Lousy Labels

This program on CBC made me think of There's Lead In Your Lipstick.

The Boy in the Moon

According to the cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome website, CCF (as it is more commonly called) can be diagnosed by some of the following symptoms:

·         • a distinctive facial appearance;

·         • unusually sparse, brittle, curly hair;

·          • skin abnormalities;

·          • heart malformations present at birth (congenital heart defects)

·          • growth delays

As a reader of The Boy in the Moon, I offer you some more information about CCF:

There is no cure for CCF.

It is a genetic condition that a child is born with.

It will be seen as a disability for the child’s entire life, and will cause society to view the child 

(and the eventual adult) differently.

It is extremely rare, and the severity of it can differ from child-to-child.

It impacts lives.

It is CCF that has made Walker Brown who he is, and it is Walker Brown who is the raison d’etre for The Boy in the Moon.

The Boy in the Moon is a memoir, by Ian Brown (Walker’s father). Brown is a reporter for Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. Brown had frequently written articles about his son prior to writing this book, and had thus familiarized Canadians with his family’s challenges.

The book examines the relationship that Walker has with his father, his family, and the world at large. This book is Brown’s search for the meaning of Walkers life in our society that has distinct and opinionated views on disabled individuals.

CCF has shaped the Brown family in many ways. The parents, Ian and Joanna Schneller, have been forced to abandon dreams for a “normal life” for both their son and daughter. The parents are permanently attached to their son - in a way that parents of “normal” children will never be – and sometimes suffer guilt for abandoning their son (when placed in a group home) or perhaps even causing his condition. It is CCF that has forced the Brown family to seek solace and support of other advocates for the disabled, and has allowed them to create valuable bonds with other CCF parents. And yet, it is CCF that allows Walker to see the world as it truly is: simple in its joys and mysteries.

It is Walker’s view on the world which Brown desperately grasps at with this book. He wants to insight into his son and his sons actions. Their communication is limited to smiles, grunts, and hits; however, they are still able to understand one another at an almost primordial level. It is Walker that brings about Brown’s search for enlightenment, and who is Brown’s passion for life.

I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers Program, and I voraciously read it. Brown’s writing is hauntingly eloquent, and this book will be, I suspect, read and re-read. The journey of the Walker and his family is one that will not easily be forgotten.

Book information:

The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary  Son Ian Brown St. Martin's Press (2011), Hardcover, 304 pages

There's Lead in Your Lipstick

I recently read "There's Lead in Your Lipstick", a non-fiction book by Gillian Deacon. 

I had won this book from a contest by Penguin Canada, and had to admit that I knew zero about said book when I received it in the mail. To be truthful, I had only entered the contest because I love winning books, and am always looking for ways to add to my own library. Anyway, after receiving the book, I skimmed the front cover, and decided to read it soon. It looked like it would be an easy read to quickly whip through.

I read the book the same week I received it.

Now, this book was an easy read. It is fast to get through, and as a reader, I was entertained by the information. Deacon's writing style was engaging yet informative, and she offered a plethora of statistics to support her assertions. So yes, this book took me less than two days to finish; however, this book was also eye-opening and incredibly startling. To be frank, I  never knew how much shit I'd been putting on my skin while thinking it was "natural" or "organic". I also never knew about the lack of regulation in the cosmetic industry, and how so many products are linked to cancers, reproductive problems, skin allergies (this I found especially interesting - given my own rash problems), et cetera. So let me rephrase my topic sentence: this book was an easy read but it was also alarming, eye-opening, startling, and frightening.

Thankfully, Deacon is a pragmatist and not a complete pessimist. While telling the reader about the disgusting chemicals in soaps, shampoos, face creams, hair dye,...et cetera, she also offers alternatives so that the reader no longer has to rely on such toxins. Deacon has included lists, for each chapter, of truly organic products (complete with company information, and websites for the savvy internet shopper), and has also included a myriad of homemade natural beauty remedies that the reader can try at home. The brand information is incredibly helpful for someone like me, a in internet shopper, who often doesn't have the time (or even know where to begin) researching these brands. And the recipes, I know that I can't wait to try some as they are simple and can be done with little fuss.

This book is a wonderfully handy thing to have around your house. I recommend that others purchase it as quickly as possible, and become aware about the "lead in their lipstick". I know that I will continue to refer to this book for years to come.

The Passage

The most recent book read was a novel, The Passage, by Justin Cronin. As I'm on my way out to Saskatoon, I'll post a longer review later; however, I will state that I did like this book. I wasn't super into it always (oh god, I sound one of my teenage students) as I read it; yet, upon finishing said novel, I've gone back to re-read certain passages and chapters. These characters stuck with me. I'm excited for the sequel.

Nothing

"Nothing matters. I have known that for a long time. So nothing is worth doing. I just realized that."

Nothing, by Janne Teller, is a Danish novel that’s told in a way that those Nords do best: creepy, stark, and haunting. The descriptions and dialogue are straight-to-the-point, and the author never deviates from this rule. Sometimes one sentence is more powerful than ten.

The novel centers around Gerda, an intelligent Danish teen, and her friends. These adolescents try to find meaning in their lives after another peer, Pierre Anthon, climbs into a tree, and proclaims (in a true nihilist fashion) that there is no meaning to life.  Of course, Gerda’s journey to find meaning isn’t whimsical or light-hearted; rather, it is dark and demonstrates the savage nature of the human psyche. Somewhere, on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Jack would approve of Gerda and co.'s actions.

I feel that this book is more appropriate for adults than for teenagers. The content might be hard to understand without a philosophical context. Brush up on  your Nietzsche before reading!

This book offers insight into an end of innocence that every adult feels in their life. Read it, and remember when you lost your childhood bliss too.

5/5

Information:

Hardcover, 227 pages

Published February 9th 2010 by Atheneum

Random

I often order off of The Book Depository, because it has great prices, an excellent selection, and free shipping. Anyway, I've now come to also really appreciate this site for its amazing live feed. Yes, that's right you can watch people shopping and find out with bizarre things they choose to buy!

Halfbreed

My students, in ELA A30, finished reading Halfbreed last week. Their feelings about said memoir were mixed. A few felt it was "boring" and lacked "action". These students believed that Campbell's history was uneventful, and not too different from what these students have experienced in their own lives. Yet, other students found it to be depressing and hauntingly moving. These were my kids that felt Campbell's grief at the passing of her mother, and whose hearts' bled when Campbell left Smoky behind. And, finally, some others were forced to realize the price that Aboriginal and Metis communities have paid in the name of colonization. These students were stunned and horrified to discover that Metis peoples hadn't always ha status, and that their lives had been just as full of discrimination and hardship as any other Aboriginal group.  Luckily, none of them, though, regretted having read Maria Campbell's autobiography, and I honestly believe that all of them took something away from this book.

In other words, this book is a classroom hit!

As an educator, a woman, and a Canadian, I highly recommend this book. It should be taught in schools, as it helps to put into perspective the hardships that marginalized populations faced. It also provides students with invaluable history about the Metis peoples, and, furthermore, a way of life that has since vanished. As a female, one can identify with the womanly issues that Campbell faces, such as maturation, pregnancy, and domestic violence. This book is a feminist call-to-arms, and demands that women abandon their blankets of shame just as all minorities should abandon their blankets of shame too. As a Canadian, I felt that this book was a wake-up call to me, and forced me to realize that Canada is not quite the just country that Canadians like to believe it is. Read this book!

5/5

Information:

Halfbreed Maria Campbell University of Nebraska Press (1982), Paperback, 157 pages