Figgs & Phantoms by: Ellen Raskin

Figgs & Phantoms
Ellen Raskin
Puffin
ISBN 9780140329445

This is a bizarre little book - a book focused around Mona Lisa Figg Newton, a teenager living in the town of Pineapple with her eccentric, eclectic and somewhat esoteric family. Her family includes her tap dancing mother, Sister Figg Newton, her uncles, Truman the Human Pretzel, Romulus the Walking Book of Knowledge, Remus the Talking Adding Machine, (Romulus and Remus are of course twins) and her cousin Fido the Second. The only family member Mona gets along with is her uncle Florence, a book dealer. A main concern of the characters is Capri, the Figg family heaven, which involves a ritual passed down through the Figg family for generations. Uncle Florence's greatest wish is to find his Capri. Mona's greatest fear is that her uncle will succeed and leave her alone.

While doing a children's literature course we were informed that this book was often used along with Tuck Everlasting in grief counseling. It deals with questions about what is real, what is reality and what is dream.

It also has string elements of learning to accept self, and growing into who we are to be. Also the acceptance of what we can change and what we cannot. What it really comes down to is learning to live and learning to love. Also it shows that books can be friends and support us in our alone times.

The book will teach about learning to dream, learning to live and ultimately learning to go beyond ourselves.

(First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.) 

Books by Ellen Raskin:
Novels:
The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)
Figgs & Phantoms
The Tatooed Potato & Other Clues
The Westing Game

Picture Books:
Nothing Ever Happens on My Block
Silly Songs and Sad
Spectacles
Ghost in a Four-Room Apartment
And It Rained. Atheneum, 1969.
A & The, or, William T. C. Baumgarten Comes to Town. Atheneum, 1970.
The World's Greatest Freak Show. Atheneum, 1971.
Franklin Stein. Atheneum, 1972.
Moe Q. McClutch, He Smoked Too Much. Parents, 1973.
Who, Said Sue, Said Whoo? Atheneum, 1973.
Moose, Goose & Little Nobody. Atheneum, 1976.
Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three. Atheneum, 1976.

Illustrated by Ellen Raskin
Happy Christmas: Tales for Boys and Girls. Edited by Claire H. Bishop
A Child's Christmas in Wales. By Dylan Thomas
Mama, I Wish I Was Snow, Child You'd Be Very Cold. By Ruth Krauss
Poems of Edgar Allen Poe. Selected by Dwight MacDonald
We Dickinsons. By Aileen Fisher and Olive Rabe
The Jewish Sabbath. By Molly Cone
Paths of Poetry: Twenty-Five Poets and Their Poems. Edited by Louis Untermeyer
Songs of Innocence. (Two volumes) By William Blake. Music and illustrations by Ellen Raskin
D. H. Lawrence: Poems selected for Young People. Edited by William Cole
Ellen Grae. By Vera and Bill Cleaver
Poems of Robert Herrick. Edited by Winfield T. Scott
Probability. By Arthur G. Razzell and K. G. Watts
This Is Four: The Idea of a Number. By Arthur G. Razzell and K. G. Watts
Books: A Book to Begin on. By Susan Bartlett
Inatuk's Friend. By Suzanne Stark Morrow
Lady Ellen Grae. By Vera and Bill Cleaver
A Paper Zoo: A Collection of Animal Poems by Modern American Poets. Edited by Renee K
Piping Down the Valleys Wild: Poetry for the Young of All Ages. Edited by Nancy Larrick
Symmetry. By Arthur G. Razzell and K. G. Watts
We Alcotts. By Aileen Fisher and Olive Rabe
Circles and Curves. By Arthur G. Razzell and K. G. Watts
Come Along! By Rebecca Caudill
Shrieks at Midnight: Macabre Poems, Eerie and Humorous. Edited by Sara and John E. Brewton
Three and the Shape of Three. By Arthur G. Razzell and K. G. Watts
Elidor. By Alan Garner
Goblin Market. By Christine Rosetti

Terra Nullius: A Journey Through No One's Land by: Sven Lindqvist

Terra Nullius: A Journey Through No One's Land
Sven Lindqvist
Translated by Sarah Death
The New Press
ISBN 9781595580511

In the last few years Sven Lindqvist has become one of my favorite nonfiction authors. He probes some of the worst situations in human history, yet always ends up with giving us some hope for our future. In earlier books, such as Exterminate All The Brutes he chronicles the history of European genocides in Africa, and in The Skull Measurers Mistake he chronicles a history of men and women who spoke out against racism. In this volume, Terra Nullius: A Journey Through No One's Land, he chronicles the history of racism and systematic abuse against the Aboriginals from Australia, from the arrival of James Cook in 1770 to 1992 when the Mabo Decision in the Australian Supreme Court outlaws the concept of 'terra nullius'.

Like many of his earlier books it is written as part history and part journal. He chronicles events from the past, key places in this history story, and side by side with that is his journey to and fro across the Australian countryside to personally experience the places discussed in the history. He writes in a very fluid, lucid style. At times it appears to be stream of conscious writing, yet as the reader goes further and further into the book, you realize that it was nothing so random. Every history event portrayed has a specific purpose; each personal recollection brings to light either the preceding or following events; each portrait of either a victim or someone who attempted to help the victims has specific meaning and purpose to the whole.

What amazed me most about this book was that it was a story with which I was completely unfamiliar. I remember in school in the late 70's and early 80's that we often had lessons on apartheid and the situation in South Africa, and even Africa as a whole. Later in high school and into university I often encountered history around the Latin American situation and especially liberation theology, and again in film with such powerful movies as The Mission, Cry Freedom, Amistad and others. Yet never have I encountered these stories and events. Such as:

1911 In the Northern Territory, The Aboriginals Ordinance gives a protector appointed by the 'whites' authority to take any Aborigine of 'half-blood' into custody at any time. The ordinance remained in force until 1957.
1937 The Native Administration Act gives Chief Protector legal instruments with which to 'breed out' the Aborigines, the 'final solution' to the race problem in Western Australia.
1953 The Welfare Ordinance (NT) substitutes the racially neutral word 'ward' for 'Aborigine'. More than 99 percent of the Aboriginal population is declared 'wards' of the state.
1962 Aboriginal people acquire the right to vote in state and commonwealth elections, even though they are still wards of the state.
1964 Aboriginal people are no longer wards of the state, but in name only.
1967 Aboriginal people are included in the national census.
1983 Sixteen Year old John Pat dies in police custody; 5 officers are charged but acquitted.
1991 The Year of Indigenous People.

Lindqvist's book portrays brutal acts by individuals and by a people as a whole. It is not uplifting or enjoyable in the message it portrays. Yet it should be considered essential reading, for man's inhumanity to other humans must be remembered, and we need to remember those few who spoke out against it. Lindqvist's book is easy to read and flows well, but the subject matter and events depicted will be seared into your memory.

(First Published in Imprint 2009-06-26.)

Beyond The Grave - 39 Clues Book 4 - Jude Watson

Beyond The Grave
The 39 Clues - Book 4
Jude Watson
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545060448

If Book 3, The Sword Thief was a little disappointing, book 4, Beyond the Grave more than made up for it. This story takes place in Egypt, in and around various cities and especially some of the tombs and temples of ancient Egyptians. In this book Dan and Amy find themselves at odds with each other. They also realize that they are becoming more and more like the other Cahills; they are lying, cheating, stealing and they also realize that they do not like it. They also encounter a friend of their late Grandmother, Hillary Vale and her grandson Theo. At first they seem like friends and eager to help the children, but looks can be deceiving, especially if the Cahills are around.

This book has a better pace than book 3; it is well-written and the characters seem more true to themselves. The story is starting to progress at a breakneck speed. Yet with 7 authors over 10 books it will be hard to predict where the series is going or how we will get there. Like earlier books, this one had a lot of historically accurate information, and gives a history lesson in a fun adventure book. The series is great for people of all ages. From young children having it read to them to retirees, it seems there is something in the 39 Clues for everyone.Jude Watson did a good job of reining in the story; she also carried the characters forward in a well-developed manner. My biggest complaint about the series is that the books keep getting shorter. At this rate the last few will be novelettes not novels. My second complaint is that the final book is not due out until the fall of 2010. This seems like a terribly long time, but with 10 books in 3 years it is still a great feat. This book left the reader eagerly anticipating book 5 due out in August of this year - The Black Circle by Patrick Carman.

Sites With More Info:
http://various.wikibruce.com/39Clues
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_39_Clues
http://39cluesworld.com/
http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27257


The 39 Clues:
The Maze of Bones - Book 1 - Rick Riordan
One False Note - Book 2 - Gordon Korman
The Sword Thief - Book 3 - Peter Lerangis
Beyond the Grave - Book 4 - Jude Watson
The Black Circle - Book 5 - Patrick Carman
In Too Deep - Book 6 - Jude Watson 
The Viper's Nest - Book 7 - Peter Lerangis
The Emperor's Code - Book 8 - Gordon Korman
Storm Warning - Book 9 - Linda Sue Park
 Into the Gauntlet - Book 10 - Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Black Book of Buried Secrets - Rick Riordan
Vespers Rising - Book 11 - Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson

Midnight Ride - Clifford Riley

…

Card Pack #1 - Books 1-3
Card Pack #2 - Books 4-6
Card Pack #3 - Books 7-9
Rare Card Pack

...

The 39 Clues Cahills vs. Vespers
The Medusa Plot - Book 1 - Gordon Korman
A King's Ransom - Book 2 - Jude Watson
The Dead of Night - Book 3 - Peter Lerangis
Shatterproof - Book 4 - Roland Smith
Trust No One - Book 5 - Linda Sue Park
Day of Doom - Book 6 - David Baldacci

…

 

The 39 Clues Unstoppable Series:

Nowhere to Run - Jude Watson      

Breakaway – Jeff Hirsch

Countdown – Nattalie Standiford

Flashpoint - Gordon Korman

…     

  

The 39 Clues Doublecross Series:

Mission Titanic - Jude Watson  

Mission Hindenburg - Jenny Goebel

Mission Hurricane - Alexander London

Mission Atomic – Sarwat Chadda

…

The 39 Clues Rapid Fire:
Legacy - Book 1 - Clifford Riley
Ignition - Book 2 - Clifford Riley
Hunted - Book 3 - Clifford Riley
Crushed - Book 4 - Clifford Riley
Turbulence - Book 5 - Clifford Riley
Invasion - Book 6 - Clifford Riley
Fireworks - Book 7 - Clifford Riley

…

 

The 39 Clues The Cahill Files:

Operation Trinity - Clifford Riley 

The Submarine Job - Clifford Riley

The Redcoat Chase - Clifford Riley

The Houdini Escape - Clifford Riley

Silent Night - Clifford Riley

Spymasters - Clifford Riley

…

 

The 39 Clues Super Special Books:

Outbreak – C. Alexander London

…

(First published in Imprint 2009-06-26.)

Confessions of a Bibliophile #5 - How I Became a Bibliophile, From Dyslexic to Addict

Confessions of a Bibliophile #5
How I Became a Bibliophile,
From Dyslexic to Addict

I have been asked by some of my readers to explain how I went from being a dyslexic to a reading addict. I was originally tested for learning disabilities in grade one in 1976. That initial testing was inconclusive. So I repeated grade one, then in grade two my teacher insisted on and pushed for me to be retested. In January of 1978 during my second testing I was diagnosed with a dual form of dyslexia. Dyslexia is a genre of diseases and it is like saying you have the flu. With my dual form I could spell words out loud correctly and put them on paper incorrectly, then spell them out loud a second time looking letter for letter at the paper and not recognize the error. So I left my normal class each week for a few hours for assistance, and was passed each year into the next grade. Towards the end of grade seven my parents sent me for private testing. I was reading at only a grade three level.

My parents enrolled me in a private summer school program eight hours a day 5 days a week, for the whole summer break. It was an intensive program with low student-to-teacher ratios. Each day we did three reading tests. We read out loud for a set amount of time, then we lost words from our word count for any wrong words when we read the passage, and for any wrong comprehension questions on the passages. Prior to this I had not read any books from cover to cover. I made it through school by being a good listener in class, renting the movies, or asking other people in the class. During this course I went from reading at a grade three level to reading at a university level, and from reading about 30 words per minute to reading over 600 words per minute. Now to put that into perspective, here are North American Reading Averages:

Grade 3-4 Student 60-80wpm
Senior-elementary student 120-180wpm
High-school student 200wpm
Average Adult 200wpm
University student 325wpm
Graduate student 400wpm
Average Speed Reader 500-1500wpm.

The average adult rate is the same for everyone, even for university graduates. Once people are not reading as much or as intensely as they used to, their reading rate atrophies. Yet all of this only took care of my ability to read. Because I had spent so many years behind others I was still behind in my writing, and still had the problem with letters reversing while writing. Using a computer helped it to some extent but when I am really tired it even shows up when using a keyboard. However, at the end of the course, I started reading, realized there was a whole world in books I had been missing, and immediately I was hooked.

At first I read mostly science fiction and fantasy - the likes of Robert A. Heinlien, Piers Anthony, Steven Brust, Roger Zelazny, Edgar Rice Burrows and more. Then by about grade ten I was reading classics, Greek dramas, Thomas Hardy, complete works of Shakespeare and just about anything I could lay my hands on. I became an addict in the true sense of the word. I would find an author I liked and read everything he or she wrote.

I went on to be retested for my learning disability, to establish baselines for academic accommodations, in 1982 and again in 1989.

To be honest, if you had told me five years ago I would be a published author, and now a columnist, I would have laughed at you. With the learning disability I never even dreamed of being a writer. Now I have published over 200 book reviews in 7 different publications, written news and features articles, written two three-part serial features - the first on WSIB and the second on Bone Marrow - and all by chance. A few years back I was working at Chapters and I started getting books before they came out, from contacts at publishing houses. I would write reviews that they could pull quotes from for sales and marketing. After about four months of this I thought, "Why not try to submit these to Imprint?" Most newspapers have book reviews, and I had not seen any in the paper in a long time, usually just CD or movie reviews. So I wrote the then Editor-in-Chief and that first summer had two book reviews in almost every issue.

I love to read. It is probably my favorite pastime, or tied with playing on computers (but that is a different column for fall term). I always carry a knapsack with at least two books, a journal and pencil case. In the early years of my marriage I was defined as 'the reader'. The question at gatherings was always: 'Who's that in the corner reading?' and the answer was: 'Oh, that's Andrea's husband.' I almost feel naked without a book and a journal in which to make notes. Even in the last few years, with having children, my reading has only gone up each year. I read everything - fitness, self-help, theology, fiction, science fiction. I truly am a book addict. That is the story of how I became one, and I never knew what I would find between the pages.

(First published in Imprint 2009-06-26.)

Other Articles Examining Who I Am:
Mad Celtic Warrior, Poet and Priest! - An Essay - 2003
The Journey of a Quester! - An Essay / Spiritual Biography 2004
New Year's 2006
Who Am I? Who Am I? -2008
Confessions of a Bibliophile #5 - How I Became a Bibliophile, From Dyslexic to Addict - 2009
New Year's Goals 2010
Steven R. McEvoy Interview - 2012
2014 My Goals
Who I Am - 2014

Feast of Saint Joseph 2018
I have greatly sinned 

Steven R. McEvoy Q & A IT Employee Spotlight

How I Read So Much?

Advice on Dyslexia An Article

...

Hide-and-Peek by: Little Scholastic

Hide-and-Peek
Little Scholastic
ISBN 9780545135863

This is a fantastic book for young children. It is geared from baby to 3 and it captivates young children. There are often tugs-of-war for who will get this book. Every page has different shapes as cutout to the page beneath. There are also numerous textures, materials, and raised surfaces for tactile learning. A rough sparkly star becomes a round shiny sun, raindrops on a cloud become a bumpy ball. With great photos of baby expression, mirrors and such it is a great book for little eyes and hands. It's oversized nature for board books make it easy to handle for even very young children. It's a wonderful book for young children and those who look after them and spend time with them. It is also part of the Little Scholastic series that has oversized books called Rhyme-a-Round and Playtime, and regular sized board books for the alphabet, colors and shapes. Guaranteed to entertain the young kids in your life.

Day of the Iguana - Hank Zipzer Book 3 by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Day of the Iguana
Hank Zipzer Book 3
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Penguin Canada
ISBN 0448432129

As the back of the book says: "Hank Zipzer: He's smart. He's creative. He's funny. His pencils are sharpened. His binders are bound. He wants to do well in school - he really does. He tries not to be lazy, like his parents claim he is. So why is he always getting into trouble?" Maybe just because he is Hank Zipzer. Hank is blessed with good friends, a good family, and even exceptional intelligence. The problem is he has learning disabilities, and even though he tries hard, things do not always go as he plans. With the big science fair coming up, who can imagine the problems Hank will run into.

Hank comes up with a fantastic idea for his science project. He plans on trying to make the TV Guide on cable easier for kids with learning disabilities to read. He plans to take apart the family cable box and experiment with it. But while he has the box apart his sisters Iguana lays eggs in it. Zipzer must rethink his plan and deal with a nesting Iguana under his bed. Oh what an adventure.

Books by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Hank Zipzer Books:
1. Niagara Falls, or Does It?
2. I Got a "D" in Salami
3. Day of the Iguana
4. Zippety Zinger
5. The Night I Flunked My Field Trip
6. Holy Enchilada!
7. Help! Somebody Get me out of Fourth Grade!
8. Summer School? What Genius thought That Up?
9. My Secret Life as a Ping-Pong Wizard
10. My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Tail
11. The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Went Down
12. Barfing in the Backseat: How I Survived My Family Road Trip
13. Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not Me!
14. Life of Me
15. A Tail of Two Tails
16. Dump Trucks and Dogsleds: I'm On My Way, Mom!
17. A Brand-New Me!

Ghost Buddy Books:
1. Zero to Hero
2. Mind If I Read Your Mind?
3. How to Scare the Pants off Your Pets

The Tenth City - The Land of Elyon Book 3 by: Patrick Carman

The Tenth City
The Land of Elyon Book 3
Patrick Carman
Scholastic
ISBN 9780439700955

This is book three in the Land of Elyon trilogy and the tenth book by Carman that I have read. It is the 5th set in Elyon. Elyon is the Semetic for God or Most High, and the Tenth City is a city shrouded in mist that none can reach, for it is the home of Elyon and his angels. The power of Carman's creativity is exemplified by the fact that this is the middle book of the 5 set in this land. It is the last I read, and yet nothing was lost by reading it after the others. I am sure something would have been gained by reading them in order but they did not come into my hands in sequence. Carman is a master story teller and this book is an excellent example of that.

Book 3 is the end of the original trilogy of Eloyn by Patrick Carman. In it the Grindall still has Yipes captured and is demanding the return of the last of the magical jocasta stones by Alexa Daley. As usual she is traveling and battling the forces of darkness with a strange mix of companions. The Warlord, Odessa the wolf, Squire the Hawk, Murphy the squirrel, and Armon the Giant are just a few of the characters that return in this adventure. The story focuses around a battle for the hearts and minds of the people. Elyon loves his creatures and wants the best for them; Abaddon is a monster bent on destruction and fire, whose sole driving purpose is to destroy Elyon and the creatures he loves.

The books draw heavily upon religious and Christian imagery. It is told in a masterful way. Yet it all comes down to Alexa. Can she once again save the day? You will have to read the book to find out. But there is a hint in that Carman went on to add two more books set in this world featuring Alexa. To some extent she is central to both. It is a great book in a good series - it will be fun, light summer reading.

(First Published in Imprint 2009-06-12.)

Other of Patrick Carman Books:

The Dark Hills Divide - The Land of Elyon Book 1
Beyond the Valley of Thorns - The Land of Elyon Book 2
The Tenth City - The Land of Elyon Book 3
Into The Mist - The Land of Elyon Prequel
Stargazer - The Land of Elyon Book 4

The House of Power - Atherton Book 1
Rivers of Fire - Atherton, Book 2
The Dark Planet - Atherron Book 3

Saving Mr Nibbles - Elliot's Park Book 1
Haunted Hike - Elliot's Park Book 2
The Walnut Cup - Elliot's Park Book 3
A Windy Tale - Elliot's Park Book 4

Skeleton Creek - Skeleton Creek Book 1 - A Prereview.
Ghost in the Machine - Skeleton Creek Book 2
Crossbones - Skeleton Creek Book 3
The Raven - Skeleton Creek Book 4

The Black Circle - 39 Clues Book 5

Trackers #1

Thirteen Days to Midnight