#Kathy Kacer

[nupaintings]

#John Kacere #Kathy

[memoriallibrarytmc]

What's Here Wednesday: Hidden History: Native Boarding Schools

The truth about what occurred in Indian Boarding Schools is an especially devastating example of history that isn't always told in schools. Intended to supposedly integrate Native American children into "society", the result of these schools was to instead annihilate their culture and sense of identity. There are fortunately many resources out there to explore this topic.

Many informative books have also been published about these residential schools, in a variety of formats, from nonfiction YA books to picture books. A few are pictured, and even more are available in the TMC:

Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell

I am not a Number by Kathy Kacer

"Fall in line, Holden!" by Daniel W. Vandever

Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin

Children of the Indian Boarding Schools by Holly Littlefield

Indian School: Teaching the White Man's Way by Michael Cooper

#tmc #teaching materials center #what's here wednesday #suny cortland #memorial library #children's books #teaching social studies #teaching history #hidden history #native americans

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I've read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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88. Under the Iron Bridge by Kathy Kacer--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

UNDER THE IRON BRIDGE was an understandably difficult read, especially since it explores one of the worst crimes against humanities in living history.

I can't even imagine what it would have been like to live in a society where people were clearly being indoctrinated and brainwashed and feeling powerless to not become a part of that problem. The way the MC's classmates talked about their "leader" and how the lessons in their "youth program" were so inspiring and eye opening was so deeply disturbing. This book isn't for the faint of heart, especially because even though the MC is incredibly against the regime and is actively trying to escape it, the dialogue and indoctrination that he witnesses is sickening.

This is a very important read, I believe. The discomfort I felt while reading this is a good reason enough (for me) to recommend it because history can be uncomfortable and sometimes that's the best way to avoid repeating it.

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89. The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan--⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE MAZE OF BONES was a fun read! I can see why it was so popular when it first came out, especially since it was a semi-interactive mystery book.

This was also darker than I was anticipating and I kind of loved that.

I will definitely be checking out the rest because I need to get some answers 👀

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90. Parting Shot by Linwood Barclay--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I made the mistake of jumping into this book without seeing if it was the first in a series or nah. Turns out it's book four, aha, and although it pretty much spoiled the events of the previous books, I'm looking forward to being properly introduced to the main characters!

With all of that being said, though, I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit! Like always, I loved the twists that Barclay wrote and the mystery behind the whole thing. Especially those last few chapters.

It took me a bit to get into PARTING SHOT, but I would still recommend it. There's just such an addicting quality to these books--the mystery of it all, the suspense, the twists. So fun and perfect for summer!

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91. The False Prince by Jennifer E. Nielsen--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, I can't get over the fact that this is a middle grade book???? This is such a mature and dark read that I wouldn't have been surprised to see it in the YA section. I'll definitely be recommending this one to the older middle grade and younger young adult readers!

I don't know what I was expecting when I first started THE FALSE PRINCE. It had been sitting on my shelves for years and I finally picked it up, thankfully. This was such a fun read! I love the trope of prepping someone to be a fake anything of power. It was fun and the sassiness gave it an extra edge I wasn't expecting.

I highly recommend this one, especially if you like quick fantasy novels that feature an MC you can't help but root for, and a twist that isn't entirely unpredictable, but is still a hell of a lot of fun to get to!

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92. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White--⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I listened to this as an audiobook and I won't lie, I had to restart it because my mind was wandering everywhere during my first listen. While this book was enjoyable and features incredibly important topics, something about it just didn't pull me in as much as I was hoping it would.

First off, extreme trigger warning for anyone who has religious trauma. The cultish dialogue and beliefs of these religious characters was so jarring and uncomfortable. Their erasure of the MC's identity because it didn't align with their God's beliefs made me so uncomfortable, and although I know this was the point of using this controversial topic, it made me contemplate DNFing. But then I remembered that discomfort in this context is good because it's further forcing me to feel some modicum of discomfort that real-life people actually feel in their very real lives experiencing very similar forms of oppression and erasure.

I did find it fascinating how the literal monster that the first male MC is turning into could be a metaphor for how the world might view his real identity and not just the person they hide behind the mask. But his old life would rather keep him as the monster than as who he truly is. That aspect of the novel was genius and a perfect juxtaposition to the MC's desire to just be who they are (even if it means eventually accepting who he is becoming.)

The second MC was a character with Autism and while I am not well-versed in the topic, I absolutely adore reading characters with Autism. White has their second main character stimming and finding ways to cope when he's over-stimulated, and I loved seeing those honest and vulnerable moments.

The plot had its fun moments and even though the story was full of heavy imagery and messages, I think they all worked well together to make this a gritty story. I'd recommend it (especially because I know some people absolutely loved this), but be wary of the trigger warnings.

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93. The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, the level of cuteness and representation in this book was, phew.

I was first a little wary of this one because it sounded almost too cute to be true. And then I started it (after promptly forgetting what the synopsis was about) and YESSSS, I'm so glad I finally picked it up!!!! I loved it so, so much!

First, I loved that we had a dual perspective because I enjoy being able to see both sides of a story, rather than seeing the MC freak out about a potential miscommunication. Both characters were so rounded and offered so much to the story that I simply can't imagine this book without either of their POVs.

Secondly, I loved the representation of mental health! It was candid and didn't shy away from the very real anxiety that exists when faced with social pressures, or the reality of when someone is emotionally overwhelmed and struggles with their depression for days at a time. It was heart-rending and so honest that I couldn't help but want to hug these characters.

Finally, I loved the chemistry between the two characters. I love reading books where the characters are obviously falling in love, but are completely unaware of it until it slaps them in the face. It's fun because you can then yell at whichever MC has completely missed the fact that they're in love. It's strangely therapeutic.

I loved this book so much. From the fun setting, to the memorable friends and side characters, this book was just full of fun from the beginning to the end! (Even with some slightly less intense spicy scenes!)

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

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Happy reading!

#review #reviews #book blog #book blogger #Features #on books #on reading #my writing #my opinion #books #bookish #booklr #bookworm #bookaholic #bibliophile #book list #long text post #reading update #read #reader #reading

[niyacommonplace]

"Eat!" Sister Mary's stern voice cut into my thoughts. I forced some bitter, gritty mush down my throat. The smell nearly made me gag. But I remembered the warnings of the other girls. If you don't eat your meal at breakfast, they will serve it to you for lunch. And if you throw it up, you will have to eat the vomit.

(Kacer, pg. 12).

Kathy Kacer discusses the traumatic experiences of residential schools in her children’s book I Am Not a Number. This book does an amazing job at teaching younger people about the horrors of these institutions without going too far into depth regarding the darker details, except for the passage that I chose for this week’s entry. It stood out to me from everything else because of how graphic it is, and I find it particularly strong due to how raw it is as well, not shying away from the horrific truths. Although other children’s books about residential schools touch on the traumatic experiences that children were unfairly subjected to, I found that not many authors include such graphic details like Kacer did in this particular passage.

In recent children’s literature, there has been the desire to protect childhood innocence and stray away from troubling topics such as this, but I think that is unfair (for lack of a better word) towards the residential school survivors, whose innocence and childhoods were far from protected. Teaching children about topics like this is an important step towards reconciliation and books like Kacer’s will serve as great introductions for younger audiences. I also thought that the accompanying illustration for this passage that I attached above was quite a fitting and brilliant way to show children just how trauma works – how a simple image of the meal she was forced to eat (even if she threw it up) can bring back such troubling memories.

(Passage logged February 2nd. Reflection written on Feb. 23rd. Edited and posted on March 15th).

#passage #picture book #indigenous

[quo-usque-tandem]

The Sound of Freedom by Kathy Kacer

#currently reading #books #reading #The Sound of Freedom #Kathy Kacer

[theredandwhitequeen]

Book 24 of the 50 book challenge. The Brushmakers Daughter by Kathy Kacer. A historical fiction novel about a young teenager and her blind father in Berlin who are Jewish and protected in a factory and work on making brushes for the war effort to keep a small amount of people who are all either blind or deaf. It’s a true story and it’s really good. Most of the people who worked there survived the war.

#book 24 #50 book challenge #2021 #the brushmakers daughter #Kathy Kacer #historical fiction #wwii #Holocaust #book #germany #me

[clarislam]

Book Review: "Broken Strings" by Eric Walters & Kathy Kacer

What to do when a production of #FiddlerOnTheRoof leads to uncovering #familymemories? Find out in "Broken Strings" by Eric Walters & Kathy Kacer! #bookreview #BrokenStrings #EricWalters #KathyKacer

Warning: This book review contains spoilers for “Broken Strings” by Eric Walters & Kathy Kacer. If you were hoping to avoid spoilers, you may need to read another review instead.

Cover of “Broken Strings” by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer.

Yesterday (in Canada, as well as many other countries in the world) was Holocaust Remembrance Day,and so I thought it was fitting to review “Broken Strings” by…

View On WordPress

#book review #books #Broken Strings #Eric Walters #family #fiction #holocaust #holocaust remembrance #Kathy Kacer #music #reading

[jewishbookworld]

Bro­ken Strings by Eric Wal­ters and Kathy Kacer It's 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers -- and the death of her beloved grandmother -- Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward.

#Eric Wal­ters #Jewish Book Council #Kathy Kacer #Penguin Random House

[bookishblair-blog]

To Look a Nazi in the Eye: A Teen’s Account of a War Criminal Trial (A NetGalley review)

4.5/5

Would recommend: YES!

Synopsis:

The true story of nineteen-year-old Jordana Lebowitz's time at the trial of Oskar Groening, known as the bookkeeper of Auschwitz, a man charged with being complicit in the death of more than 300,000 Jews. A granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Jordana attended the trial. She realized that by witnessing history she gained the knowledge and legitimacy to be able to stand in the footsteps of the survivors

My review below!

 My thoughts:

While the trial of Oskar Groening is about the Holocaust, the lessons taught in this book are timeless. The survivor’s stories are enough to persuade anyone to never repeat the past. Jordana, as an ambitious young woman, made it her life to spread the lessons of this trial alone. Not knowing a lot about the trials of Nazis in the past, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. This book is beyond important and the stories that Jordana was able to retell are stories that will stay with any true reader.

“If you’re not moved by this experience, you won’t be influenced by it.”

And trust me, this book will move you. I felt Hady’s strength through the pages. I felt Bill’s pain. But I could’ve connected more to the characters if Jordana had written the words herself. I feel like she could’ve really brought the trials and the survivors to life. Her blog posts throughout the book gave a good insight into Johana’s writing, but her actual writing would’ve been much better in the long run.

#To Look a Nazi in the Eye #Book review #bookish #bibliophile #Kathy Kacer #Jordana Lebowitz #books #reviews #reblog #netgalley #ARC #advanced readers copy #reading #reader #bookworm #bookblr #my review

[bookish-thinking]

Review: “To Look a Nazi in the Eye” by Kathy Kacer

This semi non-fiction inspired by real life explores a teenager's visit to the trial of a Nazi war criminal and all the sides of that issue. It lacks a little in form, as it tends to be repetitive and also has logic holes, but it more than makes up for that in heart. It is emotional, heart-felt and morally very complicated. I liked that the actual testimony of the Nazi in question was given in the book, because that shifts the moral question from the characters to the reader. Through reading the accounts of victims and perpetrator, as well as of the observer of the trial, the struggle about the punishment becomes clear: can you really put a 94-year-old to prison for crimes committed 50 years ago? How much punishment is enough? Was he guilty to begin with?

It is complicated and will make you think, as well as possibly cry. Despite its sometimes iffy style, this is a book to be recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley

#kathy kacer #to look a nazi in the eye #non-fiction #book review

[creationfromnothingness]

John Kacere: Kathy, 1972

#John Kacere #Kathy #Oil on Canvas #Painting #Art #Photorealism #Contemporary Art

[canadianbooks]

I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis & Kathy Kacer

... from Second Story Press ...

When Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school, she is confused, frightened and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from despite being told to do otherwise. When she goes home for summer holidays, her parents decide never to send her away again, but where will she hide and what will happen when her parents disobey the law?

Illustrated by Gillian Newland.

Published in 2016.

#jenny kay dupuis #kathy kacer #gillian newland #first nations #books #canadian

[dailyhistoryposts]

Here is a curated list of dozens of books by Indigenous writers about residential schools curated by Winnipeg-based Cree author David A. Robertson (@DaveAlexRoberts on Twitter).

Here is the bare list, but be sure to check the link to read summaries, commentaries, and more links! General warning for the trauma and racism of residential schools, but these books cover most age groups, including children's books.

1. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese 2. The Orange Shirt Story & Phyllis's Orange Shirt, both written by Phyllis Webstad, illustrated by Brock Nicol 3. Shi-shi-etko by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave 4. Shin-chi's Canoe by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave 5. My Name is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling 6. Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga 7. Dear Canada, These Are My Words: The Residential School Diary of Violet Pesheens by Ruby Slipperjack 8. In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier 9. The Train by Jodie Callaghan, illustrated Georgia Lesley 10. Fatty Legs by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes 11. I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis & Kathy Kacer, illustrated by Gillian Newland 12. When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Julie Flett 13. A Stranger At Home by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes 14. Porcupines and China Dolls by Robert Arthur Alexie 15. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline 16. When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard 17. Stolen Words by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard 18. The Journey Forward by Richard Van Camp & Monique Gray Smith 19. Sugar Falls by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson 20. Not My Girl by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard 21. As Long as the Rivers Flow by Larry Loyie, with Constance Brissenden, illustrated by Heather Holmlund 22. Five Little Indians by Michelle Good 23. One Story, One Song by Richard Wagamese 24. The Red Files by Lisa Bird-Wilson 25. The Education of Augie Merasty by Joseph Auguste Merasty, with David Carpenter 26. Speaking Our Truth by Monique Gray Smith 27. They Called Me Number One by Bev Sellars 28. I Lost My Talk by Rita Joe & I'm Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas, both illustrated by Pauline Young 29. 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson 30. Amik Loves School by Katherena Vermette, illustrated by Irene Kuziw 31. Up Ghost River by Edmund Metatawabin, with Alexandra Shimo 32. Broken Circle by Theodore Fontaine 33. In My Own Moccasins by Helen Knott 34. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew 35. Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson 36. The Land Is Our Storybook series by Julie-Anne Andre & Mindy Willett

#history #tw racism #tw residential schools #writing #books #litblr #bookblr #indigenous resistance #indigenous history #indigenous people #canada #canadian history #first nations #leftblr #leftist #activism #resources

[godzilla-reads]

Middle Grade Books by Indigenous Authors

1. The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich (#1 in the Birchbark Series)

The first in a nine-book series chronicling 100 years in the life of an Ojibwe family.

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace

This book talks about the true origins of the celebrated Thanksgiving with balanced perspectives from both the white settlers and the Native Americans.

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith

A collection of intersecting stories by both new and old Native writers.

Borders by Thomas King and Natasha Donovan

A story about a mother and her son as on a road trip, they are stopped at the American/Canadian border and refused entry when they identify their citizenship as Blackfoot.

Gaawin Gindaaswin Ndaawsii: I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer

An eight-year-old Irene is taken from her First Nations Family to live in a residential school and she struggles to remain herself as the nuns at the school tell her not to use her own name, but an assigned number. Please practice self care when reading.

Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young

The story of a Navajo boy, Nathan, who has to save a Water Monster and realizes he's a hero at heart.

Two Worlds by Joseph Bruchac

A boy discovers his Native American heritage in this Depression-era tale of identity and friendship.

#godzilla reads #indigenous authors #book recs #book list #reading list #books #middle grade books #middle reader #book addict #booknerd #bookworm #booklover #booklife #booklr

[niyacommonplace]

(Robertson, pg. 14)

When We Were Alone is a book by David Robertson that looks back on a dark time in history: Canada’s residential schools. Unlike Kathy Kacer’s book I Am Not a Number, Robertson’s book focuses on the aftermath and healing process after leaving these cruel institutions, which is equally as important. I chose to write about this particular illustration because I felt quite moved when I first saw it, a sense of empowerment washing over me.

The beautiful illustrations provided by Julie Flett are reminiscent of First Nations art styles, and paired with the Nēhiyawēwin (Cree) words, I could not help but feel emotional since these children’s books were not available to me when I was a young kid but were something that I needed as I am one of the first members in my family who did not attended these schools, facing many years of cultural shame as a result. In fact, I was able to see myself in the young girl of this story as her grandmother details the trauma to her.

To me, this illustration symbolizes Indigenous resilience and has something that many Indigenous children’s books should utilize more: language, since it helps with revitalization and teachers can incorporate it into their lessons, aiding in the path to reconciliation (and meeting some of the TRC’S 94 Calls to Action). This book as a whole is digestible for children and does a good job at telling the real, horrific story of residential schools in a way that protects them from some of the darker truths discussed in other stories like I Am Not a Number.

(Passage logged February 2nd. Reflection written on Feb. 22nd. Edited and posted on March 16th).

#illustration #picture book #indigenous

[quo-usque-tandem]

Masters of Silence by Kathy Kacer

#currently reading #books #reading #Masters of Silence #Kathy Kacer