Earth Day Reads

Outdoor Sculpture Museum, Hakone, Japan 

 UNLESS someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” —The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss

Earth Day usually falls on April 22. While these recommendations aren't necessarily traditional "tree hugger" reads, they explore the land as a central character-- acknowledging what happens when we forget that the Earth is a vital protagonist in our own mo'olelo. 

In Hawaiian thinking, if kānaka, humanity, leaves the earth alone, it will heal itself. The action the earth asks for  is to pay attention and try not to "F" it up. Otherwise, we have only ourselves to blame. Some of these books explore worlds where we have already reached that breaking point. 

Recommended Titles:

• Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier -- While this is a fantasy, this is also about limited resources, man’s arrogance over all living things, and the ways of knowing that come from living on an island. 

• ‘Āina Hānau: Birthland by Nālani McDougal-- In this collection, the kānaka ʻōiwi poet weaves her ‘āina through her pieces like a comfort blanket.

• Braiding Sweetgrass for YA by Robin Wall Kimmerer (adapted by Monique Gray Smith) -- an Indigenous biologist by trade, Kimmerer shares a perspective of nature that reveals ancient intelligence and gifts for the modern world. 

• Meltdown: Earthquake, Tsunami, Nuclear Meltdown in Fukushima by Deirdre Langeland --A multi-genre non-fiction account of the “perfect storm” that hit Fukushima. 

• Journey to Tomioka  by Laurent Galandon (upcoming) is a graphic novel, fantasy about a brother and sister who live with their grandmother because of the Fukushima disaster. When they lose their grandmother, they need to bring her back into the closed off zone that was their neighborhood. It is not out yet, but this will be linked when the book publishes.

• Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto -- Queer heist adventure with familiar local values and pidgin. This "mahudystopianfuturism" takes place in space because we surely lost the planet. 

 

It's Monday! What are you reading 1-04-10

Christmas break is officially over and I'm back in the classroom. Whaaahhh!! Ok, no more pity. Back to the routine with this great meme.

Books read (within the last 2 weeks):

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Shiver by Maggie Steifvater

Brsinger by Christopher Paolini

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Nightschool: The Weirn Books, book 1 by Svetlana Chmakova

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Books reading:

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn

Next up:

books I brought home and what sounds interesting from the blogosphere.

Holiday Break Reading Challenge Activity #6

 Today's challenge from:  Holiday Break Reading Challenge Activity #6

What's in a Name?

Here is what you need to do:

1 - Find a book title that fits in all of the following categories. If you read primarily young adult literature, then focus on young adult titles. If not, focus on adult. It doesn't matter.

2 - Be sure to list the author next to each title, just in case some of us want to read more about them.

3 - To be eligible for the prize you need to leave a comment on THE ORIGINAL POST with all of your book titles and authors.

4 - Leave your email address in your comment.

Here are the categories you need to find (you can't use the ones in the examples):

1. A book with a "profession" in its title. Examples might include: The Book Thief, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Historian

2. A book with a "time of day" in its title. Examples might include: Twilight,Four Past Midnight, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

3. A book with a "relative" in its title. Examples might include: Eight Cousins, My Father's Dragon, The Daughter of Time

4. A book with a "body part" in its title. Examples might include: The Bluest Eye, Bag of Bones, The Heart of Darkness

5. A book with a "building" in its title. Examples might include: Uncle Tom's Cabin, Little House on the Prairie, The Looming Tower

6. A book with a "medical condition" in its title. Examples might include:Insomnia, Coma, The Plague

7. A book with a "color" in its title. Examples might include: The Amber Spyglass, The Red Pony, Blue Blood

8. A book with an "animal" in its title. Examples might include: The Hound of the Baskervilles, To Kill a Mockingbird, Julie of the Wolves

9. A book with a "first name" in its title. Examples might include: Jane Eyre, the Harry Potter books, Anne of Green Gables

10. A book with a "place" in its title. Examples might include: From Russia with Love, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Out of Africa

11. A book with a "weather event" in its title. Examples might include: The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Red Storm Rising, Tornado Alley

12. A book with a "plant" in its title. Examples might include: Where the Red Fern Grows, The Name of the Rose, Flowers for Algernon

Have Fun!

My list:

Book 1:Profession  The Alchemist, by Paul Coelho
Book 2: Time of Day Pride and Predjudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Jane Austen and Steve Hockensmith
Book 3: Relative The Sisters Grimm (series) by Michael Buckley
Book 4: Body part Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury
Book 5: Building The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Book 6: Medical condition Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Book 7: Color The 39 Clues Book 5: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman
Book 8: Animal No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
Book 9: First name Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Book 10: Place Mililani Mauka by Chris McKinney
Book 11: Weather event Hurricane: A Novel by Terry Trueman
Book 12: Plant The Seven Orchids by Ian MacMillan





 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 12-7-09

As always, thanks to J. Kaye for this meme.

Read this past week:

Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai by Stan Sakai 

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

Tears of a Giraffe byAlexander McCall Smith

Reading:

We Were Here by Matt de la Pena

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity & Hope by William Kamkwamba

To Read:

Not sure yet, I have to check the other Monday blog posts for inspiration. :-)