What do you recommend for Family Literacy Day? As part of Family Literacy Day recognition on January 27, we asked people in our community about their favourite authors and books.
The following are their picks: Henry E. Demone Author: Malcolm Gladwell because he has a very unique way of looking at people and the world and helps me understand many phenomena after reading his books. Book: "Outliers" because it lays out how extraordinary people achieve their goals. It's a lot more about passion, hard work and a bit of luck than many people understand. Stephen Jamieson Author: One of my favourite authors is Roald Dahl. What I most enjoy about Dahl's stories is that they are well written, humorous and very entertaining. A recurring theme is a child breaks free from an oppressive adult character and embarks on a life-altering adventure. You can always depend on Roald Dahl to punish the bad and reward the good! Book: "James and the Giant Peach" is my favourite Roald Dahl story. It is the tale of a lonely, nine-year-old orphan who has an amazing adventure on an oversized peach as it floats across the Atlantic Ocean towards New York City. Along the way James finds inner strength and lifelong friendship. Rachael Mcintosh Author: I love reading and I have a few favourite books. advertisement Book: "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak is one of my favourite books to date. I found this book in a bin at Frenchys, but it has won several awards, and turned out to be quite popular. "The Book Thief" is a novel set during the Second World War in Germany. It is about a Jewish man's struggle and the German family who brings him into their home to help protect him. I read this book many years ago, but still recommend it to anyone who asks for a good book to read. Another favourite book of mine is "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. I read this book as a recommendation from one of my friends who had to read it in school and absolutely loved it. It is the story of a young girl (Susie) who is raped and murdered on her way home from school one afternoon. The book is told from Susie's point of view, as she is on her way to heaven. Susie watches from the "in between" as her family falls apart in her father's quest to find out who killed his daughter. There was recently a movie released based on this book, but it did not do the book justice, as movies rarely do. James Hirtle Authors: J.R.R. Tolkien, R.A. Salvatore, Terry Brooks and Stephen R. Donaldson. Book: My favourite books include "Lord of the Rings," some of the "Star Wars" novels, the "Shannara" series and the "White Gold Wielder" series. I'm a big fan of science fiction and fantasy. "Watership Down" also ranks way up there along with "A Dog Named Wolf." "Grey Owl" is also very good and well written as is the story of Tom Tompson. As a child, "The Wind in the Willows" series, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys were my favourites. John MacIntyre Author: Thomas Hardy. I've always admired his sensibility and sense of tragedy. He captures rural Britain, class and men and women in a way that evoked strong feeling for me. Book: "Tess of the d'Urbervilles." I read it when I was young and it has stayed with me ever since. It is human drama and tragedy of the highest order. Laura Barkhouse Author: Oh, so many to choose from. I'll say James Herriot because his writing crosses all boundaries and can be enjoyed by everyone young or old and even male or female. The common thread for all is the love of animals. Book: Once again, oh so many to choose from. I'll say "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant because it speaks so beautifully to the strength and endurance of women and the care and keeping of our female relationships. Alex Legge Varsity basketball player and medical student at Dalhousie University who won the 2010 James Bayer Memorial Scholarship, the highest honour in Atlanic University Sport Books: "I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey" by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish While choosing my favourite books to recommend, I realized that I have a strong preference for autobiographies and real-life stories. This is one of my favourite memoirs I've read recently. Dr. Abuelaish is a Palestinian doctor and humanitarian who was born and raised in the Gaza Strip. He experienced horrific tragedy when three of his daughters were killed by Israeli shells that hit his home in 2009. This is his personal account of life in the Gaza Strip, practicing medicine on the other side of the border in Israeli hospitals. Although Dr. Abuelaish's story is heartbreaking, he remains courageous and optimistic, relentlessly working towards peace in the Middle East, one patient at a time. Dr. Abuelaish provides a truly unique perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his story is both powerful and inspiring. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s, "The Help" is a story of affluent white women and their African-American maids told from three different character perspectives. Kathryn Stockett's first novel is extremely well-written and engaging. I literally couldn't put it down and ended up reading the whole thing in two days! This is an excellent choice for young readers, too. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I first read this book in high school and have reread it several times since. The novel tells the multi-generational story of the Buendia family set in the fictional town of Macondo. The author uses the Latin-American narrative style of magic realism to perfection, seamlessly blending the ordinary with the extraordinary. I think this is a must-read for both adults and younger readers. "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. Another of my favourite memoirs, Jeannette Walls tells the story of her difficult childhood, growing up in poverty with her rather eccentric parents. Her story is frank and sensitive, yet also told with a fantastic sense of humour. This is a beautifully written book and you will be inspired by the ability of the Walls children to overcome adversity and succeed against all odds. Mark MacLeod Book: I would recommend "Math for Smarty Pants" by Marilyn Burns. A great book for young readers who either enjoy mathematics or for parents that may want to stimulate their child's interest in this great subject. A book that can be enjoyed not only by the child but can even get mom and dad involved in the discussions. It may even lead to your child getting better grades in mathematics! Carroll Publicover Book: "Bright Flows the River" is my favourite book. Written by Taylor Caldwell, the book is a true-to-life human interest story with great characterization and plot. The book deals with the intracacies of human relationships and the struggles that people deal with in resolving conflicts and problems. It's a great read. Mary Wagner Book: My favourite books are by Jodi Picoult. I have read six of her books and have absolutely loved all but one. I have two more waiting to be read. She deals with rough and tough subjects and she writes about them in an honest and engaging way. Teresa Workman Author: Robert B. Parker. I enjoy Parker's storylines in the Spenser series. His writing style is short and punchy and keeps me turning the pages. The character he's created in Spenser as well as the supporting characters feel like old friends. Book: Two that I enjoy reading again and again are "A Christmas Cup of Tea" by Tom Hegg and "The Blue Castle" by L.M. Montgomery. Paul B. Scovil Author: Nelson Demille Book: "Plum Island" In my job I have to read a lot of heavy stuff. My daily reading runs from Supreme Court of Canada decisions to this past weekend when I spent a whole day with "Vehicle-Pedestrian Accident Reconstructions" by Lynn Fricke. I wouldn't recommend these to my worst enemy ... unless I wanted to put them to sleep. "Plum Island" and the series by Demille with Detective John Cory are light reading with great crime stories. Even though I work in the courts I still like crime novels. The lead character in these books is a wisecracking New York cop. I like wisecracks. "Plum Island" has Det. Cory, buried treasure, murder and a nasty villain. What can be more redemptive to the soul than that! All of Demillle's books are of a similar calibre (no pun intended). If you want to read for fun, and that's a large part of what literacy for the family is all about, pick up a Demille novel and tell your support staff your office door is closed as you're working on a brief for court. Troy Myers Author: In the library business it is difficult to have a favourite author. There is so much talent to choose from! Put on the spot, I will go with Russell Smith for his great grasp of the English language, his ability to turn a phrase, and the fact he grew up in Halifax and can make me laugh out loud. Book: Again tough to choose. ... I will go with Ernest Buckler's "The Mountain and the Valley." This book affected me profoundly when I was young. Since then, I have re-read it a few times and his writing draws a very emotional response from me every time. It's a great book by one of Nova Scotia's many great writers! Charles Williamson I enjoy reading the newspaper on a daily basis (and the Bridgewater Bulletin every Monday night). I would encourage students to take the opportunity to be informed as to what is transpiring in our region as well as around the world as we are all global citizens. In order to make informed decisions one needs knowledge. Keeping current in some regard provides the basis upon which one formulates an educated opinion. I also read for enjoyment. I like biographies, particularly related to sports. I also enjoy the odd fictional novel. Dan Brown is my favourite. I like the way he blends architecture, art and history within his stories. Karen Selig Book: I would recommend a family read-aloud book that is very popular in our library. The title is "Chester" by Melanie Watt, and students love this self-serving cat that tries to take over the author's book. This book is now a series and the other titles are "Chester's Back" and "Chester's Masterpiece." Lots of fun reading! Susan Rosborough Local authors and books: Sylvia Gunnery lives, writes and does book research locally. She writes chapter books for young people with sports and friendship-based themes, and also writes picture books and teacher resource books. Some of her titles are "Out of Bounds" and "Personal Best." Heather MacKenzie-Carey lives and writes locally and uses a local publisher. Her new children's book "Melvin's Balloons" is an imaginative and beautifully illustrated story for children of all ages. Nancy Wilcox Richards lives, writes and teaches locally. She writes picture books for children including the Farmer Joe series (publisher: Scholastic Inc.). She also, writes chapter books with an anti-bullying message such as "How To Handle a Bully" and "Claire's Race," a book about a local student who overcame adversity to run a race. Cindy Lamson Gold River-Western Shore Elementary and Chester District Elementary schools Grades 2 and 3: Julia Donaldson's books - "The Gruffalo," "The Gruffalo's Child" and "Stickman." Sheree Fitch's classic, "Sleeping Dragons All Around" is a favourite of kids in Primary to Grade 3. Kids in Grades 3 to 5 understand and appreciate "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. My favourite author for slightly older readers (and adults) is Kate DiCamillo. She has written several outstanding award-winning books including "The Tale of Despereaux," "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" and "Because of Winn-Dixie," among others. John Collyer Author: I would have to say Bernard Cornwell or C.C. Humphreys. Both authors write novels in the historical fiction genre. Cornwell is best known for the Sharpe series which was turned into a series of TV movies. His latest is entitled "The Fort" and is a departure from the Sharpe series. It is about the battle at what is now known as Castine, Maine. My reading materials reflect my interests. I have always had an interest in military history. I have a BA (history) degree and spent time in the military. I also have been involved with military re-enactment as a hobby for over a decade. I am currently a member of the Liverpool-based Kings Orange Rangers re-enactment group. Arthur Young Author: Louis L'Amour I like everything he has written so far. He writes western novels. I do other things, but he is by far my favourite author. I have no favourite novel that he has written because I like everything. I read a lot of western stuff and he is top of the line. Laura Best Author: Donna Morrissey. Morrissey's writing style is fresh, and her characters captivating. She writes about ordinary people and situations that the reader can easily relate to. Her stories are memorable and leave a lasting impression long after the book has been read. Book: "Kit's Law" by Donna Morrissey. From the first page of "Kit's Law" I was hooked, and I immediately found myself anxious to take this journey with young Kit through to the end. Each page, each new chapter, was a delight to read. I didn't want it to end. Phyllis Price There are far too many great books out there for me to be able to choose one favourite. (And thank goodness for our wonderful library system that allows me to read so many of them without going broke!) Author: One author I especially enjoy is the international award-winning Canadian writer Louise Penny. Her series of mystery novels are largely set in the fictional and very appealing village of Three Pines, in Quebec's Eastern Townships. Penny's writing is poetically elegant, her characters complex but personable, and her plots both intricate and moving. As a result her books appeal to lovers of both literary fiction and suspense novels. In the most recent book, "Bury Your Dead," Inspector Gamache is struggling to come to terms with grief and guilt over a police action he led and the mistakes he made. Detective Beauvoir, on the other hand, is discovering depths to his humanity previously unacknowledged. And the magic and history of the setting, Quebec City, is so powerful that one wants to visit it immediately, no matter what the weather! Many people have said this is her best book ever but if you haven't tried out this author before, start at the beginning of the series ("Still Life"). You'll be in for a treat! David Walker I really do not have a favourite author or book nowadays, unless you call "council material" a book. I tend to read books related to my council duties (politics, policing, etc.). If not, it will be most likely something from the world of sports. I do remember being a kid growing up in Sydney and curling up under the blankets (I was supposed to be asleep) to read Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew mysteries and Franklin Dixon's Hardy Boys mysteries. It really got me hooked on reading. Lori McCracken Author: No specific favourite as there are so many great ones out there. Book: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." A great story that appeals to all of those who love reading great books. Brent Crowhurst Book: Over the last few years my recreational reading has centered on real-life issues that affect our society. For this reason I would have to say my favourite book was "Justice Denied" by Michael Harris. In my role in the justice system, this book serves as a reminder of just how far wrong things can go when those charged with the responsibility of administering justice don't live up to their promise to safeguard individuals' rights. This particular event has totally shaped our criminal justice system in Nova Scotia for the better. Mary MacKenzie Book: I am delighted to recommend the Dear Canada series by various authors and printed by Scholastic Publishers. Each book is an historical account of a major event as told in diary form through the eyes of a child (roughly 12 to 14 years old). Bayview Community School library has 14 titles. Some subjects are more popular (the Halifax Explosion, Acadian Expulsion, Loyalist struggles) than others but all are rarely left on the shelves. These books are enjoyed by students in Grades 4 to 7. Some read by themselves and others I know are being read to by a parent. I recommend them because it's a way to learn our history but with adventure and drama. These are gripping tales seemingly by children; our kids are enjoying learning history "painlessly" and the first-person account gives them a feel for what it must have been like to live through the events. See http://www.southshorenow.ca for more Family Literacy Day favourites. posted on 01/25/11 |
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