EDHS & White Pine Book Club

Scroll through the blog entries/images below to see the 2023 nominees for the White Pine Award. Each blog has discussion questions to get you thinking as you read. Feel free to respond to any of the prompts on the blog (just be respectful!). Summaries of the books can be found at the Forest of Reading website:

To Think About: 1. The book starts with an ancient proverb: "It is the child of fire one sends on an errand of fire". How does this relate to Sloan and how do her reactions reflect this proverb? 2. The strings of the Ìlèkè and the red and white beads Sloan’s mother gives her connects Sloane and the Orisha she is descended from her. What items do you have that connect with where you come from, or where you are living now? 3. Nicolai is one of the first characters Sloane mentions who becomes a child soldier. Discuss how being forcefully taken at a young age would impact someone. 4. Imagine receiving a draft letter. How would you react? 5. This book was heavily influenced by West- African mythology. Are you familiar with African folklore? Dive deeper, and see if your library has any related material to expand your understanding of the book. 6. The author was inspired by the Bring back Our Girls campaign of 2014. What do you know about this campaign? Do some research an...

To Think About: 1. Describe the relationship between Scarlett and her mom in the beginning. Can you relate to how Scarlett feels about her mom and her actions? Are there any parallels you have with the adults in your life? How does the relationship between Scarlett and her mom develop and change throughout the novel? 2. The FBI shows up at Scarlett’s house seemingly out of the blue. If you were in Scarlett’s position how would you have reacted? 3. Throughout the novel there are newspaper articles, Wikipedia information and magazine articles. What is your opinion on these additions? 5. Scarlet gets outed online as the daughter of Lake. Her friends react in a variety of ways. Discuss how people respond to the news. How would you feel in Scarlett’s position? How would you react if you found out a dark secret about a friend of yours through the media? 6. The press interest is intense regarding Scarlett and her mom. Do you think this kind of behaviour is inappropriate or th...

To Think About: 1. Shyness and introversion - is Dot one or the other? What do you think the difference is between the two? Our society tends to celebrate the outgoing among us but there is a need for more introspective people too. What value does Dot’s quiet nature bring to her work? 2. There are many forms of cruelty from neglect to outright violence. The book doesn’t shy away from these topics as they’re important to acknowledge if we’re going to make changes. How did it make you feel? What would you have done differently than the characters in the book? 3. People have lived alongside animals for thousands of years. Not all humans view animals as worthy of compassion. It varies from culture to culture, family to family, individual to individual. What is it that makes some people feel so connected to animals? What are the benefits of that bond to an animal or the person? What might be the downfalls? 4. The book’s working title was No Shelter . It’s a theme that runs throug...

To Think About: 1. Reflect on the relationship between Mandy and Starfire. What was your initial reaction when you saw them interact? Did this change for you as the story progressed? 2. How is this graphic novel similar and different from other ones you’ve read? 3. Mandy decides early on that she doesn’t want to go to university; what do you think contributed to this decision? Have you decided your own next steps? Who is contributing to that decision? 4. Mandy and Claire start out in very different situations but come together as the story progresses. Describe their relationship arch and your reactions along the way. 5. How would this story change if you removed the images and only read the text and vise-versa?

To Think About: 1) The world of Huaxia is tinged with violence, sacrifice, and cruelty as humanity struggles to survive the attacks of the Hunduns. The book especially focuses on gendered violence and the willingness of society to allow female pilots to die in order for the male pilot to survive. Did the levels of violence within the book shock you? Was there any point where you were stunned by the actions of a character? 2) Zetian does not have a good relationship with her family, with the exception of her older sister. Her parents focus on her brother who will carry on the family name and do not see a problem with selling Zetian and her sister into servitude as concubines to a pilot for cash. Do you feel that Zetian’s actions in the book are justified considering how she has been treated? 3) The pilots of Huaxia are treated similar to real world movie stars. They are followed by cameras, interviewed by reporters, their fights with the Hunduns are televised for all to see, an...

To Think About: 1. In the beginning of A Magic Steeped in Poison , we learn “the true wielders of Shénnóng magic have their unique specialties. Some brew teas for emotions – compassion, hope, love. Others are able to imbue the body with energy or encourage the drinker to remember something long thought lost.” If you are a wielder of tea magic, what sort of magic would you hope to specialize in? Why? 2. Ning’s connection with her family, especially her sister Shu, motivates her even while she encounters challenges in her journey. How is her relationship with her various family members described in the book? How did her time spent in the palace affect her perception of her family? 3. There are many different types of interactions with women of all ages portrayed in Magic Steeped in Poison . How do these women help or hinder Ning’s journey? 4. Who is your favorite character in A Magic Steeped in Poison ? Why? Is there something about yourself that you find relatable to this charac...

To Think About: 1. How does Mercedes change from the beginning to the end of the novel? 2. Identify three major themes that run like rivers through the text. 3. What does Mercedes learn about love through her three most important relationships: that with her mother Patrice, that with her BFF Sandra, and that with her love interest Ellis? 4. How does art help one express one’s emotions? 5. If art is a reflection of the human experience, how does experiencing art help one grow? 6. On the final page of the novel, author Christy Goerzen concludes with Mercedes Stowell’s bio in a prestigious art magazine. Is her bio fantasy or part of Mercedes’ future?

To Think About: 1. Lou, despite facing many challenges in her life, draws on those around her to find strength and joy. Who are these people and how do they support her? What are your sources of strength and joy when times are difficult for you? 2. In her Author’s Note, Jen Ferguson writes, “The most common critique of King from early readers was that he’s too good for a teenage boy. Let me tell you, I have no regrets. King’s goodness, his kindness, his heart, those are his superpowers.” (p. 363). What do you think about this? Do you have anyone in your life with “superpowers”? 3. Much of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet focuses on Lou’s job in the Michif Creamery. How would you describe Lou’s feelings about working there? How do Lou’s feelings compare to yours about your part-time work or volunteer experiences? 4. Lou spends much of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet fretting about losing her family’s farm and land. Why does she value them so much? What connections do you...

To Think About: 1. Twice as Perfect deals with the question of self and who we are. How does Ada describe herself? How does her view of herself change as the story progresses? 2. In the book, Nigerian kids are expected to choose one of three career paths. What are they? 3. Genny and Sam chose different paths than those expected. Why was one accepted and the other not? 4.Why does Ada feel like she needs to be twice as perfect? 5. The character of Sam is a mystery throughout the book as we hear of him but never see him. How does that move the story forward? What did you think of the character of Sam and the choices he made? 6. What are your thoughts surrounding the ending of the book? Was it realistic? Do you feel that things were wrapped up well?

To Think About: 1. Why, do you think, did H.N. Khan call this book The Wrong Side of the Court ? 2. Fawad and his friends are torn between their desire for revenge and their desire to see violence end in their neighbourhood. In your mind, is pursuing revenge (either violent or non-violent) ever an acceptable response? What is the best way to address past wrongs? 3. Fawad has many role models, ranging from Steph Curry to coaches to people in his family. How do they serve to guide him? Who are the people in your life that you consider to be role models? What inspiration do you draw from them? 4. Fawad is very self-conscious about being labeled a “boy from Regent Park” because of people’s negative stereotypes of the neighbourhood and its residents. What were the good and bad parts about living in that community? Describe a situation where you felt driven to surpass people’s expectations of you. What was the source of your motivation? 5. Fawad often struggles to live for h...