Hey Canada! by Vivien Bowers (book review)

Hey Canada!
Author: Vivien Bowers
Illustrations:  Milan Pavlovic
Publisher:  Tundra Books, a division of Random House
Pages:  72
Format:  Hardcover
Ages:  Children 7-10 years
Genre:  Children's books/non-fiction/history
ISBN 978-1-77049-255-4
Release date:  May 8, 2012
Source:  A copy was provided by the publisher.  This in no way influenced my opinion nor this review.


From GoodReads:

"Gran has decided that she is taking nine-year-old Alice and eight-year-old Cal on a road trip across Canada “before she’s old and creaky.” With a sparkling combination of poems, silly songs, tweets and blogs, the trio records the trip for readers everywhere to share. Starting in St. John’s Newfoundland, where they have a “find-it” list that includes a moose and an iceberg and going all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the gang in Hey Canada! offers a delightful way to learn about vast, varied, and surprising Canada. 

The book combines narrative, poems, photos, comics about historical events such as the battle at Fortress Louisburg, maps (including provincial flags, birds, and flowers), in a lively, easily accessible format. Not only great fun to read, this is a valuable resource for young Canadians and for visitors across the country."


My Review:  


Beginning in St. John's, Newfoundland, Gran and her two grandchildren, Cal and Alice, embark on a marvellous journey and adventure.  Their goal:  to travel across the country of Canada, Coast to Coast!  The trip is sure to be a fun time for Cal and Alice, you, the readers, and, yes of course, for Gran too!  

Site-seeing accompanied with facts about history and historical sites, even native wildlife, makes the country-wide trip fun and informative.   Hey Canada doesn't come across as a text book, rather like a travel-log filled with kid friendly adventure.

Filled with photography, graphic illustrations, "find it", and factoids, Hey Canada has a lot going on.  For example, here's a factoid Cal shared:  "Why is PEI sand red?  Because it's full of iron.  When iron gets wet and rusts, it turns orangey-red." (p. 17)

Children can play the "find it" game as they read along.  For example, for the province of Saskatchewan the items to find are:  wheat field, bison, grain elevator and RCMP.  Hey Canada is an interactive novelty that parents and children will enjoy spending hours reading together.  

I would highly recommend that each school library has a couple copies, that Hey Canada becomes part of the curriculum in elementary schools, and that parents adopt this book for use during family vacations too!  Hey Canada makes learning fun!

Meet the Author:

Vivien Bowers was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1951, the second of four children. She received a B.A. in English (honours) from the University of British Columbia followed by a teaching certificate, and was a grade 5 teacher for several years in Nelson, BC. Vivien has been a freelance writer for more than twenty-five years, writing elementary and secondary school materials, as well as non-fiction books and magazine articles for both adults and children. She has been invited to do presentations on her children's books in hundreds of schools and libraries across the country. Bowers has two sons, now grown up, and lives at the base of the mountains outside of Nelson, BC. She loves to escape into the wilderness to ski, hike or canoe.

My Favourite Books of 2011

I have read over 100 new books this year and a few stand out amongst the rest as memorable.  As I recall, from the top of my head, I think of The Help by Kathryn Stockett (thought provoking and humorous), The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (dreamy fantasy world of the circus), Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (creative suspense), Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (true genius), Little Princes by Conor Grennan (touched my soul), Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure by BK Bostick (can't wait for the next in the series), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (true friendship under occupation), Still Alice by Lisa Genova (loyalty, support, knowledge and humor), Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer (remarkable, 1st in a series), A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison (eye-opening and suspenseful), Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (a languid visit to romantic Tuscany), Hot Water by Erin Brockovich and CJ Lyons (suspense!), Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket by George A. Moyer (an honest informative book for all car owners), Reflections of a Successful Wallflower by Andrea Michaels (funny and entertaining), Hunting for Hemingway by Diane Gilbert Madsen (who knew Hemingway was so intriguing?), Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (a warm read recommended for every mother/daughter), Engage Commit Grow by Larry Smith (should be required reading for every business student, manager, and owner), Sudden Moves by Kelli Sue Landon (a best-seller in the making!), The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (fantasy meets mythology).  But if I have to categorize them, by genres, it narrows the field somewhat.  

Fiction: Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, The Help by Kathryn Stockett,

Fantasy/Fiction:  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Legal Thrillers:  A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison, Hot Water by Erin Brockovich and CJ Lyons

Historical Fiction/Classics: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Non-fiction: Engage, Commit, Grow by Larry Smith; Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket by George A. Moyer, and Reflections of a Successful Wallflower by Andrea Michaels

Biography: Little Princes by Conor Grennan, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Travel/Memoirs:  Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Teen/YA: Sudden Moves by Kelli Sue Landon

Children's: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, The Wizard Who Saved the World by Jeffrey Bennett

Mystery:  The Cat Who Turned On and Off by Lillian Jackson Braun, Hunting for Hemingway by Diane Gilbert Madsen, Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie

I am looking forward to a new year of remarkable new reads, debuting authors, book previews, advance reader's copies.  To curl up with a good book, a throw over your lap, and a favourite drink in hand and perhaps a little chocolate is pure delight.  Imagine a fire crackling in the hearth and, perhaps, some Michael Buble playing softly in the background.  Is there anything better when you are enjoying some time to yourself?

Here's to a new year of remarkable reads!  

Review: The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

The Map of True Places
Author:  Brunonia Barry
Copyright:  2010
Publisher:  Harper Collins Publishers
Pages:  412
Includes:  Prologue and Book Club Reading Guide for The Map of True Places
Paperback
ISBN 978-0-06-162481-0
Genre:  Fiction

Source:  A copy was provided by FSB Associates in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Available in bookstores.

(from the back cover) "A respected Boston psychologist, Zee Finch has come a long way from a motherless childhood spent stealing boats.  But the actions of a patient throw Zee into emotional chaos and take her back to places she thought she'd left behind.

What starts as a brief visit home to Salem begins a larger journey.  Suddenly having to care for her ailing father after his longtime companion moves out, Zee must come to terms with a strained and awkward relationship that has always been marked by half-truths and haunted by the untimely death of her mother.  Overwhelmed by her new role, Zee must destroy the existing map of her life and chart a new course--one that will guide her not only into her future but into her past as well."

This is Brunonia Barry's second novel, her first being The Lace Reader.  In The Map of True Places, Brunonia Barry's writing encompasses a broad spectrum of individuals and themes including same gender relationships, suicide, abuse and reincarnation.  She does so in such a manner that softens the hard edges, bringing each individual out of the print and into reality. We get to know the characters and feel their anguish, their joy, their trials, and their doubts as if they were amongst us.  A gifted writer uses such a talent to bring the story beyond the pages, involving the reader, and Brunonia Barry is masterful at employing this skill.

At over 400 pages, this is a lengthy piece of fiction that will have book clubs in great discussion over many aspects of this novel.  A Map of True Places engages the reader throughout and when you are finished, you will yearn to talk about it with someone, to share a story that stretches your imagination, broadens your perspective, and makes you ponder situations beyond your own life.  It is magic.

Rated 4/5  (content advisory:  mature themes)

Book Review: Alzheimer's Killing Me Unknowingly by Jana Pryor

Alzheimer's Killing Me Unknowingly 
Author:  Jana Pryor
Publisher:  JDP Books
Copyright:  2011
ISBN: 978-0-615-42630-3
Genre:  Biography/Autobiography/Personal Memoirs
Pages:  90
Source:  A complimentary copy was provided by the author and Bostick Communications in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Copies are available for purchase at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Amazon.uk, Outskirts Press Bookstore online.

From the back cover:  Alzheimer's is a disease that slowly consumes an individual's brain and causes a major impact on the mind. The medical definition of mind is "that which thinks, reasons, perceives, wills and feels." In neuroscience, there is no duality between the mind and the body; they are one. The mind appears in no way separate then the brain. If this is true, people who suffer from Alzheimer's may as well be considered "the walking dead"- they just don't realize it.

It is the desire of the author to shine light on how Alzheimer's ruthlessly affects behavior by taking readers through the different stages of her grandmother's battle with the disease. Alzheimer's disease is an abnormal way for an individual to age. It is fatal, and it consists of much more than just memory loss to the elderly. Jane's story will give readers insight into what really happens in the world of an Alzheimer's patient.

My Review:  Alzheimer's Killing Me Unknowingly is a brief memoir of the trials of the author's grandmother, (Valerie) Jane Pride's (nee Sweeney) struggle with Alzheimer's.  Her granddaughter, Jana, became Jane's primary caregiver during the beginning stages of the disease, giving up her career out of love for her grandmother.  Determined to care for her grandmother as long as physically and mentally possible, Jana moved Jane to her home to live with her family.

Unfortunately, the author, Jana Pryor, writes this memoir from a third person point of view, which doesn't do the story justice.  Had she written it in the first person, and strung the events together more fluidly, sharing thoughts and emotions with the reader, this would have been a moving tribute to a wonderful woman whose last days were stolen from her due to this debilitating disease.  The writer struggled with tense, as in past, present and future; sometimes including more than one tense in a sentence.  The aid of an editor would have polished Alzheimer's Killing Me Unknowingly, presenting it to the reader as a powerful tribute and form of support and knowledge for those who are undertaking the care of an individual with Alzheimer's.

I am surprised at the lack of information the author had available to her as she assisted her grandmother through early onset and beyond. For Jane, Alzheimer's disease approached in the late 1990's and continued into the 2000's; a time when information would have been readily available online, through the Alzheimer's Association, and at doctor's offices for the asking.  As someone who watched my own grandmother decline over more than 10 years with Alzheimer's, I know how devastating this disease is.  It steals away precious memories, personality, physical and mental capabilities; leaving the person a shell of the wonderful person they once were.  I'm afraid I knew more about the disease as an onlooker of my own grandmother's illness, than the author knew while being a caregiver.  Jana Pryor provides an eye opener, though, to the everyday trials and smiles of living with someone dying with Alzheimer's. To her credit, Jana Pryor does include some statistics and information at the beginning of each chapter, though some of it is repetitive.

I have the utmost admiration for Jana Pryor.  Obviously the relationship between her and her grandmother was a strong one, based on love and respect.  To keep her grandmother in her home and to care for her through the varying stages of Alzheimer's is admirable; though she seeks not praise nor admiration as her purpose in writing this book.  As baby boomers age, more and more are being diagnosed with this disease and more relatives and spouses are struggling to provide care for them.  Doing so is a great strain and takes immense monetary, physical, emotional and mental resources.  Alzheimer's Killing Me Unknowingly testifies of that.

Caregivers should read this book, overlooking its deficits, as a means of support.  To read of others' experiences can buoy one up while helping the reader know what to expect.  This book can offer that.

Rated: 4/5 for value, 2.5/5 for mechanics

Author Information:  The author, Jana Pryor, has a Masters degree in Human Resource Management and currently resides in North Texas. She was Jane’s sole caretaker for over five years, which is much longer than most people can endure prior to admitting an Alzheimer’s patient into a facility. Jana knows first-hand how debilitating Alzheimer’s can be. She believes society should be not just aware of the disease, but also increasingly concerned, especially with baby boomers living longer. It is her desire to become a “voice” for the elderly by showing readers the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s.   http://outskirtspress.com/alzheimers

Is Your Mechanic Ripping You Off? George A. Moyer Has a New Invaluable Manual for the Car Owner: "Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket!"

Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket!
Author:  George A. Moyer
Copyright:  2011
Publisher:  CreateSpace (Self-published)
Edition:  Paperback
Pages: 71, includes Table of Contents, diagrams, glossary of mechanic terms, Top Ten Lists
ISBN 978-1456319557
Source:  A copy was provided by the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

http://www.mechanicsscam.com/

Available for purchase at: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and the author's website http://www.mechanicsscam.com.  Also available as a Kindle edition from Amazon.com.


From the back cover: Written by a retired mechanic and shop owner who is tired of seeing people ripped off by less than honest mechanics.   "I was constantly having to defend my shop because of all the crooks out there!"  To fight back, he has spent the last two years compiling a list of the most common symptoms and what they mean.  He has transferred them into terms we can all understand and put them in a book small enough to keep in the glove box.  You will also find helpful hints, a glossary of the most frequently used terms, what they mean and much more.


This is the book most mechanics don't want you to have!  "It will pay for itself over and over again," says George.


This is a must for anyone who drives any vehicle anywhere in the world.

Review:  Tired of being ripped off at the mechanics?  Not sure what repairs are essential and what can wait?  A mechanic of more than 40  years has written the ultimate guide to assist you, the car owner, as you drive and maintain your vehicle.  Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket includes topics from daily, weekly, monthly must-do's; to essential repairs and non-essential, and knowing the difference; to determining the problem and what you, yourself can do to avoid the expensive repairs later on.  Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket is the ultimate guide, complete with diagrams of the car both under the hood and under the body.  Never before has such an invaluable tool been made available.


Don't Let Your Mechanic Pick Your Pocket is a most essential manual for every car owner!!  Keep it in your glove box and give a copy to everyone you know!  It is that valuable!!

Rated 5/5 for everyone!

Book Tour: Lessons From the Concrete Garden by Kurtis Smith

Lessons From

 the

Concrete Garden

Author:  Kurtis Smith
Copyright:  2011
Self-published:  Outskirts Press, Inc.
67 pages

Includes:  Acknowledgments, Letter to the Reader, Diagrams, About the PSSE Training Program and the K-Method Group, Program Information

ISBN # 978-1-4327-6426-5

Source:  Supplied by the author for review without compensation to me

(from the back cover)  "Over a decade has been spent in research, development and field testing in order to identify and document the specific skill sets, characteristics and knowledge of a highly skilled and professional salesperson. Lessons From the Concrete Garden is a by-product of this work and is packed with insight and ideas that will explain why many salespeople struggle and most fail. It shines a spotlight on the struggling automotive industry and its selling practices and asks the question: how is it possible to spend billions of dollars on R&D, manufacturing and marketing to produce some of the most technologically advanced and complex products, then miss the mark when it comes to educating the individuals responsible for selling them? It drives the point home that salespeople are the first and last to touch the actual buyers of these products and they are probably the most important spoke in the business development wheel and are deserving of a quality and proper education.

This exciting book provides real answers and proposes real solutions for businesses and selling professionals that are struggling to find a plan of action that actually works. It discusses what to do, when to do it, how to do it and why it needs to be done. Lessons From the Concrete Garden is a Gem! This is a must read for anyone involved in selling, training or business development."

"The Concrete Garden is a metaphor for the automobile dealership sales lots.  This is where all the cars are neatly arranged and salespeople are standing at the doors or looking out the windows as if to watch them grow, while waiting for the next customer to show up."

My Review:  Kurtis Smith once worked as a car salesman,  He quickly surpassed the other salspeope in sales but then found no further assistance to keep his momentum.  No training.  His sales manager was of no assistance.  Kurtis  recognized the need for a program, some training that would provide a template for a standardized education for all inidviduals involved in sales and sales management.   He wrote "it is virtually impossible for the average person in the workforce to learn and retain new information, especially if they are expected to apply it immediately.  ...without the ability to repeat the training over and over again, the learner is forced to try to remember the content, the nuances, and even the finer points of the subject matter in order to apply them, which is quite difficult."  Kurtis then outlines the things necessary to make the learning curve easier to accomplish. 

Within the book, Lessons From the Concrete Garden, Kurtis uses the comparison of puppy training to that of teaching new and desirable behaviours within the workplace.  Quotes from fantastic leaders reinforce Kurtis Smith's theory that salesmanship isn't something you're born with, it is something that can be learned.  He has put together a program that will educate, set guidelines and includes a monitoring system to achieve success.  This book touches upon those components. Take a moment to check out his website, http://www.kmethod.com/. 

Kurtis Smith writes with clarity and assurance.  If I were a proprietor of a business, I would seriously want to use his methodology.  He is, by the way, available for public speaking engagments too.  I would have liked to have some in-depth teaching within this book but that would detract from his program.  Perhaps in the future he will develop a manual with The K-Method fully outlined for entrepreneurs that can be purchased separate from the program.  At the very least, one is aware of steps that can be taken to strengthen their sales personnel by reading and implementing some of the ideas touched upon here.  As he recommends, put the salesperson together first, and then his or her sales will come together too. 

This book is not limited to sales personnel.  There are some valuable ideas here to help the average person to reach beyond their current limitations to succeed.


Rated:  4/5 (reference)

Blog Tour Links: http://www.kmethod.com/products.php

 http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/9781432764265.html

For more information, visit the author's webpage www.outskirtspress.com/lessonsfromtheconcretegarden

Website Address: http://www.kmethod.com/
Blog Address: www.kmethod.com/blog

(Dewey Decimal challenge)