Author: Lisa Helm

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

A novel is written in verse. 

This novel made me tear up, not only because of the storyline but how beautifully it is crafted. Acevedo weaves together the story of two sisters: Camino Rios who, lives in The Dominican Republic, and Yahaira Rios, who lives in New York. When their father is tragically killed in a plane crash, the sisters discover their father has been living a double life, a life he shares with two different families. The lives of the daughters are completely different from one another. Camino’s mother has died, and she lives with her aunt Tia, a woman who “has seen death & illness & hurt/ but never forgets how to smile or tell a dirty joke” (pg 60). Camino plans to attend an international school and one day go to a university in the US to become a doctor. In the meantime, she has to navigate a world where most young women her age become pregnant or get forced into prostitution. So far. Camino has been safe from this fate because since she was thirteen, her father has “paid ElCero to leave [her] alone” (pg.36) (El Cero “recruits” girls to work as sex workers). And now that her father has died, she is a target.

Yahaira, on the other hand, lives in New York with her mother. She attends private school, plays chess, and has a loving girlfriend. She and her mother own their apartment “where there is a small courtyard out back/where [they hold] summer barbecues for the family and neighbors” (pg. 129).

The tragedy of their father’s death forces the girls to accept their father’s actions and decide whether or not they want to accept each other as family.

Acevedo alternates point of view in each chapter in such a way that makes the reader empathize with both characters. We can’t help but hope the young women truly become sisters in every sense of the word. 

What About Will by Ellen Hopkins

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So I’m looking for new books for junior high classrooms. NEW books. Not Holes, or Hatchet or The Outsiders. NEW titles. I found one. And, read it in a day and I loved it. I even teared up at the end. 

What About Will is written by Ellen Hopkins. Now for those of you who have spent any time in a junior or senior high school library know that Hopkin’s novels are ALWAYS signed out. This is interesting because she writes her novels in verse and, in my experience, most students don’t immediately gravitate towards verse.

Hopkins’s novels often deal with difficult themes using intense issues such as drug abuse, physical abuse, and sex trafficking, to name a few. What About Will, however, deals with a serious issue but in a heartwarming and empowering way. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of 12-year-old Trace. Trace’s life is pretty awesome; he lives with his mother and father and his big brother Will whom he adores. 

One day though, Trace’s life takes a dramatic turn when Will is tackled in a football game and suffers a serious concussion. Will recovers but, he no longer is “Will”. He is angry, in pain, shoves those whom he loves away from him, and starts to make decisions that put his life at risk. The stress of the accident causes his parents to divorce, and soon, Trace feels the need to tippy-toe around any serious issues he is experiencing in order to spare his loved ones’ stress. Even if it means keeping secrets that can turn out to be fatal.

Trace is a kind-hearted, selfless young man who just wants to keep those he loves safe and together. Unfortunately, he finds that no amount of good intentions on his part can sway the choices of others.

I really loved this novel so much that I’m including it in a book collection for Junior High Teachers to use for classroom book clubs. If I were still in the classroom I would try and possess several copies to use for literature circles or independent novel studies. It’s accessible to most readers because of its format. Students will not be overwhelmed by the number of words on the page or vocabulary.

To String Near Misses (an attempt at poetry)

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“…the chances we failed to seize, the moments of happiness we allowed to drift away. Today it seems to me that my whole life was nothing but a string of those small near misses: a race whose result we know beforehand but in which we fail to bet on the winner.” Jean-Dominique Bauby, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death

To banish the “near misses”

To be aware of the gifts revealed to us

no matter how tiny

To ignore superfluous detail –

the bullshit and posturing,

the maneuvering and manipulating.

To see what is truly a divine moment

and just “be”

in each breath,

in each heartbeat.

To reach out and embrace everything you already have,

even if it’s not quite what you’ve expected

but better, if perceived through the same eyes,

but a different lens.

To turn the “string of near misses”

into a necklace of precious gems

Moments transformed into memories.

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

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“His shirt was freshly laundered, a sharp crease ran down the sleeve, and Mungo took that as a sign that some woman cared for him, that he was worth something to someone.” (Douglas Stuart).


This novel sucks you in, rips your heart out, and leaves you sobbing on the floor. Seriously. I haven’t been this emotionally impacted by a novel since A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara…and it took me a summer of reading fluffy books to heal my heart.

Young Mungo is about Mungo, the youngest child of three raised (if you can call it that) by a single mother whose presence is sporadic and, more often than not, fueled by alcohol.
Mungo’s life consists of: spending time with his older sister Jodie who serves as a surrogate mother when she is not working, alone, or reluctantly vandalizing, stealing, and fighting in his brother Hamish’s gang.


Mungo is a gentle soul who seeks out friendship and affection from whomever he can. Sadly he is often abused and taken advantage of because of this. Besides the love of his sister and the mother-like attention he gets from his next-door neighbour, Mungo finds friendship and love in his neighbour James. The fact that James is both male and Catholic makes their affection for each other dangerous.


With this second book, Douglas Stuart has become one of my favourite authors. His gift at storytelling is vivid and visceral. The reader quickly becomes immersed in the life of Mungo Hamilton, and at times we are left breathless with emotion.

Young Mungo will be published April 5 2022


Trigger warning: physical, emotional, and sexual assault.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.


You’ll find my review of Stuart’s first novel Shuggie Bain here

Unvarnished by Emily Carr Edited by Kathryn Bridge

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I love Emily Carr’s paintings. Whenever I get the chance to visit Victoria, BC, I try to see the Art Gallery of Victoria to view their collection of her works. I have, however, never read any of her prose.

Unvarnished me is a phrase Carr used to “describe herself, her personal writings, private papers, and objects she deemed her honest self” (Kathryn Bridge).

Unvarnished is a non-threatening yet intense immersion into Carr’s writings, writings that range from postcards she’s written to friends and family, personal journals, and her short stories. In addition, the text includes visuals of Emily Carr’s journals, artwork, and photographs of the artist herself.

Kathryn Bridge does an impressive job weaving together this collection, creating an intimate portrait of one of Canada’s most celebrated artists.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy

When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

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“ And yet, the stars are not lost. They form patterns. Constellations. If you know how to look, there are stories woven into the very essence of stars” (When Stars are Scattered).

Graphic novel grades 8-12

Themes displacement, political unrest, resilience, family, loyalty

The story takes place over three significant times in the life of our protagonist: as a child, as a teenager, and as a young man.

The brothers Omar and Hassan live in a refugee camp in Kenya. When the story begins, they have already lived in the camp for seven years after fleeing Somalia under the threat of violence. Tragically, during this time, their father was killed and their mother went missing. The refugee camp in which they live is incredibly large with markets, clinics, schools, and neighbourhoods of various wealth. 

Omar would love to go to school but doesn’t because he fears for the safety of his little brother Hassan. Hassan is nonverbal and because of the traumatic experiences in Somalia, becomes extremely distressed when Omar leaves him.. Eventually, Omar gets the chance to attend school, with the help of their neighbour and guardian Fatuma who agrees to care for Hassan. At school, Omar realized that the only way he will be able to leave the refugee camp is to become educated enough to impress the UN workers who visit. Then, with luck, he will eventually succeed in his “interview’ to be placed in a new country.

The day-to-day life of a political refugee is detailed in this novel. At times it the novel describes the violence the boys experienced while fleeing Somalia and the violence Hassan faces in the camp itself. This violence, however, is not gratuitous or graphic. This graphic novel is an effective and engaging way to present the realities of a refugee camp through the convincing and empathetic voice of someone who has actually lived it.

This novel would be very suitable for book clubs in jr. and sr. high. Several cross-curricular connections can be made with Social Studies and Religious Studies. The various themes offer opportunities for depth of discussion and reflection. 

If not used as part of classroom study, it definitely should be made a part of every school or classroom library.

The Potential That Lies in the Question

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“…every question possessed a power that did not lie in the answer.” Elie Wiesel Night

A question can be significantly more important than the answer. If we don’t question, we naturally assume the “truth” we are presented with is just that,
the truth.
Then acceptance leads to manipulation and ultimately, for lack of a better term,
mush for brains.
When we question, we inquire. We show inquisitiveness and don’t just sit through life passively like dough waiting to rise. Questioning means we’re alive. It means we have an opinion. It means cures for cancer. World peace. Nobel prizes.
Questions mean change. To respectfully challenge the status quo is our responsibility as human beings. It encourages accountability.
Creativity.
Logic.
Three things I see lacking in the world. And sometimes in my own immediate vicinity.
We need to encourage inquiry in others and, most importantly, in ourselves. To not be afraid of throwing out a “why” and to be equally unafraid of catching one. We need to cultivate genuine inquisitiveness in ourselves. Excitement for learning. Sometimes a difficult thing to do through the exhaustion of the day filled with work and obligation.
But the excitement someone builds in herself about the process or even the mere probability of acquiring knowledge
is infectious.
How often do we see a friend learning to and successfully remodeling her own home, or acquiring a new language, or training for a new job? And we think, “I could do that.”
But we leave it there.
What we should be saying is, “I want to do that, and I will.”
Then go out and make it happen.

The Midnight Killing by Sharon Dempsey

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If you’re looking for an engaging, suspenseful whodunnit with interesting characters, look no further. The Midnight Killing starts with a gruesome murder presented in the first few pages. However, we soon meet Detective Inspector Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Dr. Rose Lainey whose shoulders we peer over throughout the investigation. Having been good friends during their university years, Danny and Rose complement each other in their investigation. Each hero has an interesting backstory that the author weaves skillfully into the story of the murder without causing the momentum of suspense to falter.
The novel presents a suspenseful story with various fascinating suspects.
Mystery and Thrillers is one of my favourite genres, and Dempsey is incredible at creating suspense and incredibly engaging characters. I’m hoping she writes a series with Stowe and Lainey because she’s become, my new favourite authors.

Will be published in Feb 2022 Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy.

The Maid by Nita Prose

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

I have a wonderful NEWLY Published book recommendation!! Brand spankin’ new in fact. Released January 4th.

Molly is an interesting girl. Some would say quirky…some are crueler and say she is weird. You see, Molly can’t read social cues, isn’t very good at small talk, isn’t the best judge of character, and is obsessed with cleanliness. This second attribute comes in handy because Molly is a maid. One of the best maids, in fact, who works at the posh Regency Grand Hotel.

Molly loves her job. She loves to see how she can magically transform a dirty room into a shiny welcoming sanctuary. However, after her grandmother dies, life becomes more complicated. One day Molly discovers a dead man in one of the rooms, and she soon becomes entangled in a web of deception and manipulation, a web where people take advantage of her innocence.


I love the first-person narration in which this story is written. Molly’s use of proper etiquette and elocution and a penchant towards the literal makes her a sweet and funny protagonist inserted in a compelling murder mystery.

A heartwarming, suspenseful read with a memorable main character. A fantastic novel to start the new year.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance Copy

We Don’t Need to Know Everything

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When we are young, when everything seems new and we’re open and curious to learn, we listen to those who know or can teach us skills to “find out” for ourselves.
How to ride a bike.
How to hold our pencil.
To skate.
Write.
Read.
And we listen with trust and childlike appreciation to those who will show us how and then to those who will show us how to do better.
But then, somewhere along the way, this trust and appreciation turn to frustration and impatience. As teenagers, we say, “who are you to tell me what to do?”
“Leave me alone.”
“This sucks.”
Eventually, we realize that we indeed do not know everything, at least not the things we need to know to succeed at a new job, make money, buy a house. All the “things” that come along in life that are new. So we listen and learn from the experts who will teach guide and us.
But then we stall. Again we think we know it all. We don’t want to learn because it will require effort,
or change
or, heaven forbid,
more responsibly.
We’re scared to fail. Or too proud to acknowledge a need for growth. So we muddle around in a rut expecting accolades for redundancy. Or again, to be left alone in a cocoon of unaccountability.
And we may resent those who try to teach us, and this time we think instead of say:
“Leave me alone”
or “who are you to tell me what to do.”
or “Let me do what I’ve always done…
even if it’s mediocre.
Because complacency is familiar. And doesn’t require effort.
And I think the only way to regain that childlike trust to learn from someone else is through humility. And the acknowledgment that someone else might, in fact, know something I don’t know. And if that person has my respect, then mentors can exist even for adults.
And I can learn above suspicion
with the same innocence as a child.

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

~ Lisa Helm ~ 1 Comment


I love Kelley Armstrong. My favourite Series of her’s is the Cainsville Series.” I started the first one, Omens, and then proceeded to stay awake all night reading it. There are 5 titles in this Series if you’re interested.
Armstrong’s newest novel is A Rip Through Time which sets us up for a whole new series; this one is about serial killers and time travel. HOW FUN DOES THIS SOUND!
Mallory, our heroine, is a homicide detective from Vancouver. She is in Edinburgh, Scotland, to be with her dying grandmother. While on an evening run she hears a scream and goes to investigate just to be knocked unconscious. She then wakes up in the year 1869, inhabiting the body of a young housemaid named Catriona. Mallory soon discovers that Catriona was strangled in the same alley more than a century before Mallory was attacked.
Mallory now takes it upon herself to solve Catriona’s murder, all the while trying to figure out how to get back to her own time and place in history.
My favouite thing about Armstrong’s writing, besides the incredibly imaginative and entertaining plot, is the voice of her protagonists. The first-person narration presents Mallory as a funny best friend relaying a crazy story over a bottle of whiskey. But, of course, the more you drink the crazier the story becomes, and you laugh and laugh and laugh until your belly aches.

A Rip Through Time will not be published until June 2022 making it the perfect addition to your summer reading list.

To Pull Out Our Brain

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“If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes” Pablo Picasso.

I sometimes have the tendency to overanalyze.

Ok, I often have the tendency to overanalyze and question and stew, which ultimately leads me to doubt my interpretation and second guess my response.

At times it’s exhausting.

And I wonder,

wouldn’t it be wonderfully freeing to once in a while absorb information simply at face value?

It is what it is.

To view it as a manifestation of truth with no assembly necessary. To see something, just to see it. To see someone just to see them.

To observe without elucidation or analysis.

To experience without intention.

Sometimes this is easy. Immersing myself in nature. Sitting on a beach looking out over the great expanse of the ocean. Inhaling the salty air deeply and listening to the lapping of the water.

Or

driving through the mountains, the white peaks, the small trickles of melted water relenting to gravitational force and winding their way down the mountainside.

Watching fields of golden wheat dance in the wind.

No interpretation is needed.

Each

just

is.

It’s unfortunate such experiences don’t happen as often as they should. The life we create for ourselves, especially in adulthood, is crammed full of exterior stimulus of an electronic nature. The constant bombardment of information that needs to be processed and either stored or dismissed. Evaluation required.

Maybe we all have the eyes of an artist; we just need to “pull out our brain” in order to use them.

25 degrees

~ Lisa Helm ~ Leave a comment

I live in a place of extremes.
This last week, my city had the distinction of being the second coldest place on the planet.
It has since warmed up by 25 degrees.
It is a welcome relief to finally have the walls stop snapping and the fog caused by exhaust sitting in the air dissipate. Still, I’m finding it difficult to figure out how Mother Nature wants me to behave. Do I wear wool or cotton? At night do I keep handy a heating pad or fan? Warm soup for supper or a refreshingly crisp salad?
And although I’ve gotten used to these extremes (albeit I find them somewhat annoying), I still look forward to peaceful spans of continuity and predictability.
In fact, sometimes, I long for them.
I’m not really talking about the weather. But, we all know, talk of the weather is usually a disguise for something else.
Something deeper.
Extremes in life are difficult.
Those surges of maniacal frenzy that occur at work no matter how diligently you measure yourself.
You plan and pace with perfect practicality, but they always seem to swirl upon you, and you fight to keep your nose above the swell. You usually do,
but not without the sleepless nights, moments of panic, and “medicinal” pouring of wine.
Or relationships where you are besieged by attention and obligation, sometimes welcome, other times…
not so much.
Days where you see and talk to no one about anything of significance and long for a passionate and intellectual conversation peppered with emotion,
or,
you are emotionally and mentally drained and want to crawl into a hermit hole and watch all the extended versions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
in one sitting.
I guess it’s true. Life is filled with ebb and flow. And we can’t appreciate certain moments unless we’ve experienced their opposite.
You can’t breathe a sigh of relief during the holiday unless you’ve lived through the chaos at work.
You can’t KNOW happiness unless your heart has been broken.


Life is all about 25 degrees of separation.