The writers group, which meets on the first Wednesday of every month in the Longview Library, is a growing and welcoming one.
Each month it chooses a topic to write about (this month’s is school days) and then it comes together the following month to share what they have written.
There are several writers groups in libraries in the Foothills.
Millarville has an especially active one with two published authors in its group.
There are plans afoot for all the groups to meet together to discuss and share ideas for a day.
Reading aloud to your children is more important now than ever. Parents are finding it difficult to talk to their children about the disturbing events of our time – shootings, terrorist attacks and politics full of hate.
Reading from books that throw a compassionate, sincere and honest light on world affairs provides a tool to talk to them about these things. Books can teach children to be kind and empathetic, even in the face of tragedy. Books can show children how to be part of the solution.
Plus, there is nothing like cuddling up with your child before bedtime. These peaceful and precious memories will last for your child’s lifetime.
Two new and delightful easy reader books for children are in: Why I Love My Brother, by Daniel Howarth and Penelope and the Foal Fairy by Daisy Meadows.
For adults, check out The Secret Wife by Gill Paul.
The Boat People, by Sharon Bala, a Newfoundlander, is a wise and compassionate novel about the Sri Lankan refugees who landed on the shores of British Columbia in 2009.
The novel’s epigraph is a quote by Martin Luther King Jr., “We may all have come on different ships. but we’re in the same boat now.”
Bala explores the great humanitarian crisis of our time with sensitivity and grace.
The characters will capture your heart. You will look for them on the evening news and in the newspapers. You will not only wonder about them, but about yourself.
The book may change your perspective on the traditional belief that Canada is a welcoming nation.
It describes what happens when the fundamental need for safety collides with the legal bureaucracy on our shores.
The novel is a moral drama, told beautifully.
It provides a compassionate lens through which to view the current refugee crisis.
It’s an important read.
Another immigrant story is A Good American, by Alex George.
The story begins in Germany in the late 1800’s.
A young couple sets out for New York City, but find themselves in New Orleans by mistake.
It is a delightful story of their and their offsprings life in rural Missouri.
The characters will linger in your hearts and minds long after you have read the book.
