The book we chose as a selection for our book club, is Chong's second book, The Girl in the Picture: The Kim Phuc Story. Part of our reason for choosing this book is that Kim Phuc will be in Prince George to speak at 12th Annual Dr. Bob Ewert Memorial dinner on April 2nd. In her book, Chong tells the story of Kim Phuc, the subject of a famous photo from a girl running away from a napalm attack in 1972 during the Vietnam war. I have included the photo here.
The book does a good job of describing the political events of the Vietnam war and contextualizing them in the life of Kim Phuc and her family. I went into the book without knowing much about the Vietnam war and I think Chong did an excellent job of recounting the events in a detailed and understandable way. It was interesting how Kim's fame in many ways worked against her as the constant attention from media caused several extended delays in her studies. One of the things that struck me about Kim's story, which aligns with the reasons I chose the selections for my reading challenge, was that Kim was born in 1963, one year before I was -- so we are essentially the same age. In 1972, when Kim was burned, I was in grade two worrying about typical grade two things like learning spelling words and getting home from playing in time for supper. As Canadians, most of us we are so removed from the horrors of war, I thank Kim and Chong for expanding my horizons by allowing me into this amazing story of courage.
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I wanted to share my Reading Challenge for 2016. This challenge is about broadening my horizons (and yours, if you choose to follow along) in terms of seeing the world from a different perspective -- whether that is seeing your own hometown through a different lens or seeking out a new place or experience. Perhaps it is about seeing how much the world has changed or stayed the same in a 100 years or even since your birth. You can read the books in any order. I would love to hear about what you have chosen to read, so please post your book choices in the comments.
- Read a travel book or journal about a place you’ve always wanted to go but have never been.
- Read a book written by someone you do not agree with.
- Read a book by an author from your hometown.
- Read a book or collection by an Indigenous author.
- Read a Canadian biography.
- Read something written about or by someone you look up to and admire.
- Read something from the immigrant perspective or about the immigrant experience.
- Read a book written by an author in a war torn/unstable part of the world.
- Read something written about a gender identity and/or sexual orientation that is different from your own.
- Read something written about a religion, form of spirituality, or faith other than your own.
- Read a book with a day of the week or month of the year in the title.
- Read something written in 1916. Check out this Goodreads list or Wikipedia for some suggestions.
- Read something written the year you were born.
- Read a book of poetry.
- Choose a book completely by its cover by an author you’ve never read before.
- Read a book with your name in the title or maybe by an author that shares your name (first, last, or full name).
- Read the third book in a series without reading the first two.
- Read a children’s book every day for a week (i.e. a picture book) -- better yet, if possible read a book to a child every day for a week.
- Read a book of fairy tales either traditional or post-modern.
- Read a book translated from another language.
- Read a genre you don’t usually read.
- Read a business or leadership book.
- Ask an acquaintance (not a close friend) for a recommendation and read the book they suggest even if you’re not sure about it.
- Read a graphic novel, anime, or manga.
- Open an atlas, close your eyes and drop your finger, find a book written by an author from the nearest town where your finger lands. You could also spin a globe.
- Read a book that you have been waiting to be published – something you have been anticipating. Perhaps a new book by your favourite author.
BONUS: As I was writing this post, I was thinking about my mom's collection of books -- she was an avid reader and at the end as she slept less and less, she would often read a book in a night or two. SO, the bonus book, is to ask your mother or father to recommend a book that they loved and after you read it, to discuss it with them. If this isn't possible, ask your child or grandparent or someone that you love to recommend a book.
Thank you to Crystal, Pat, Marianne, Lisa, and Brenda for your suggestions.
Happy Reading!
