Motorcycles and Sweet Grass

Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor

A story of magic, family, a mysterious stranger . . . and a band of marauding raccoons.

Otter Lake is a sleepy Anishnawbe community where little happens. Until the day a handsome stranger pulls up astride a 1953 Indian Chief motorcycle – and turns Otter Lake completely upside down. Maggie, the Reserve’s chief, is swept off her feet, but Virgil, her teenage son, is less than enchanted. Suspicious of the stranger’s intentions, he teams up with his uncle Wayne – a master of aboriginal martial arts – to drive the stranger from the Reserve. And it turns out that the raccoons are willing to lend a hand.

Discussion questions:

• John- man or myth? An earthly representation of Nanabush the Trickster? What was John's purpose for the visit to the reservation and what was learned by his vist?

• There was a lot going on in this book. To you, what was theme of this book and just what was the author's message in this book? Is it all about "the balance of life"? The fact that everyone needs a little magic in their life?

ojibway petroglyph of Nanabush

The Fifth Rule

The Fifth Rule by Don Aker- Former young offender Reef Kennedy is back in Halifax for the funeral of his mentor, Frank Colville. He has no intention of staying long -- memories of Frank compete with memories of Leeza and the terrible way their relationship ended. And then there's the restraining order against him, which Leeza's mother has renewed....

For those of you who enjoyed The Fifth Rule, here is the fan made trailer to the prequel of "The Fifth Rule" entitled "The First Stone"  by Don Aker. In this story, we are introduced to Reef and  Leeza and get the back story on how they got to where they are today. The First Stone was the White Pine Award Winner for 2004!

The Fifth Rule is Aker's second book about Reef and Leeza. In The First Stone, Reef is a messed up kid who causes an accident that seriously harms Leeza. He is sent to a group home, and a social worker named Frank Colville helps him get his life on the right track. Frank has five rules for his charges: respect yourself, respect others, be accountable, honour your commitments, and do the right thing. The Fifth Rule begins when Frank Colville dies and Reef returns to Halifax for the funeral. He wishes he could put things right with Leeza, but he doesn't know if she can forgive him, and a restraining order prevents him from speaking to her.

Discussion Questions:

1. Respect Yourself
2. Respect Others
3. Be Accountable
4. Honour Your Committments
5. Do The Right Thing

• Which one of these rules constitutes " The Fifth Rule" to you as being the most important rule that Reef had to remember? Do you think that these rules of life are good ones to follow?  What exactly does "do the right thing" mean to you?

• Besides romance, this book has a lot of offer the reader. Do you think that this book can appeal to a male audience or would you classify this book as a "chick read"?

Chance To Dance For You

Chance to Dance for You by Gail Sidonie Sobat

 

 

Sometimes keeping a secret is harder than telling the truth. Ian lives in a suburb where everything is the same. The houses are the same, the cars are the same, and their aspirations are the same. But Ian is different. Openly gay in his bigoted high school, Ian doesn't exactly fit in. But he's not worried - he's been training in dance for a long time and soon he'll be be able to leave town and train to become a professional. Then he falls in love with Jess, the high school quarterback.

Discussion Questions:

After reading many book reviews, with comments about "this book had so much potential, but it was ruined by the author's lack of understanding of gay teens" and "The entire book is about how Ian isn't a stereotypical gay dancer. And he tells us this over and over. And...that's all that happens. There's a secret kiss with a football player but it has to be kept a secret because the stereotypical football players would hate if their star was gay", I still haven't been able to decide if I like this book  because of it's honesty or disliked this book because I couldn't relate to Ian's character.

• Did you feel that this book stereotyped young, gay  male teens with the assumption that Ian  was a dancer, ergo he must be gay?
• How did you feel about the characters in the book?  Is this a a true depiction of Ian, his lifestyle, his friends, a homophobic society?

Death Benefits

Death Benefits by Sarah N. Harvey
Looking after his 95 year old grandfather is not what Royce had in mind for his summer vacation.

Recovering from mono and having time on his hands, Royce and his mom take on the task of caring for cantankerous, crafty and stubborn Arthur, a celebrated cellist in his day. A challenge for the whole family, especially for Royce. As he gets to know his grandfather better, he gradually comes to appreciate that his grandfather's life stilll has meaning, even if Arthur himself wants it to end.

Discussion questions:

• The relationship between Royce and Arthur started out pretty rocky. Arthur was rude, impatient and seemingly unappreciative of the efforts put forth by his family. Royce had his own issues to deal with, as did his mom.  What turned the tide? Do you think it is because Royce had nothing else to do with his time? Do you think that he had a full appreciation of Athur's failing health?

• The question of euthanasia is addressed in this book. After many strokes, Arthur had lost his will to live and asks Royce to end his life. Do you think that Royce made the right decision  and do you think you could have done what Arthur asked if he was your grandfather?

•  Arthur was a very famous performer at one time in his life which leads to the question of "the measure of the man". What do you think was Arthur's greatest legacy?

Blood Red Road

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

The first book of the "Dustland Series" introduces us to Saba, her twin brother Lugh and younger sister Emmi, living and barely surviving in a post apocolyptic world, living a meager life on the rim of a dying, if not pretty much dead lake. It's a harsh life, as is any life within a dystopian world. They live day to day, waiting for rain that might not ever come.
One day, horse backed riders arrive in a cloud of dust and forcibly take Lugh as prisoner. Dad is fatally injured in the foray, leaving Saba and Emmi to fend for themselves. It is then that Saba is determined to find Lugh and bring him home again. Along the way, she meets peril, death, pain and an interesting character by the name of Jack.

Discussion Questions:

• It seems that the  theme of dystopia in young adult books is a new trend, thanks to The Hunger Games. Personally for me, I found that this book to be more engaging than The Hunger Games. I found the characters more believable, the heroine stronger and the  plot more plausible. Agree or disagree?

• Did you find the grammar in the way that Saba was written to be an addition to the character development or a distraction? Why do you think that the author chose to portray Saba in this manner?

Beat The Band

Beat The Band by Don Calame

In Beat the Band, the sequel to Swim The Fly (a White Pine nominee in 2011) Mart and Sean and Coop are entering another year of high school. In an attempt to hook up with the girl of his dreams, Coop forms a band and enters "The Battle of the Bands". The problem is.. they stink. The solution is "Hotdog Helen" who can sing, but someone who the boys are less than enamoured with.

Discussion questions:

For those who have participated in last year's White Pine reads "Swim the Fly" was one of the funniest reads that White Pine has had to offer. Narrated by Matt, the book gave a hilarious insight into high school life.

• Did you find this story as engaging as "Swim The Fly" with a different narrator, one whom was written as an arrogant jerk in the prequel to this book? Did you like Coop at the end of the story and understand a bit more about him?

• The character of Helen is portrayed as the school loser and one who is not the most popular girl in school. Turns out that she can sing like an angel when given the chance to be in Coop's band. Does this revelation give you pause for thought when it comes to  the old adage  "don't judge a book by it's cover"? What did Helen teach Coop about the importance of  "social status"?

• The language in this book is full of what I  like to call "colourful language". Do you think that the book would have been just  as funny without it?

Ashes, Ashes

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down". The title says says it all- Lucy, Aiden, Del, a plague that has wiped out 99% of the world's population, leaving the rest left alive to fend for themselves. Now, after surviving this and a host of other natural disasters, there is someone hunting Lucy. Can she and the rag tag bunch evade the "Sweepers"? Can they survive, and why are the Sweepers so determined to capture Lucy?

Discussion Questions:

• 
  With the popularity of The Hunger Games, a world much different than the one we know of is now a genre of books written for teens. Know as "dystopian" books, life on planet Earth is depicted as a "dog eat dog" and "survival of the fittest" is paramount. Did you find this story line to be a believable one?


• We all have skills that we don't even know we possess and are there when we need them. As a 16 year old, Lucy lived in the wilds of Central Park on her own for a year after the death of her family. What survival skills do you bring to the table? What are your biggest strengths?


• Can you ever envisage a life on Mother Earth as it is depicted in this book? With dire predictions of global warming,this book is full of tsumanis, earthquakes and things that we have already experienced in the past few years. Do you think that something this drastic could this happen in your lifetime? Are we all leaving a larger carbon footprint that is necessary if "global warming" is to blame?