| ||||||||||||||||||
Never having seen trees, the children in Repulse Bay decide that the funny things sent them one year must actually be baseball bats.
An autobiographical tale from Michael Kusugak's childhood tells a story of life in the arctic, and easily different cultures can interpret things differently.
Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak grew up in Repulse Bay, a small village in the Northwest Territories. His family followed the traditional Inuit life-style, traveling by dogteam, living in igloos in the winter and tents in the summer. He had no access to books as a child, and didn't speak a word of English until he was seven years old. "Every night my grandma would tell us a story to put us to sleep."
In 1955, a floatplane whisked Kusugak off to a residential school in Chesterfield Inlet. "When you're seven years old and hauled away from your parents, it's very hard. I cried the whole year I was there." The next year, when the plane came again, Kusugak hid in the hills. "I didn't go to school that year." In spite of his truancy Kusugak went on to become one of the first Inuit from the eastern Arctic to finish high school. He went to work for the government and spent 15 years in a variety of positions including Director of Community Programs for Arctic College.
Kusugak had enjoyed writing stories and poems but had never considered becoming an author until he met Robert Munsch. "He stayed with us during Book Week once, and I told him all kinds of legends. He suggested that I write them down." They took one of those stories and worked on it together. A Promise is a Promise by Michael Kusugak and Robert Munsch was published by Annick Press in 1988.
"That story is based on a childhood memory. I like to write about my Inuit experiences. I like to take things that are native to me and create a story around them."
Kusugak has since published six other books about the legends and myths of the Arctic as well as his own personal experiences.
When he is not writing, he travels throughout North America visiting schools and enthralling students and teachers alike with his stories and traditional string tricks.
He still lives in the Arctic. "I've always been close to the land, the sea, and the animals. I want to share the things I know about life here in the Arctic."
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful View into Inuit Culture,
By P Jackson (United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Baseball Bats for Christmas (Paperback)
This is a wonderful story which conveys the resourcefulness of children. More than that, Michael provides a view from within the Inuit culture. He illuminates for those of us who did not grow up on the Arctic Circle what it is to live in that harsh environment. At the same time, he shows us how alike we all are: enjoying the holidays and a good baseball game with friends.Vladyana's magnificent art is an added bonus. I bought this book after hearing Michael tell the story at the International Reading Association teachers' conference in 1999. Since that time, it has become one of my favorites, as well as a favorite of my students and my colleagues.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Baseball Bats for Christmas --Good Book but Weak Christmas Message,
By White Fang (York, PA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Baseball Bats for Christmas (Paperback)
"Baseball Bats for Christmas" is a good book which reveals what life was like in Repulse Bay in 1955. The reader learns about Arctic Circle and Inuit life including living in igloos and sod huts, a barren treeless realm, a land with no access to the outside world except by aeroplane, and lack of department store toys like baseball bats. Children with asthma may be able to identify with Arvaarluk, an Inuit boy, in the story who suffers from asthma himself. However, Arvaarluk's asthma condition is referenced to in passing only three times. This book takes the reader on a journey to Repulse Bay above the Hudson Bay and Arctic Circle. The Christmas message is present, however it is weak. The author does present life in the church on Christmas Eve and also the interesting Christmas custom of exchanging or actually trading gifts at Christmas when inhabitants of Repulse Bay took their most favorite thing in the world and gave it to their best friend. The other Christmas strand which the author developed was the making of real wooden baseball bats from the trees that were brought to Repulse Bay for planting, since there were no trees there. All in all a delightful book but weak on the Christmas theme.
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
it was a good read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Baseball Bats for Christmas (Library Binding)
i read this book to my brother who has asthma too. he is 4 and he realy enjoyed it i recommend it.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
|
|
