Litsy

I started this book during our independent reading time in seminar today, and I did not want to stop when the bell rang. I‘m really intrigued to see where this story goes. However, the book has to stay on my desk at school for the week, so I may not get much further until this weekend.

#TeachersOfLitsy #YA #TRS2025

Dilara How frustrating! 😄 1w

Daisey @Dilara It is! I switched from teaching mostly English to mostly math in the last few years, and losing most of my at school reading time is probably the worst part! 1w

43 likes2 comments

Jas16

Medicine Walk | Richard Wagamese

pick

Frank is summoned by the alcoholic father he has met only a few times in his 16 years, and who managed to disappoint him every time. He learns that his father is dying and wants Frank to take him to his final resting place. During their days together Frank learns who his father is and gains an understanding of his own life. It seemed like a simple, straightforward story until I grasped the torrent of the emotions pouring out of me. Loved it.

Jas16 #14books14weeks Book 8 (edited) 2mo

BookNAround Wagamese is an amazing author. 2mo

50 likes2 comments

MysticFaerie

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

pick

5🌟/5🌟

Parts of this book hurt my heart. Parts of this book made me so very angry. What I do know is that Ma-Nee is a very strong, resilient person that I have a lot of respect for. Even though this book is full of trigger warnings, I believe it's a very important read that all of us can learn from.

8 likes

Nebklvr

Where Wolves Don't Die | Anton Treuer

so-so

Hunting, trapping, tradition, and a great love between Grandfather and Grandson. The family bonds were lovely. The nature scenes intense. The reason for Ezra being sent to the wilderness seemed almost irrelevant.

38 likes1 stack add

Writeme

Where Wolves Don't Die | Anton Treuer

bailed

I tried, but I did not not enjoy the writing or the characters. :(

8 likes

BookishTrish

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

pick

Holy moly did Ma-Nee live through some terrible terrible shit. Her empathy, compassion, and generosity shine through. I found the tough parts really tough to listen to and so it‘s my third pick for #CanadaReads winner this year.

38 likes

TracyReadsBooks

Desolation Mountain: A Novel | William Kent Krueger

pick

Another quick, fun Cork O‘Conner mystery. The premise of this one gets a little out there but it doesn‘t really matter because you get to spend more time with Cork and his family and, most of all, Henry Meloux. As always the story starts fast and then Krueger keeps cranking up the tension…and then in this one the ending hits hard too. If you love mysteries and haven‘t started this one, I can‘t recommend it highly enough. Another good read.

23 likes

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

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Another major part of the book is hockey. Saul manages to find an escape through hockey although it only masks the suffering he is going through. It isn't until much later in life that he digs deep into that past so that he can truly heal.

Thoughts on the hockey portion of the book? Did you know this book was originally only supposed to be about hockey?

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 6mo

Ruthiella I have to say, as beautiful as the writing was, it lost me with hockey ! 😂 I‘m not a sports person at all. 6mo

Jess861 I enjoyed the hockey portion of the book as I find Wagamese can write about anything and it's still magical. I think a bit less hockey would have been ok with me though.

The fact that Saul finds an escape through hockey and then manages to bottle away his abuses for years is quite something. Sad that he didn't realize he was using hockey for something else as he did seem to love the sport. 6mo

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Jess861 @Ruthiella I agree, a bit less hockey would have been ok with me! 6mo

Tamra I was surprised at the hockey middle section. I‘d didn‘t mind too much because it was well written and personable. Had it not moved on to post hockey life, I would have been disappointed. 6mo

Jess861 @Tamra I agree, the book wouldn't have been as complete if it had ended with hockey. I really felt like we went on the journey of Saul's life in this book. 6mo

CarolynM I loved the hockey part of the book, but I wondered how much it would alienate people who weren‘t familiar with the sport. I can imagine some readers outside Canada just switching off from it, which would be a shame as I think the way it makes Saul feel, in both positive and negative ways, is really important to his journey. It‘s a reminder that, although similar in some ways, our countries each have cultures of their own. 6mo

Kitta I am not a sports person except for gymnastics and I actually loved the hockey part of this, I am Canadian though and familiar with the rules and gameplay which must have helped. I think the intricate detail spent on discussing the hockey was a way for Saul‘s mind to switch off from the abuse and purposely forget about it or ignore it as much as possible. He had to dive into a passion to distract himself. 6mo

lauraisntwilder I loved the hockey parts. My son played hockey for years. We're originally from TN and follow the Nashville Predators. This book made me think about former-Pred Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk player in the NHL, and how he also played for the Blackhawks. (Imagine wearing that jersey.) I also remember watching a game on TV where Boston fans were yelling the n-word at PK Subban. There are still people who think of it as a white man's game. 6mo

Jess861 @CarolynM Agree - I can see how the hockey portion could turn off a reader who isn't into hockey or sports because there are so many chapters that are just hockey. But it was critical to the book so hopefully most aren't turned off by it. 6mo

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder I remember Jordin Tootoo as well and got to see him play a time or two in Canada. Even though he was a 'fighter' he was quite skilled at the game. 6mo

lauraisntwilder @Jess861 In Nashville, fans loved Tootoo. They would bring train whistles to the games, a play on Tootoo rhyming with "choo choo" that I sincerely hope didn't bug him, and they'd blow them whenever he was on the ice. It was a special cheer, just for him. And they continued to do it after he was traded, but came back to play on opposing teams. 6mo

DogMomIrene I‘m not a sports person, but I loved the hockey section because it was serving as his escape. I wondered if Fr. Hockey Coach had been abusing him, but thought “why would he let him go?” But when Saul refused to fight, then blew his chance at a pro-career, I knew. That was the most heart-breaking part for me. This beautiful skater who played the game with skill & grace who should have had every hockey success had that ripped from him bc of abuse. 6mo

kwmg40 I loved the hockey part. I grew up in Montreal, and my father, a Chinese immigrant, completely embraced the hockey culture (as a spectator if not a player). I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada every week. In Quebec, it was really a sport for everybody, rich or poor. 6mo

13 likes14 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

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A Residential School is a big part of this book. Saul is sent to one after losing both his siblings to them, his parents to grief and his grandmother to the cold. Due to his hard work and skills in hockey he manages to find a way out but not until he has suffered from many abuses. This will require him to take his own healing journey.

Thoughts on Residential Schools and/or that aspect of the book? Crazy that 1996 was when the last one was closed!

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 6mo

Ruthiella Crazy that they closed so late and yet, not. They still exist in the US though attendance is not compulsory as far as I know. 6mo

Jess861 I can't even begin to imagine having my kids ripped away from me and never seeing them again. These were babies! I also feel that this portion of the book shows exactly what happens when the Church is put in charge of schools. Absolutely disgusting! 6mo

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Jess861 @Ruthiella Really? I'm surprised they still exist at all. That is sad. 6mo

Ruthiella @Jess861 I think it‘s now more a case that reservations don‘t have local schools so children go to boarding schools run by the BIA more than forced assimilation but I don‘t really know. 6mo

Tamra Isn‘t Canada still struggling with how to deliver education to rural First Nations people? 6mo

Jess861 @Tamra Yes, it is a huge struggle. While the Residential Schools are gone the government still lacks in understanding that the First Nations deserve a curriculum more in line with their culture and identity (just my opinion). In general, I also don't think kids education should just be about sitting at a desk all day and there should be more hands on learning. 6mo

CarolynM It is horrifying to me that both Canada and Australia engaged in the shameful practice of taking indigenous children from their families until so very recently. In Australia we call them the “stolen generations” and some (inadequate) effort has been in the last decade or so to redress the harm done. The callousness of the system is heartbreaking and so well illustrated in this book. 6mo

Kitta @Ruthiella wow they still exist in the US? I don‘t know what the answer is in terms of education for First Nations children, but the system we have currently isn‘t working. 6mo

lauraisntwilder What I find especially sad is how few non-Indigenous people seem to know about residential schools. As a Caucasian of mostly European descent, living in the US, I only know about them because of specifically seeking out diverse books, movies, and TV shows. I was never formally educated that they exist -- and they did (and still do??) while I still in public school. 6mo

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder I could be wrong but I think now most Canadians understand these existed. That is only because of a recent movement which brought the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I was not taught anything about them in school but they do talk about it in schools now days. Our son is in grade 3 and has learned about the Residential Schools the last few years. Last year was the year he really understood. 6mo

lauraisntwilder @Jess861 Yeah, definitely a different situation in Canada! I don't think the US has ever been good at owning up to its mistakes. 6mo

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder I wouldn't say Canada has been good at owning up to their mistakes but it is progress. Many issues still exist today. But the fact that it is being taught in schools brings me hope that the younger generation will know and understand the history and hopefully learn from it. 6mo

lauraisntwilder @Jess861 I hope that's the case, too! 6mo

DogMomIrene The National Day for Truth & Reconciliation brought awareness to me as a PR. I looked up the Truth & Reconciliation Commission to see what data they had. There‘s several reports. I read the summaries and they‘re horrific. Not sure I could make it through the reports. Saul escaping the school through hockey is a great plot device, but I‘d guess most kids didn‘t have a way out until they aged out. 6mo

DogMomIrene We moved from BC (progressive) to PEI (conservative) for slower pace, but sometimes I question our decision. There‘s a local councilor who posted a sign on his personal property “Truth: mass grave hoax”. He was suspended, fined, and told to apologize. He refused. He applied for judicial review (late). Case may go before the PEI Supreme Court as a freedom of expression case. https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7452388 Curious if judge will allow case to move 6mo

Jess861 @DogMomIrene I agree, the government only recognized this day because there was enough pressure. However, even though I don't believe the government necessarily had true intentions with this day - I believe it has brought more awareness about Residential Schools. When our son came home from grade 2 last year he truly understood what a Residential School was. He does not necessarily know about the full abuse but understands kids died because ofthem 6mo

kwmg40 @Jess861 @DogMomIrene I too had wondered about the effectiveness of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission and National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. However, I'd recently finished a memoir by Marie Wilson, one of the commissioners and feel more optimistic about these efforts.

North of Nowhere: Song of a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner

6mo

Jess861 @kwmg40 Thank you so much for the recommendation - I'll have to pick that book up! 6mo

kwmg40 You're welcome. I hope you will find it interesting. 6mo

DogMomIrene @Jess861 I love that your son is learning a more complete history. That‘s tricky to navigate too. When I taught the Holocaust in the States, we had to adjust curriculum to student age. And the awareness is a good first step. As a PR, I see much more education aimed at adults, like books and documentaries, than I think I would see in 🇺🇸 6mo

DogMomIrene @kwmg40 That one‘s on my list with Murray Sinclair‘s book. 6mo

Jess861 @DogMomIrene So tricky, I was kind of surprised that at the age of 7 he understood that the kids were taken from their families and that some died. I would have waited until he was a little older but he handled it well and asked smart questions about it. I'm not sure every 7 yo would be ready to learn about this topic and I'm not sure that every kid in his class understood in the same way he did. Still, I was impressed that school taught it though 6mo

DogMomIrene @Jess861 Smart boy! Whenever students ask those really good clarifying questions, it gets even trickier. I‘m not going to lie to a student, but there were times when I would say that those details would be covered in HS curriculum, and encourage the student to ask parents if they wanted more info earlier. Found I had to be more careful closer to my last years of teaching than earlier years in conservative Arizona. 6mo

kwmg40 @DogMomIrene Thanks for bringing to my notice Murray Sinclair's book. Adding that to my TBR list! 6mo

12 likes25 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

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Constantly moving to try and keep your kids from being kidnapped - all while trying to preserve your culture, faith and beliefs. Multiple generations damaged by stealing and abusing kids, trying to destroy an entire peoples and pushing them to live on a Reserve. Many battling addictions due to their suffering.

These are all topics throughout the book - general thoughts on the book?

Ruthiella Books like this are important because they show that genocide is not only extermination camps but also an accretion of unfair policies and actions taken by those in power. 6mo

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 6mo

Jess861 This books is such an important book for Canadian history. What happened and in my opinion continues to happen is absolutely disgusting. I can't even begin to imagine as to what it feels like to have entire generations destroyed by such horrendous actions. Every country seems to have a story like this - just enacted in different ways. May we learn to be better people from this book! 6mo

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Jess861 @Ruthiella - That is such a great way to put it. This comment is so accurate. Canada has a dark history that is hidden behind policies and red tape. Sadly, it still goes on today and I can only see it getting worse with the current political climate. 6mo

Jess861 Pictured is an Ojibwe Spirit Horse - they are endangered and Canada's only Indigenous horse breed. 6mo

CarolynM @Ruthiella Hear, Hear! 6mo

Kitta @Ruthiella absolutely!!! @Jess861 Agreed this type of novel should be required reading in school (books selected age appropriate of course) in my opinion 6mo

lauraisntwilder @Ruthiella That is it exactly. 6mo

Jess861 @Kitta When reading books in English in middle school and high school - I wish it was more about reading books that teach us histories or lessons and less about what does the colour yellow symbolize in a particular book. Not every book because I feel it's important to read a variety of texts but there wasn't enough of it. That was my experience in English class anyways. It may have changed though, that was a long time ago! 6mo

DogMomIrene @Ruthiella 100% And as a former MS English teacher who taught in 🇺🇸, I remember dozens of HF books about the Holocaust. I‘m sure that took years to get to that point. Authors see schools building curriculum. Museums are curated. Guest speakers sharing their stories. I hope more people start listening to more voices to recognize that suppression & extermination happen under unfair policies. Build a new momentum that‘s more inclusive. 6mo

kwmg40 I found it impressive that Wagamese could cover all the themes that you'd listed and interweave them into a really compelling story in such a short novel. He really was a very gifted writer. 6mo

Kitta @Jess861 agreed! And school was a long time ago for me too - maybe things are changing? I was at school in Canada and I felt we didn‘t learn about this at all. We did symbolism to death for 1984 when I was in school and it almost ruined it for me. 6mo

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