Friday, November 20, 2009



Summer has come and gone and in the meantime SKATEWAY TO FREEDOM was chosen as one of the Reading Link Challenge Books.  What is the Reading Link Challenge?  Here is what the website says about it: 
Librarians from Fraser Valley Regional Library work with school librarians to excite grade 4 & 5 students about the Reading Link Challenge. Interested students form teams of six or seven players. Each team is responsible for knowing the contents of six books. In February and March winning teams from schools come to the branch library to determine an inter-school winner. The winning team goes to the Grand District Final. At this event, parents will be invited, refreshments will be served and prizes will be awarded.
Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it?  Kind of like book clubs for kids.  
Shira and I have been invited to speak at a number of libraries in January of 2010.  Perhaps SKATEWAY TO FREEDOM was chosen because the Olympic Games are part of one of the chapters.  Maybe it's because the Berlin Wall features in it as well.  Maybe it's just a great read for kids who are into skating.
Other books that will be read are: Klutzhood By Chris McMahen, Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park, Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo, Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka and Year of the Rat by Grace Lin.  So why not make up your own book club and read these books.  Then you can discuss the ones you like best and why.  Or ask your library to become part of the Reading Link Challenge.

Shira, meanwhile, has pulled her knee cap and is hobbling around on three legs.  She is slowly improving, and let's hope she is better before we get some serious snow.  Shira loves to go cross-country skiing.  At the moment we have a bit of wet white stuff on the ground, but nothing to get excited about.  What has gotten her excited is a black bear that's been roaming around the house and right up to the front door and the bedroom window.  I thought we were going to have a bear free year since there were so many berries in the mountain, but just this last week the bruin came off the mountains to say, "Hey, I'm still here and don't you forget it." Luckily the fruit is off the trees, but the bird house has been damaged.  That's part of living in the country, I guess.  
Shira and I wish you a happy end of fall and start to winter.  Happy skating, reading, skiing and whatever else you are all up to.  Stay in touch, those of you that do regularly.  I love getting your emails that let me know what you are up to in your part of the world.