Full Title:
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot (Published 2010)

Age Group:
Marketed to children but a fascinating read for all audiences

Genre:
Non-Fiction, Endangered Animals, Historical

Summary:
Author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop take readers on an exquisite visual journey through the remote forests of Codfish Island, just off the coast of New Zealand in search of the rare and endangered kakapo parrot.

Adorable, quirky and flightless, the kakapo capture the hearts of all who work to save them. Kakapo are true survivors, pushed to the limits by human poaching and foreign invaders. On Codfish island live the last 91 kakapo parrots on the earth. Yet these birds are given a second chance at life when their plight becomes a national priority.

Join Montgomery and Bishop on their ten-day excursion to the island as they witness the challenges and breakthroughs of the kakapo recovery program. Be awed as you witness the beauty of this little known bird, laugh-out-loud at it’s natural curiousity, and be inspired to learn about the issues that affect our world.

My Thoughts:
Stunning photography and clever prose make this book an easy choice. After seeing it recommended in many professional journals, I knew I had to give it a try. And I ended up starting and finishing it all in one night!

Borrow Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot from your local Vaughan library today!

Do you have a favourite animal that is at risk of becoming endangered? Please comment to share.

Age Group:
Adult

Genre:
Realistic Fiction, Canadian, Native, Historical, Social Commentary

Summary:
April Raintree is the powerful story of April and Cheryl, two Métis sisters growing up in the 50s and 60s, who embark on a journey of self discovery after being abandoned to Children’s Aid by their alcoholic parents. April, the eldest, tries to protect the bright and optimistic Cheryl.

Cheryl is proud of her Métis heritage and incensed by what the “White Man” has done to her people. April, on the other hand, is determined to pass as a white woman in society. She is both horrified and embarrassed of the Indian “gutter creatures” who lurk on Winnipeg’s streets. When Cheryl’s pride is tested after a heartbreaking discovery, the rift between the two sisters becomes insurmountable. Will Cheryl be able to rise above the truth and will April finally realize the pain she has caused both herself and her sister?

My Thoughts:
April Raintree is a gripping novel shedding new light on the adversity faced by the Métis in Canada. I found both April and Cheryl to be completely believable characters, whose struggles with identity and relationships are ones we have all experienced.

Despite its sometimes serious tone, this novel is decidely one of hope and perserverance. It is a story of the human will to survive, to make sense of this cruel world and to dare to dream of a better future.

Borrow April Raintree from your local Vaughan library today! Have you read this book before? Thoughts, questions, opinions, please share!

Age Group:
Adult

Genre:
Canadian, Realistic Fiction, Coming-of-age, Social Commentary

Summary:
The opening scene of Chanda’s Secrets sets the tone for a novel that delicately and sometimes not so delicately tackles the issue of AIDS in Africa. Chanda, the 16-year-old protagonist, is at the local undertakers, making funeral arrangements for her one and a half year old sister Sara. She’s still in shock, but as the eldest child, it’s up to Chanda to take care of the sad task.

Chanda has been challenged by many ups and downs in life, including the death of her father and eldest brothers, and rape from her mother’s boyfriend. Despite this, Chanda is determined to rebuild a life with her mother and younger siblings Iris and Soly. Yet at every turn Chanda’s spirit and determination is tested. Will she be able to overcome the oppression, the poverty and the disease that threatens to consume her family?

My Thoughts:
A decidedly hopeful, optimistic novel of perseverance, determination and loyalty. Chanda is a realistic character, whose hopes and dreams we can all identify with.

The shame and ostracism surrounding HIV/AIDS in Africa was a shocking reminder of what happens when people’s most basic needs for health care and education are neglected. In Chanda and her neighbours we see a willfulness to survive, and a stubborn denial of an unspoken disease that so many are afflicted with.

Chanda is a hero in this novel and I look forward to continuing her story in Chanda’s Wars.

Borrow Chanda’s Secrets from your local VPL library today! If you’ve read this book before, don’t forget to let me know me know your thoughts!