scholarly journals Awake and Dreaming by K. Pearson

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlene Slobodian
Keyword(s):  
Peer Group ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Young Mother ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The World ◽  
The University ◽  
Low Pay

Pearson, Kit. Awake and Dreaming. Toronto: Puffin Classics, 2013. Print.Recently published in a new edition by Puffin Classics, Awake and Dreaming feels just as relevant to lonely children as it did when it was first published in 1996. One of Canada’s favourite authors of junior fiction, Pearson’s award-winning tale of a lonely girl, Theo, will wrench at the heartstrings of readers of all ages.Nine-year-old Theo longs to be part of a large family, with brothers and sisters to play with, living a stable life that does not involve moving from apartment to apartment. Her young mother works long hours for low pay, and is focused on her own problems and wants, neglectful, at times, of Theo’s desire to be cared for. Theo uses books as an escape from her dreary and lonely life, daydreaming during school of the kind of large, caring family she reads about in library books.Shortly after Theo and her mother move to their new Vancouver neighbourhood, her mother, Rae, runs into an old friend and they begin to date. Soon Theo is shuttled onto a ferry to Victoria to live with an aunt she barely remembers, until Rae and her boyfriend can “get used to living with each other” and she can return to her mother. While on the ferry, Theo meets her perfect idea of a family, and they welcome her into her home. She lives a wonderful, stable life for a few months, before she starts to be ignored again, this time by the only people whom she thought truly cared about her. A sharp return to her old life leaves her feeling miserable and more lonely than ever. Was her dream family just that, a dream? Will she ever find them again? Who was that strange woman staring at her on the ferry? Readers will have to finish the book to discover the startling and intricate tale behind Theo’s unusual circumstances.Awake and Dreaming is similar in tone to some of Pearson’s other works, which tend to feature lonely and, at times, frightened children, who are forced to confront the harsh realities of the world in which they live. Although this book was published almost twenty years ago, the majority of the content is still relevant and applicable to children growing up across Canada  today. Though the magic in the plot twist is dubious even for those die-hard believers in magic, the message of hope and of Theo’s desperation to belong to her peer group are strongly enforced throughout the novel. A new introduction written by Kenneth Oppel, as well as a character list, author profile, and discussion questions are included in this edition, making it a useful addition to classrooms, libraries, and book clubs.Reviewer: Carlene SlobodianRecommended: 3 stars out of 4Carlene Slobodian is an MLIS candidate at the University of Alberta with a lifelong passion for children’s literature. When not devouring books, she can be found knitting, cooking, or discovering new kinds of tea to sample.

scholarly journals Joy of Apex by N. Folger

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Personal Experience ◽  
Normal Family ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Adult Readers ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The University

Folger, Napatsi.  Joy of Apex.  Iqaluit:  Inhabit Media, Inc., 2011. Print. This is a first novel from Napatsi Folger, who grew up in Iqaluit, moved to Vancouver and then returned as an adult to work in Iqaluit.  She has given us a bright new heroine in Joy, a ten-year old girl who lives in Apex, just outside of Iqaluit in Nunavut.  Joy, who tells the story in the first person, is quite a normal pre-teen.  She generally wants to do well, but occasionally does silly things like calling little sister, Allusha, by the nickname “ALLA SUCKS”. From the beginning of the novel, it is clear that Joy has a heavier than normal family workload for a ten-year old.  Her dad is doing most of the cooking and cleaning and Joy and her older brother, Alex, are looking after each other and Alla.  They look out for each other at school, make their own Halloween costumes and solve their own problems.  Their mother, Mary, who spends most of her time with her sisters, does come home occasionally. When she does, she and her husband fight, with predictable effects on the children. “They are fighting again.  This time it sounds like a big one. The yelling wakes Allusha and we are so frightened that we creep into Alex’s room and crawl into bed with him.  After Alex and I calm Allusha’s quite sobs, the three of us sleep together in a little nest for the rest of the night.” Joy’s voice is authentic for a ten year old, who is doing her best to cope while her parents’ marriage falls apart.  It is hard not to be moved by her humiliation, anger and pain when her best attempts fail and there is no mom to prevent the disaster or pick up the pieces. Folger’s humour often provides some relief from the weight of the difficulties that Joy faces.  For example, when Allusha eats too much candy, throws up and bursts the capillaries in her face, she tells her mother, “Don’t worry, Mama.  It’s just burst caterpillars in my face.” This is a well-written volume and an engaging read.  The work is clearly rooted in the author’s personal experience growing up in the Eastern Arctic. Pre-teens through adult readers will enjoy this book.  Highly recommended for public libraries and school libraries everywhere. Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellHighly recommended:  4 stars out of 4Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

scholarly journals A Day with Yayah by N. Campbell

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Thorne
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Her Family ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Full Page ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The World ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
The University

Campbell, Nicola. A Day with Yayah. Illustrated by Julie Flett. Tradewind Books, 2017. A Day with Yayah is a story that portrays a close relationship between a grandmother and her grandchildren. In A Day with Yayah, an Indigenous family makes a trip to British Columbia’s Nicola Valley to collect wild herbs and mushrooms. Along the way, the grandmother, Yayah, takes the opportunity to teach her grandchildren their language and to pass down her knowledge of edible plants and herbs. Yayah and her family are         Nle?képmx (Interior Salish peoples), who are often referred to as People of the Creeks. Campbell draws on her own background for this story, having grown up in the same valley where the story is set. Illustrator and award winning Cree-Métis artist, Julie Flett, provides stunning, brightly coloured full-page illustrations. Flett’s detailed drawings complement the narrative, and her folk-style characters, with their jubilant expressions and bright clothing, emphasize the importance of knowledge transfer from one generation to the next. Over the years, the language of the Interior Salisham people has become endangered and Campbell introduces her readers to twelve words in the Salish language. These words appear within the dialogue of the story several times, giving children the chance to identify and connect with these words. The glossary at the end of the book is a very helpful addition and aids readers with pronouncing and translating the terms that are used throughout the story. The phrasing of the sentences and the inclusion of Salish words makes this a more appropriate read-aloud to younger readers, but it would also be suitable for independent reading for students in elementary school. This book is highly recommended for both school and public libraries.  Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Lydia Thorne Lydia Thorne is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta. She obtained a BA and an MA degree in English Literature before deciding to pursue her MLIS. Lydia’s favourite part about reading is that it allows her to travel all over the world - without ever having to leave her chair.

COVID-19: implications for NHS Staff

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-197
Author(s):  
Alan Glasper
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Emeritus Professor ◽  
The World ◽  
Clinical Environments ◽  
Public Health Institutions ◽  
Health Institutions ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The University

In light of the emergence in China of COVID-19, the novel corona virus, emeritus professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton discusses the role of the World Health Organization and other public health institutions in responding to potential new global pandemics and deliberates on the role of NHS staff in coping with infectious disease in clinical environments.

scholarly journals Commentary: The Transgender Child: A Lesson in Acceptance

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-40
Author(s):  
Wren Kauffman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Critical Importance ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Minority Studies ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Transgender Children ◽  
The World ◽  
Gender Neutral ◽  
The University

In this interview, 12-year-old Wren Kauffman shares his earliest memories of "not feel[ing] right" in his body and how he conveyed this powerful sentiment to his parents. Wren and his mother Wendy discuss the transgender journey their family has gone on, which initially started by contacting the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services at the University of Alberta. Wren recounts how he told friends and classmates that he was transgender, talks about the support and openness he has received from teachers, friends, and schools, and of the critical importance of acceptance. Issues such as bullying, gender-neutral spaces, and diversity are also discussed. In addition, Wendy emphasizes the key role education plays in the inclusion of transgender children: "If we can start from a place of education, and explain that there is a really wide kind of variety of different ways that people can be born, that’s going to help society and people in general understand that transgender people are in the world."

Memorial

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 760-760
Author(s):  
Nancy House
Keyword(s):  
Isotope Geochemistry ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Geophysical Data ◽  
Fort Worth ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The World ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
A Minor ◽  
The University

Donald Macpherson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on 6 October 1941. He passed on 20 August 2020. Though he was a proud Canadian till the end, he clung to his Scottish culture and became a fixture with his bagpipes at many events throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area. He attended the University of Alberta, initially studying music and fine arts and earning a bachelor's degree in 1964 with a minor in math and chemistry. He graduated with a master's degree in isotope geochemistry and geophysics from the University of Alberta in 1965. Don walked into the “best job in the world” as a geophysicist at Mobil Oil Canada in 1965. There, he was responsible for seismic acquisition crews, processing, and interpretation of geophysical data.

Seraphina by R. Hartman

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kymberly Sobchyshyn
Keyword(s):  
The Novel ◽  
Ancient History ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Non Fiction ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
The University ◽  
New Religion

Hartman, Rachel. Seraphina. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2012. Print.Rachel Hartman’s debut novel, Seraphina, is a fantastical journey into a world where humans and shape shifting dragons live among each other. The novel follows Seraphina, a strong and intelligent female character with a talent for music, as she is caught between two races. Hartman has masterfully created a new religion, culture, language, political system, and multiple species in order to fully immerse the reader in Seraphina’s world.Hartman’s dragons, a unique breed of cold, unemotional mathematicians, are mostly intrigued and confused by what they consider to be overly emotional and artistic humans. The strong differences between the two races are cause for tension, but Seraphina has a mysterious gift of being able to understand how dragons think and why they react to humans in such curious and sometimes dangerous ways.Seraphina is a story of political unrest and adventure, with a little romance added in for good measure. Not only is the book a quick and entertaining read, but the glossary is not to be missed. That’s right, the glossary! Hartman created much of the foreign vocabulary in the novel, and the glossary is the place where her sense of humour and criticism of the world she has created really shine through. Some of the more challenging vocabulary in the novel is defined in the glossary so readers who might feel discouraged by the language should know that the author has invented most of these words. For a good laugh and some added detail about Seraphina’s world, the glossary is a great way to finish. Seraphina is the first in what Hartman has planned to be a series.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Kymberly SobchyshynKymberly is currently in her second year of schooling to obtain a Master’s in Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys traveling, ancient history, and reading of the fiction and non-fiction variety.

Flip by M. Bedford

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Feisst
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The People ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Voice Calls ◽  
The University ◽  
Friday Night

Bedford, Martyn. Flip. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2011. Print. Martyn Bedford is a lecturer in creative writing at Leeds Trinity University College in the UK and is the award-winning author of five adult novels, including The Houdini Girl. Flip is his first foray into the genre of young adult fiction. Fourteen-year-old Alex Gray rushes home one December Friday night in an attempt to beat his curfew. Feeling a bit foggy upon waking the next morning, he realizes that not only is he in a strange bedroom but he does not recognize the clothes he is wearing. An unfamiliar voice calls for “Philip” to get ready for school, and when he descends the stairs to the breakfast table, he does not recognize the people seated, though they seem to recognize him. It’s now the middle of June. Upon looking into the mirror to wash his face, another boy stares back. Alex does not know if he has gone mad, or worse—if it is all real. Alex has no choice but to go through the day while trapped in another’s body, that of Philip Garamond. Nicknamed Flip, Philip is an athletic, sociable girl-magnet who goes to a posh school, and though he is Alex’s age, seems the complete opposite in every other way. For a while Alex even enjoys his new, fit body and the attention that comes with it. But where is Philip, and where is Alex’s body? Alex needs to figure out why his psyche has become trapped in Philip’s body and how he can get back into his own before it is too late. This is an excellent psychological thriller and not your average teen fare. The characters are realistic and the plot is action-packed, yet believable. Bedford dips into heavy topics like existentialism and concepts such as the soul and memory with adeptness. Body-swapping stories have no doubt been done before in teen fiction, but Bedford has given this tale a contemporary flair with a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Debbie Feisst Debbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.

Comedy in the Holocaust: the Theresienstadt Cabaret

1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (48) ◽  
pp. 299-308
Author(s):  
Roy Kift
Keyword(s):  
Concentration Camp ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The World ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Opera Singers ◽  
The University ◽  
Stage Play ◽  
The Military

The concentration camp in Theresienstadt in the Czech Republic was unique, in that it was used by the Nazis as a ‘flagship’ ghetto to deceive the world about the real fate of the Jews. It contained an extraordinarily high proportion of VIPs – so-called Prominenten, well-known international personalities from the worlds of academia, medicine, politics, and the military, as well as leading composers, musicians, opera singers, actors, and cabarettists, most of whom were eventually murdered in Auschwitz. The author, Roy Kift, who first presented this paper at a conference on ‘The Shoah and Performance’ at the University of Glasgow in September 1995, is a free-lance dramatist who has been living in Germany since 1981, where he has written award-winning plays for stage and radio, and a prizewinning opera libretto, as well as directing for stage, television, and radio. His new stage play, Camp Comedy, set in Theresienstadt, was inspired by this paper, and includes original cabaret material: it centres on the nightmare dilemma encountered by Kurt Gerron in making the Nazi propaganda film, The Fuhrer Gives the Jews a Town. Roy Kift has contributed regular reports on contemporary German theatre to a number of magazines, including NTQ. His article on the GRIPS Theater in Berlin appeared in TQ39 (1981) and an article on Peter Zadek in NTQ4 (1985).

scholarly journals Tri-Creeks Experimental Watershed

2016 ◽  
Vol 92 (01) ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
George Sterling ◽  
Amy Goodbrand ◽  
Sheena A. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Data Set ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Historic Data ◽  
The University

Tri-Creeks Experimental Watershed was initiated to compare the effects of logging and riparian buffers in three subbasins (Wampus, Deerlick, and Eunice Creeks) and to evaluate the effectiveness of timber harvesting ground rules in protecting fisheries and water resources. The watershed study was terminated in 1985 shortly after the harvest. In 2015, the University of Alberta re-established groundwater monitoring, hydrometric, and meteorological stations in Tri-Creeks Experimental watershed. Future research will utilize the 20-year historic data set and current data to study the the effect of forest cover change on the streamflow regime and fish populations. The objective of this paper is to summarize the novel results and available data from 1965–1987 for the Tri-Creeks Experimental Watershed.

scholarly journals Green by L. V. Seeger

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ortensia Norton
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Science Class ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Green Is ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Stop And Go ◽  
The World ◽  
The University

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. Green. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2012. Print. The book, Green reminds us that green is a pervasive colour in the world. Like her book, Black, White, Day, Night: A Book of Opposites, the die cuts will astonish you as two leaves turn into fish on the next page, making you anxious to flip the pages quickly to view the next image. But refrain from flipping too quickly or you will miss the beauty of the acrylic paintings on each page. Only gather a couple children around you as you read, or they will fight over who gets to have it in their arms. With only 38 words, the illustrations need to be looked at carefully. Allow time for their eyes to take in all the details. Be prepared to stop and go back to the previous page because they will realize that somehow they missed something important. Don’t be surprised if the children grab for the lime, reach down to smell the flower, or are scared by the tiger. They will rub the pages; they will feel the texture and might be disappointed that the page is smooth. Younger students will enjoy the predictability of the word ‘green’ on each page. It won’t take them long to recite the book with you, with only two or three syllables per page. Older students will be inspired by the art work and could use the book as an exemplar for an art project. Other students could pick a different colour and find words and pictures to describe the different hues of their chosen colour. Green could be used in science class, to discuss how each hue is created. I would love to see Ms. Seeger create a whole series of colour books!! Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 Stars Reviewer: Ortensia Norton Ortensia Norton is a Teacher Librarian with Edmonton Public Schools. She is currently enrolled in the TL-DL program through the University of Alberta. She thinks that her jobs as mom and librarian are the best jobs in the world because you get to see the delight on children's faces when they fall in love with a book.

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