Each December, NWT Literacy Council staff members choose books that they will be giving as a gift, would like to receive and read over the holiday, or a favourite book they have been given in the past. This is the second group of our picks. Read our blog from December 3 for part one, and on December 17 for part three.
I am giving The End of Everything by Katie Mack to my eldest daughter. One of her classes at university this year is on astrophysics, a subject that she finds extremely fascinating. She dreams about one day working with The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or SpaceX. This book details five ways the universe could end, and what that may mean for us at this point in time and space. I think she will enjoy this book, and I am looking forward to gifting it.
I am giving Breath by James Nestor to my youngest daughter this year. She is attending her first year of university and is taking psychology – studying people’s mind and behaviour. I thought this book would be a good choice for her to enjoy during Christmas break. It is about people having no idea how to do breathing exercises and how beneficial they are to our everyday life and overall health. Apparently many of us have been doing it wrong for a long, long time.
-- Uma Sivakumar, Office Manager
This year my five-year-old daughter is getting a boxed set of Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park from her aunt and big cousins. She recently expressed an interest in reading “big kid books”, and we started reading mini-chapter books together. She loved the first Junie B. Jones book that we read, and was excited to see so many more pictured on the cover. She was quick to suggest them when asked what she would like for a gift. Enjoying these books with her is a fun way to re-read books I loved at her age. My daughter enjoys that Junie B. is a colourful, creative kindergarten explorer just like her!
-- Katie Johnson, Family and Community Literacy Coordinator
The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles by Nicole Redvers. I am gifting this book for the second year in a row, this time to my mum, as Redvers is not only an Indigenous naturopathic doctor, but also Dene from the NWT like we are. It is a breath of fresh air to see Indigenous brilliance, knowledge, science, and technology from all around the world shining through this book. It has been incredibly validating to read Redvers’ words on holistic healing.
-- Coleen Hardisty, Youth Literacy Coordinator
I would like to give How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie to my son and his best friend, who have just started content creation in different social media platforms. This book will enable them to make friends quickly and easily, and help them win people to their way of thinking. These two boys are young and are bursting with ideas and enthusiasm. They are so passionate about making a difference in other young people’s lives, change that will propel them to success and self-development. This book will also provide techniques and strategies that will enhance their public speaking skills and boost their confidence. This is an old book, but its merits still stand and are still undeniably relevant to this day and age.
-- Grayce Patino, HIPPY Coordinator
