18.

Images of Nature: Canadian Poets and the Group of Seven.
Selected by David Booth.
Review by Lorraine Douglas.
All ages.

News: National

Freedom to Read Week

Feature

The Great Canadian Trivia Contest.

CM
Editor
Duncan Thornton
e-mail: editor@mbnet.mb.ca

CM
Executive Assistant
Peter Tittenberger
e-mail: camera@mbnet.mb.ca

Book Review

A Sled Dog for Moshi.

Jeanne Bushey. Illustrated by Germaine Arnatauyok.
Winnipeg: Hyperion, 1994. 40pp, cloth, 19.95
ISBN 0-920534-85-6.

Grades Pre-school - 2 / Ages 4 - 8.
Review by Lorraine Douglas.

excerpt:

When Moshi walked in the back door of her house, she found her father standing in the middle of the kitchen. Melting snow dripped from his sealskin boots, called kamiks, onto the floor. His mittened hand held a pail of frozen fish for the dogs.
``Nuna's gone," her father said angrily. ``I went out to feed the dogs, and she wasn't there!"
``Don't worry," Moshi's mother said gently as she held Moshi's youngest brother on her lap. ``She'll be back in the morning when she's hungry. You've had dogs get away before."
Her father frowned. ``I don't want anything to happen to her. She's my best dog, and her pups will be born soon. Those pups will be worth a lot of money someday."

This contemporary story is set in the remote northern village of Iqaluit on Baffin Island. Jessica, a girl from New York City, has a cute little dog, and her Inuk friend, Moshi, wishes for a pet dog of her own. Nuna, one of Moshi's father's sled dogs, is expecting, and Moshi asks her dad for a puppy. But he explains that the dogs are needed for work and not to learn tricks.

One day Nuna disappears and does not return home. A week later Jessica and Moshi are lost in a sudden whiteout on the tundra. Moshi uses all of her survival skills until Nuna appears and leads them to safety in a storage shed near town. Later Moshi's father relents and agrees that she can have a pup, but Moshi decides that the pup should stay a sled dog.

Written by an American who had lived in Iqaluit, and illustrated by a native of Igloolik on Baffin Island, this is a nice addition to literature about the North. The delicately drawn full-page illustrations in colour pencil are softly rendered in light tones. They simply portray the characters and are cheerful and appealing. Each page of text has a little top border of sled dogs at work. This design gives an elegant feel to the page. A map of the Northern hemisphere showing Iqaluit and an illustrated glossary add to the value of the book.

A Sled Dog for Moshi is similar to Jan Andrew's Very Last First Tune (Douglas and McIntyre, 1985) in that it portrays a strong heroine using her intelligence to survive.

Recommended.

Lorraine Douglas is Youth Services Coordinator for the Winnipeg Public Library.

Book Review

How Much, How Many, How Far, How Heavy, How Long, How Tall is 1000?

Helen Nolan. Illustrated by Tracy Walker.
Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1995. 32pp, cloth, $14.95.
ISBN 1-55074-164-0.

Grades 1 - 6 / Ages 4 - 10
Review by A. Edwardsson.

excerpt:

How much is 1000? Is it a lot? That depends. If you don't like freckles, 1000 of then Is a lot. But when it comes to hair, 1000 isn't very many. What about 1000 french fries? Could you eat all of them? Even if you loved fries, 1000 would be too much for one person. You could share them. A single serving has about 40 fries. How many friends would 1000 french fries feed?

Author Helen Nolan's inventive book offers kids a simple introduction to the mathematical concept of estimation. Through an inclusive question and-answer format, she sets up a series of problems that will interest both children and adults. For example, ``How tall is a stack of 1000 pennies? Is it as tall as you are? A stack of pennies is about as tall as an eleven-year-old, but a stack of dimes would be about as tall as a seven year-old." Now, obviously not all eleven-year-olds are the same height, but this book doesn't bog kids down with dry details or disclaimers.

This isn't an in-depth examination, but rather a look at measurement in general terms that children can relate to. There are no ``chapters." Estimating answers is encouraged. In fact, enquiring minds, or those who want exact results may be provoked into challenging the answers. The book claims, for instance, that 1,000 steps would take you around a baseball diamond ``about four times." This would be a fun and easy experiment for a child to re-enact.

The work is presented as a picture book, with clearly readable text of no more than fives lines per page. Tracy Walker's zany pencil and watercolour illustrations are the perfect match for the thought-provoking subject matter. We accompany a freckle-faced brother and sister (aged seven or eight perhaps) and their goofy, high-spirited dalmatian as they encounter the various measurements.

The artwork is in primary colours and has many whimsical, comic details. For example, when we read ``1000 people sitting in rows will fill a small hockey arena," we recognize the masked goalie by her ponytail ribbons, while in the stands her brother catches sight of their dog seated a few rows back waving a pennant.

The book ends with a half-page note to parents. It suggests ways for adults to make estimation a game their children can play. The lengthy title is slightly misleading, however; most of the work deals with how much or how many, with only one example each of how far, heavy, long, or tall.

Despite this nitpicking, the book is engaging and would be a great addition to libraries whether public or private.

Highly recommended.

A. Edwardsson is in charge of the Children's Department at a branch of the Winnipeg Public Library. She has a Bachelor of Education degree and a Child Care Worker III certification, and is a member of the Manitoba branch of the Canadian Authors' Association.

Book Review

Spud in Winter.

Brian Doyle.
Toronto: Groundwood, 1995. 140pp, paper, $8.95.
ISBN 0-88899-224-6.

Grade 6 - 9 / Ages 10 - 13.
Review by Elaine Seepish.

Spud Sweetgrass reappears in this new adventure in all Doyle's rollicking, good-times style.

The story sets the reader up with a deliciously described murder which our hero Spud witnesses. It rolls along playfully including plenty of well-rounded, textured characters and vivid portrayals of Ottawa in winter, and culminating with lots of action.

Doyle is a master of the language and made this reader laugh out loud. At one point, he breaks all the rules in an extended account by Spud's friend's father of his childhood memories, which include every gross-out that middle-years kids love to read about -- all condensed into one paragraph!

Highly recommended for middle years readers.

Elaine Seepish is Information Specialist at Instructional Resources Unit, Manitoba Education and Training.

Book Review

Dreamers.

Mary-Ellen Lang Collura.
Vancouver: Greystone, 1995. 144pp, paper, $7.95
ISBN 1-55054-162-5.

Grade 10 - 12 / Ages 14 - 18.
Review by Elaine Seepish.

This weak story of the rivalry between members of a garage band for the affections of Sally, the new girl in town, limps along to a maudlin climax in which the narrator, Sam, finally wins Sally over.

The teen reader, however, will not be won over by the language of Dreamers, which isn't close to being realistic for the age group depicted. On one occasion, for example, the seventeen-year-old Sam pauses to reflect that ``the rigours and rewards of adulthood were looming in the foreseeable future, and most of us wanted to be ready!" Puh-leeze!

Collura also skips over opportunities to develop her major characters and overloads a slim story with many minor, albeit interesting, characters who go nowhere.

It's too bad that the cover portrait of Sam is so androgenous, because the author's best moments are in describing the passion of the all-male band members for their music. This might have been able grabbed the attention of some young male readers had the cover been different.

Possibly appealing as a quick, light read, but I would say a marginal purchase for senior students.

Not recommended.

Elaine Seepish is Information Specialist at Instructional Resources Unit, Manitoba Education and Training.

Book Review

Images of Nature: Canadian Poets and the Group of Seven.

Selected by David Booth.
Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1995. 32pp, cloth, $18.95.
ISBN 1-55074-272-8.

All ages.
Review by Lorraine Douglas.

excerpt:

Summer by Robert Melancon (translated by P. Stratford)

Sun binds down
lilacs stirred by wind;
each leaf holds up
the whole sky. A warbler,
brief fruit, shakes loose
a rush of blue.

The sense of where we belong in the Canadian landscape has inspired our painters and poets. This collection of twenty-three poems includes word images by Atwood, Colombo, Souster, Birney, and Cohen. They are matched with the paintings of the Group of Seven to create a wonderful tribute to art and letters in Canada.

Images of Nature is reminiscent of the Winnipeg Art Gallery's exhibition Animals in Art, in which paintings and complementary excerpts from literature were presented together. The approach creates a thoughtful viewing experience, and a rich appreciation of the beauty of the artistic interpretations of our land.

Teachers will find a variety of appealing poetry for use with students, including an Inuit song and a shape poem.

The book concludes with a brief description of the Group of Seven and a catalogue of the paintings reproduced. David Booth, a professor at the University of Toronto, has created another excellent anthology.


Highly recommended.

Lorraine Douglas is Youth Services Coordinator for the Winnipeg Public Library.

News: National

FREEDOM TO READ WEEK

In announcing the 12th-annual Freedom to Read Week, February 26 - March 3, 1996, the members of the Book and Periodical Council's Freedom of Expression Committee reaffirmed their support for Intellectual freedom, guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Freedom of Expression Committee acknowledged the ongoing committment of Canadian writers, publishers, libraries, educators, and booksellers to support intellectual freedom, and committed themselves to vigilance.

Books and magazines are banned at the border. Books are removed from the shelves in Canadian libraries, schools, and bookstores every day. Few of these stories make headlines, but they affect the right of Canadians to decide for themselves what they choose to read.

The Freedom of Expression Committee produces the Freedom to Read Week Kit. The 1996 Kit contains all-new material, activities for schools and libraries, and a new Freedom to Read Week poster.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR FREEDOM TO READ!

FREEDOM TO READ KIT ORDER FORM (ISBN 0-9680088-0- 1)

Kits may be ordered directly from the Book and Periodical Council, prepaid, at $10.00 plus $2.00 postage and handling, plus $.84 GST. Total: $12.84. Orders for ten kits or more, shipped to a single address, receive a 20% discount and may be accompanied by a purchase order. Mail your completed order form to:

Freedom to Read Kit
Book and Periodical Council
35 Spadina Road
Toronto, ON M5R 2S9.
Name:________________________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________

City:_______________ Province:__ Postal Code: _______

Please send me _____ kit(s) at $10.00 + $2.00 postage & handling + $.84 GST (total $12.84) each. My cheque/money order is enclosed.

Please send me 10 or _____ kits at $8.00 each + $ 10.00 postage & handling + GST.
Purchase order #____________________

Please make cheques or money orders payable to the Book and Periodical Council.

GST No. R106801889

Feature

"The Great Canadian Trivia Challenge"

Steve Caldwell, the coordinator of the Triva Challenge, has been kind enough to give CM permission to run his weekly Great Canadian Trivia Contest, a great way to motivate students to spend some time in the Library. Here's this week's question, the answers and winners from September 22, and how the contest works:

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

The title "Right Honourable" is given to holders and former holders of what three positions in Canada?

DUE DATE FOR THIS ANSWER: 14 October, 1995

SEND IN YOUR ANSWERS:

Remember, don't post your answers to CM. Instead, send your answers to Steve Caldwell at one of the following e-mail addresses (if possible please use the first of these addresses as The Village is having a few problems):

Steve_Caldwell@colby.on. infoshare.ca
or
stepcald@village.ca

In addition to your e-mail address, please send us your school's name and the grade and/or class that you are in, as well as your postal address.

September 22's Question was:

This is another two-parter. Both parts must be answered correctly to receive credit.

  1. What is the name of the mountain with the highest elevation in Canada?
  2. What is its elevation above sea level in metres?
ANSWER:
  1. The name of the highest mountain is Mount Logan.
  2. The answer I was looking for was 5951 metres above sea level. However, a number of participants found legitimate answers within 100 metres of this answer therefore I accepted 5951m plus or minus 100 m

WINNERS:

  1. Mulchan Balroop & Harshuan Sivanander, Gr. 6, Meadowbrook School: Lachine, Quebec
  2. Denise Cormier & Andrew Nandee, Gr.4, John 23rd School: Calgary Alberta
  3. Gabriel Quan, Ontario.
  4. Samson Gafkjen, Gr. 6, Lincoln Elementary School: Spencer, Iowa
  5. Erin Cooper, Alisha Legault & David Lento, Gr. 7 ALP, Lindsay Place High School: Pointe Claire, Quebec
  6. Eric Stewart, Gr. 8, General Vanier School: Winnipeg, Manitoba
  7. Don, St. John's High School: St. Jean, Quebec
  8. Danny Ray, Gr. 7 Keyboarding, Alma Middle School: Alma, Arizona
  9. Renea LeClair, Gr. 6, Lincoln Elementary School: Spencer, Iowa
  10. Heather Brown, Gr. 6, Lincoln Elementary School: Spencer, Iowa
  11. Amanda Lambert, Brenda Mitten, Jennifer Lammers & Stacey Ballard, Mr. Lieshant's Gr. 7 class, Gregory A. Hogan School: Sarnia, Ontario
  12. Mrs. Cantalini's Gr. 7/8 class, Gregory A. Hogan School: Sarnia, Ontario
  13. Trevor Parrish & Ashlee Wallace, Gr. 7, Lansdowne School: Lansdowne, Ontario
  14. Mrs. Hick's 5th grade class, Saint Anselm's School: San Anselmo, California
  15. Patricia Miller, 6th grade, Mr. Tegels' class, Lincoln Elementary School: Spencer, Iowa
  16. Chris Hale, Mr. Cater's Gr. 5/6 class, Uplands Elementary School: Terrace, British Columbia
  17. Grade 9 class, Vancouver Christian School: Vancouver, British Columbia
  18. Grade 10 class, Vancouver Christian School: Vancouver, British Columbia
  19. Natasha Noble, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  20. Raj Acharya, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  21. Ali Egan, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  22. Paul Gallupe, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  23. Erika Anderson, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  24. Katie Dowling, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  25. Dylan Wykes, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  26. Diva Cory, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  27. Jamie East, Gr.7, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  28. Michael Reddick, Gr.4, R.G. Sinclair Public School: Kingston, Ontario
  29. Trivia Contest Group 6, whole group, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  30. Trivia Contest Group 9, Laura Shepherd & Gray Cooper, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  31. Trivia Contest Group 18, Mark Bowness, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  32. Mrs. Husky's class 77, Social studies, F.R. Haythorne Junior High School: Sherwood Park, Alberta
  33. Trivia Contest Group 3, Mr. Cairns' group, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  34. Trivia Contest Group 17, Kelly Yateman, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  35. 35. Jerry Don Kelly, 7th grade keyboarding, Alma Middle School: Alma, Arizona
  36. Jane Scaplan's Gr. 6 French Immersion class, Sacred Heart Elementary School: Marystown, Newfoundland
  37. Nadav Zelver, Yorkhill Elementary School: Thornhill, Ontario
  38. Trivia Contest Group 5, Damian Ellis, Craig Tibbits, Dan Robinson & Quinn Lau, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  39. Trivia Contest Group 11, Shahan Kha, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  40. Trivia Contest Group 8, whole group, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  41. Trivia Contest Group 20, Chris Vervaeke, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  42. Trivia Contest Group 1, Mrs. Pike's group, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario
  43. Trivia Contest Group 17, James Collins, Dolphin Senior Public School: Mississauga, Ontario

Copyright © 1995 the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

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