“There are fewer worries when your hands are creating” ~ Grammy Stewart (Page 87)
“Life isn’t easy and it isn’t always fair. Changing focus helps. Think of what you have done already, not what you haven’t. Be a warrior, not a worrier.” ~ Grammy Stewart (Page 114)

I wanted to read this story this month because April 2 is International Children’s Book Day, so I wanted to read a children’s book! This one is middle grade, and I read “A Beginners Guide to Goodbye” by the author of this one, so I went into this book with some decent expectations. A Beginners Guide to Goodbye was a book that dealt with a heavy topic like grief but broke it down so that it was easier for a kid understand. It was a sweet and touching story that I found quite meaningful. I rated it 5 stars when I read it 2yrs ago. Bertie Stewart is Perfectly Imperfect takes the same tone and spirit, and also has that same purpose of taking an important topic and breaking it down. This book tackles anxiety, what that can feel like, and how it can be dealt with.

As someone who doesn’t have anxiety, I can’t really comment on whether or not this is a good portrayal of it, but I do think it provides some understanding of what goes on in people’s heads, how they might overthink things, or feel a sense of panic. I think this book does well in presenting it in a kid friendly way, and I think it can be easy for kids to read this book and be able to identify some of the signs and indicators.

That being said, this book isn’t just about learning to deal with the inner voices in your head, there are also a lot of different subplots that I think this book could have cut out. There are too many characters that have different functions, Karla is the bully, Denise is the “evil” stepmom, Kevin is the best friend, Sally is the annoying sister, Grammy is the wise old mentor figure—there are so many people Bertie has met and frequently interacted with in such a short book, which is surprising since the main settings are just, home, school, and Grammy’s house. I think one of the drawbacks of my enjoyment of this book was that I thought it was going to be a fun, whimsy, maybe even cozy story about a girl going through life, but this book wants to be a lot of different things at all once? It wants to be that cozy and fun story, but it also wants to be a commentary about self acceptance, and dealing with these more heavy themes? Sure they can fit into the story, but I didn’t feel as if they were well developed enough. I understand writing a book with a message, but I would have liked this book better if it was more of Bertie vs Bertie and her having to overcome everything she’s going through by herself. This short and tiny book also wants to throw in Bertie vs the world and Bertie vs bullies at the same time, and it didn’t quite land as well as I thought it could.

The ending of this book is short and sweet. I think this book captures a childlike charm and wonder that’s since been lost from children as a whole. The characters are a bit underdeveloped, but they’re still fun to read about. They feel like kids in the sense that they don’t like how adults do things, and how they just want to be themselves. Bertie as a character is decent to read about, I didn’t find myself relating to her in a lot of ways, even if I was still younger. Bertie is snappy, but only a normal amount of snappy. She’s curious and quirky, and she isn’t liked by very many people at school. She only has one best friend, and they are friends because they both don’t follow any sort of mold.

I will say that sometimes the writing was a little bit strange, which I didn’t recall it being like this from “A Beginners Guide to Goodbye”, but some sentences just didn’t make sense? I understand that it’s a middle grade novel, but having strange sentences isn’t a stylistic choice. Maybe that’s too nitpicky, but that’s just a bit jarring to read a sentence that’s not fully edited halfway through your book.

Ooookay I think I actually found a lot to say about this book, but that’s not really even all of it. That’s okay though. I’ll leave it at this. Overall I think the book has a good heart of providing a new perspective on people who might have anxiety, and it might help a lot of young readers to actually identify what they are feeling. I think this book can serve as an aid for kids that have their own inner voices in their head. But I felt like the story element of this story was a bit lacking in some aspects, in my opinion. And I don’t think that books should be rated just because I can see the vision and the potential.

"The Honey Farm" by Harriet Alida Lye was a very powerful and magnifying read. The suspense of the story was compelling, and reading this book felt like a bullet was shot through my heart.

We follow the protagonist, Silvia, and her journey of self-discovery and her eagerness to taste freedom. Her whole life has been drawn to the high expectations of her parents, only ever knowing what she was taught. She knew she couldn’t continue living like this, but she was afraid of change. Up until now. After a while of longing for what life has to offer outside of the strict grounds of her parents, she attends the Honey Farm, to take herself as far away as possible. She builds a life that is structured around the farm, almost as if she restarted her life as a twenty-three-year-old. In the Honey Farm, she is exposed to freedom, experiencing and learning new things such as love, loss, grief, trust, isolation, and loyalty. Further into the book, she later realizes that although her parents might’ve not been able to follow her, her anxious and doubtful old self was always out to hunt her.

Harriet Alidad Lye’s writing style is very lyrical and beautiful. It has a sense of poetic and symbolic portrait to the storyline, as well as expressive phrases with an intense hook at the end of each chapter. She describes the feelings perfectly, truly understanding all her characters, essentially bringing the book to life.

I loved how the author narrates all characters, revealing their true identity and disguised form. Additionally, I loved how the book references and connects to the Bible, and Silvia’s character development with her faith and doubts, perfectly portraying a religious faith and warfare journey.

I recommend "The Honey Farm" to whoever may be questioning their ways of their life. This book will reassure you that there is always more to life than you might think.

False Bodies by J.R. McConvey was a super unique and intriguing read. It contains science fiction elements with a blend of psychological thriller but I felt as if this book could’ve been so much more. I was given this book for free as a #youthambassador with @digitallylit and @breakwater

The plot was very thought provoking and centers around sort of clonage and mutations when people start changing into part squid. As a science major it was super interesting to see all this unfold. However I feel like the pacing of this book was uneven and dragged in the middle.

I did like the characters and I loved following our main character Eddie the “Yeti” as he searches for the elusive Kraken only to find something much more dangerous.

Overall, I think this was an interesting read that just lacked execution but I did enjoy reading it! I recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading science fiction and about mythical creatures. 3.5/5 ⭐️

Sketch By Sketch
By: Emma Fitzgerald
Sketch By Sketch is a short illustrated novel about Emma’s journey along Nova Scotia’s South Shore. Along the way Emma visits multiple well known places such as Lunenburg and Liverpool as well as some of Nova Scotia’s hidden gems. Whilst on her journey Emma chronicles everything from recipes, history of communities and fun stories from the locals as well as drawing the places and people from the shore.
This book was excellent! I really enjoyed all of the small stories. Every little story put a smile on my face! I recognized a few places in the book, both ones I’ve visited and ones that I have learned about. Also the pictures are so beautiful. Emma’s colourful drawings had me in a happy mood the entire time I read! I give this book a 5/5.

Ben là, si t’as jamais entendu parler de Roméo LeBlanc, assis-toi ben comme faut, parce que t’es sur le point de découvrir un vrai conte acadien ! Pas une fable, non, non, une vraie histoire, avec un gars parti d’une p’tite ferme du Nouveau-Brunswick pour finir à Rideau Hall, à serrer la pince à Nelson Mandela. C’est pas d’la petite bière, ça ! Un gamin acadien, c’est pas juste une biographie plate, c’est une plongée dans une époque, un mode de vie, pis un gars qui a jamais oublié d’où y venait! :)

Un parcours exceptionnel : de la ferme acadienne à Rideau Hall
Avec Un gamin acadien, Beryl Young nous plongeons dans la vie fascinante d’un certain Roméo LeBlanc, de ses débuts modestes dans une ferme du Nouveau-Brunswick jusqu’à son ascension en tant que premier gouverneur général acadien du Canada. Publié par Bouton d’Or Acadie en 2018 et traduit par Robert Pichette, ce livre est une véritable porte d’entrée vers une histoire inspirante, racontée de façon accessible et engageante. Ça, c’est ben d’chez nous !

Une biographie bien ficelée et immersive
L’un des atouts majeurs de ce livre est sa fluidité. Loin des biographies lourdes et indigestes, celui-ci est bien organisé et ne perd pas de temps. En dix chapitres, on suit l’évolution de LeBlanc avec un récit qui se lit presque comme une histoire racontée par un bon ami. L’ajout d’annexes, d’un glossaire et de cartes est un vrai plus pour mieux situer les événements sans alourdir la lecture.
Mais ce qui rend Un gamin acadien particulièrement captivant, c’est son côté vivant et immersif. Le livre est parsemé de capsules culturelles qui enrichissent le récit : des anecdotes sur Joe DiMaggio (l’idole absolue de LeBlanc… et puis, ben, moi aussi, après ma lecture de son capsule culturelle dans le livre!), des recettes comme la poutine à trou, des explications sur des événements marquants de l’époque… On ne lit pas juste une biographie, on plonge dans un univers!

Des moments inspirants qui marquent
Impossible de ne pas être touché par certains passages, comme celui où LeBlanc réalise un rêve d’enfance en rencontrant Joe DiMaggio. En tant que passionné de baseball et fan des Yankees, serrer la main de son idole était un moment fort qui montre à quel point il est parti de loin… pour arriver tout en haut. Y fait pas les choses à moitié, lui !
Parlant de rencontres marquantes, LeBlanc a également côtoyé des figures emblématiques du monde politique comme Nelson Mandela et Jean Chrétien. Ces passages sont particulièrement intéressants, car ils illustrent non seulement son influence sur la scène internationale, mais aussi l’admiration que ces leaders avaient pour lui. Le livre fait un bon travail en mettant en lumière ces moments sans en faire trop, gardant toujours une approche humaine et accessible. (C’était pas d’la petite bière, c’est certain…)

Un gouverneur général proche du peuple
Quand il est devenu gouverneur général du Canada, LeBlanc n’a pas oublié d’où il venait. Il a mis un point d’honneur à rapprocher la fonction des Canadiens ordinaires, en valorisant le courage quotidien des citoyens et en rendant hommage aux contributions de chacun. Y’avait pas une cenne noire au début - y a monté la côte raide, mais y s’est jamais laissé abattre ! Son passage à Rideau Hall a marqué l’histoire acadienne, et il a porté cette fierté jusque sur la scène internationale, que ce soit au Royaume-Uni ou à Washington, DC.

Une biographie qui résonne profondément
Les nombreuses photographies et illustrations du livre ajoutent une dimension chaleureuse et familière. Elles nous permettent de suivre LeBlanc à travers les années et de vraiment s’imaginer à ses côtés, que ce soit sur la ferme familiale, en train de jongler entre études et travail, ou au sommet de sa carrière politique. L’accent mis sur sa famille, notamment son frère Léonard, avec qui il a eu des désaccords sur son avenir, et sa sœur Émilie, qui l’a toujours soutenu, donne une dimension humaine et touchante au récit.
En tant que Néo-Brunswickois, ce livre m’a particulièrement touché. Apprendre l’histoire de Roméo LeBlanc à travers Digitally Lit m’a permis de mieux comprendre l’importance de ces figures marquantes dans l’histoire canadienne et acadienne. Ça fait du bien de lire des récits qui mettent en lumière notre culture et notre héritage, et ce livre m’a rendu encore plus fier de mes racines. Il nous a fait apprendre que, en fashion comme qu’on le dit en Acadie : ‘’Quand t’as du cœur au ventre, tout est possible.’’

Verdict final : un incontournable
En bref, Un gamin acadien est une biographie accessible, bien écrite et enrichissante. Elle réussit à captiver son lecteur grâce à une narration fluide, des anecdotes bien choisies et un regard chaleureux sur une figure importante de l’histoire canadienne. C’est un livre qui donne envie de se renseigner encore plus sur l’Acadie et ses héros, et de continuer son histoire… juste comme Young a fait avec c’tte miracle de l’histoire icitte!

Merci à Béryl Young pour ce livre fascinant, et à Roméo pour son courage et fierté inoubliable pour notre pays. On met du pain sur la planche, icitte! Et c’est bien, chus jamais dans les patates à cause d’vous :D

Note finale : 4/5 ★ Je recommande ce livre!

Citation marquante :
« Si je devais être reconnu pour quelque chose, j'aimerais que ce soit parce que nous sommes conscients du courage quotidien extraordinaire des Canadiens et que nous voulons rendre hommage à ce courage. »
– Roméo LeBlanc, lors de son discours d'installation en tant que gouverneur général du Canada, le 8 février 1995.