Happy Canada Day!

In honour of Canada Day, I am going to do mini-reviews of the last few books I read for the 2nd Canadian Challenge, Eh? It finishes today, so it would be a good plan to finish things up.

The Golden Phoenix and Other Fairy Tales from Quebec Edited by Marius Barbeau & Michael Hornyansky

Vasilly asks: What were some of your favorite tales in the book, The Golden Phoenix? Should I read it?

I read this book quite a while ago because Nicola reviewed it. I love fairy tales, so what better to read than a collection released by Canadians. It was a really worthwhile read, I must say. The stories were ones that I had heard before, in many cases, but they had been retold probably through the generations orally. These two men took the oral stories and wrote them down for everyone to enjoy. To see the transformation made the book that much more enjoyable. The book follows a lot of the common trends in fairy tales: There is the repetition, the use of the number three, the successful youngest brother winning over his two older ones, etc. It should be read and enjoyed by more. Unfortunately, I didn't write down which stories I enjoyed and I already returned it to the library. I will say that I think I enjoyed all eight of the stories, though, and I do recommend it.

Scott Pilgrim: Precious Little Life - Volume 1 by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs," and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? The short answer is yes. The long answer is Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life.

This book was just a fun read. Scott Pilgrim is one of those characters that everyone would love. It's funny because in many ways, it is a book about nothing. It is just Scott's life told in comic book form. He is in his twenties, lives with a guy, has no stuff of his own, plays video games, and belongs to a band. Then, there are the girls, of course. You think it is just going to be a typical down on his luck guy, but then O'Malley surprises you. I am looking forward to more in this series. Frankly, I think it is so stupid in premise that it makes it great!

Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Raleigh doesn't have a soul. A cat stole it - or at least that's what she tells people - or at least that's what she would tell people if she told people anything. But that would mean talking to people, and the mere thought of social interaction is terrifying. How did such a shy teenage girl end up in a car with three of her hooligan classmates on a cross-country road trip? Being forced to interact with kids her own age is a new and alarming proposition for Raleigh, but maybe it's just what she needs - or maybe it can help her find what she needs - or maybe it can help her to realize that what she needs has been with her all along.

This was a good graphic novel. The artwork was well-done, the characters were interesting, and the story kept you wanting to learn more. It's rather interesting, though. O'Malley deals with a serious subject, but he manages to do it with a bit of humour thrown in. I enjoyed that. What teenager doesn't feel like they have lost themselves at some point and time. A very good book, I must say. I look forward to more by him.

The Guests of War Trilogy - Book 3 - The Lights Go On Again by Kit Pearson

For five years Gavin and his sister Norah have lived in Canada as "war guests." But now, as 1945 approaches, the war is finally ending, and Gavin and Norah will soon be going back to England.

Norah, who's fifteen, is eager to see her parents again, but ten-year-old Gavin barely remembers them. He doesn't want to leave his Canadian family, his two best friends and his dog.

Then something happens that forces Gavin to make the most difficult decision of his life.

The Lights Go On Again is the last book in the acclaimed series that began with The Sky Is Falling and Looking At The Moon.

All I can think of to say at the beginning of this review is FINALLY! I read the first two books in this trilogy several years ago, reread them a couple years ago, and then is the first time I have finally read book three. The first two books are told from the perspective of Gavin's sister, Norah, but in this book he takes centrestage. When he came to Canada because of the war, he was really too little to know what was going on. Now that the war is drawing to an end, though, he finds that the time to go home is near and he doesn't remember anything but his life in Canada. This book is a struggle between what is home for Gavin and the changes that the end of the war are bringing with them. A strong end to the trilogy. I am glad that I finally read it!

The Sky is Falling and Looking at the Moon - Kit Pearson

The Sky is Falling is a book that I bought for a reading assignment back in junior high. It is part of a trilogy with Looking at the Moon and another novel that I thought I had, but I don't. Kit Pearson was one of my early introductions to historical fiction. Taking place in Canada, it goes along with my interest in reading novels set during the World Wars. As the back of the book states:

It is the summer of 1940, and all of England fears an invasion by Hitler's army. Norah lies in bed listening to the anxious voices of her parents downstairs. She knows other parents are sending their children to safety overseas, but she is sure her own would never send her away.

Then Norah is told that she and her brother, Gavin, are being sent to Canada. The voyage across the ocean is exciting, but at the end of it Norah becomes more and more miserable. The rich woman in Toronto who takes them in prefers Gavin to her, the children at school taunt her, and as the news from England becomes worse, she is filled with numbign homesickness.

But as Christmas approaches and Norah begins to make friends, she discovers a surprising responsibility that helps her to accept her country.

Told through the eyes of a young girl, it is quite a different perspective on the experiences to World War II. Norah thought that the war was a big adventure, and actually felt like a coward when her parents made the decision to send her and her brother to Canada so that they will be safe. She wanted to stay in England, with them, and be a hero. But, as the war leads to bombing near her home, and the news fills with reports of death and destruction, Norah begins to understand what war is really about. She has a lot of adjusting to do, it is hard to take care of your little brother in a strange new house away from your parents. It is a lot of responsibility for such a little girl. It made her grow up much faster than need be, as the war did in many cases. She finds her place there, though, as this novel concludes and the next one starts.

3/5

Looking at the Moon takes place about two years after the first one. Norah and her brother are more settled in Canada. So much so that more often than not Gavin does not really remember his life back in England. He just understands his life in Canada as home. The back of the book for this one states:

Norah, an English "war guest" living with the wealthy Ogilvie family in Toronto can hardly wait for August. She'll spend it at the Ogilvies' lavish cottage in Muskoka - a whole month of freedom, swimming, adventures with her "cousins"...

But this isn't an ordinary summer. It's 1943, and the war is still going on. Sometimes, Norah can't even remember what her parents look like - she hasn't seen them in three years. And she has turned thirteen, which means life seems to be getting more complicated.

Then a distant Ogilvie cousin, Andrew, arrives. He is nineteen, handsome, intelligent, and Norah thinks she may be falling in love for the first time. But Andrew has his own problems: he doesn't want to fight in the war, and yet he knows it's what his family and friends expect of him.

This one is good, historically accurate for the time, but the war is not told in the same colours as it is in the first one. It is more like background noise because it has been so long since Norah and Gavin were in the midst of it. Pearson decides that instead of concentrating on their reaction to the war, she will insert a young man who is battling himself over whether or not he wishes to fight. His family thinks he should, because Norah's guardians son died in World War I and there is a lot of pressure for Andrew to follow in the same footsteps. Norah and Andrew are separated by age, but Norah's wisdom comes out as she guides Andrew down the road to what he wants to do for his country. The war is also winding down at this point, the Americans have entered, so it is just a matter of time before Norah and Gavin go home. I am keeping my eyes open for book 3.

3/5