Category: Books

Richard Wagamese

Richard Wagamese, the celebrated Indigenous Canadian writer, was born October 14, 1955. Wagamese was Ojibwe and a member of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations. He was born in Ontario and lived there for much of his life. In later years he lived in British Columbia, where he died in 2017 at the the age of 61. Keeper’N Me was his debut novel, published in 1994. Richard Wagamese was perhaps best known for his 2012 novel Indian Horse.

Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for? Take some time this Thanksgiving to appreciate the good things in your life.

We have a long weekend with the day off of school on Monday. For many Canadians, this is a day of traditions.. Perhaps you will be eating a turkey, surrounded by friends and family. But will you take some time to “give thanks” on Thanksgiving?

Staff at Lord Tweedsmuir getting ready for a Thanksgiving meal.

Thankfulness is strongly correlated with positive mental health outcomes. According to Harvard Medical School: “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

Some of us are incredibly privileged. Some would even say blessed. Over this Thanksgiving long weekend, we encourage you to take some time to consider the things in your life for which you are thankful.

Find out more:

Note: Life is full of challenges and hardships for all people. However, it may be worse for some, whose difficulties may be profound, perhaps even traumatic. In the midst of painful circumstances, it may be difficult to reflect on the things for which one might be thankful. Being grateful for the good things in life does not take away from the pain and trauma that may also be there. Gratitude alone is not a substitute for seeking help from mental health professionals.

October is Canadian Library Month

Libraries are vital to our individual and collective prosperity and well-being. Libraries are a joy. Libraries build community. Libraries promote literacy. Libraries are safe spaces. Libraries bridge the gap between haves and have nots. Libraries protect intellectual freedom. Libraries put books into the hands of kids. Libraries support healthy communities. Libraries are essential to the health of democracy. Libraries promote positive social values. Libraries provide online resources. Libraries build readers. Libraries are hubs of a community. Libraries promote lifelong learning. Libraries support democratic citizenship. This list of why libraries are important goes on and on.

Celebrate Canadian Library Month, along with International School Library Month, this October. All libraries, including school libraries, public libraries, even “free little libraries”, are vital to society. Find out more. Visit us in person, or online at tweedsmuirlibrary.ca

IPC

Come down to the School Library to check out our Indigenous Peoples Collection. As we observe Truth and Reconciliation Week here at Lord Tweedsmuir, what better time than now to take advantage of some of the excellent resources in our collection to learn more about this history and the current issues around Truth and Reconciliation?

Banned Books Week

September 22 to 29 is the ALA’s “Banned Books Week.” While we in Canada observe the similar “Freedom to Read Week” in the new year, we can also join with our American neighbours in recognizing the very real threats to freedom and democracy that are posed by the massively sharp rise of book banning. The US has seen an especially concerted attack on books for teens about marginalized communities. We are not immune from such fascist tactics in Canada, as book challenges have risen in step with the rise of far right propaganda, and in most cases are centered on schools, classrooms and school libraries.

Find out more about Banned Books Week.

A Favourite Book

What is one of your favourite books? That is the question we asked teachers and other staff at Lord Tweedsmuir.

The response was excellent. There are some pretty cool books that were brought up. Ms. Perez loves Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. If you haven’t read it, maybe you should check it out. (We have it here in the school library for you to borrow.)

We’ve asked the adults in the building. How about the students? What are some of your favourite books?

Look for more examples of favourite books in the coming weeks.

Return all School Library Materials

Classes may be over, but we are still open for you to come by and return your school library books and other borrowed materials.

We don’t charge overdue fines. However, if books are overdue for an extended period, they are marked as “Lost,” Replacement costs are charged for lost or damaged books. Avoid the fines by returning the books to the school library right away.