Now that summer vacation is finally here, those youngsters who go to school have more time to read for pleasure. With that in mind, we have decided to stock our shelves with graphic novels for readers of all ages. Although we have already sold out of several titles, we still have a fine selection.

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Diane Fossey, and Birutė Galdikas is the inspiring story of three young women – one each from Britain, the United States, and Canada – who loved their fellow primates so much that they decided to live amongst them and devote their lives to their study.

Whether you are or are not yet a fan of bestselling author Raina Telgemeier, you might like The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea or Share Your Smile: Raina’s Guide to Telling Your Own Story. Says Booklist, “Telgemeier is prodigiously talented at telling cheerful stories with realistic portrayals of middle-school characters.”

Amulet: The Stonekeeper is the first installment of eight in the Amulet series created by Japanese-American author and illustrator Kazu Kibuishi. The series follows the adventures of Emily, a young girl who discovers a magical amulet in her great-grandfather’s house.

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel is an adaptation of the 1962 novel by Madeleine L’Engle that has been made into two films, most recently in 2018. The story follows three youngsters who journey through space and time as they attempt to save their father and the world as a whole.

And last, but not least, for young adults and up we have “a graphic novel to spark joy in life, work, and love” – The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo, the now world-famous decluttering guru from Japan. You can learn the KonMari Method on the beach as you follow the story of Kondo helping a young Tokyoite “exorcise the spirits of boyfriends past, organize her living space, streamline her wardrobe, and unearth her passions.”

By the end of author and poet Joy Kogawa’s remarkable four-day visit to our area, we had sold out of her most recent book – Gently to Nagasaki, but thanks to Vancouver’s Historic Joy Kogawa House we were able to get our hands on more copies of that powerful work as well as six more titles by or about her. From the classic semi-autobiographical novel Obasan, her first published work set partially in Slocan City, and the sequel Emily Kato, to her two children’s books Naomi’s Tree and Naomi’s Road, if you didn’t get enough of Joy Kogawa we have got you covered!

Famed Canadian novelist and memoirist Joy Kogawa will give a series of West Kootenay talks on the theme of “Forgiveness” beginning in the New Denver area on June 7 and 8.

Kogawa is the author of the 1981 Canadian classic novel Obasan, based on the author’s own internment down the lake at Slocan City during World War II. Kogawa is a member of the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia. In 2010 she received the Japanese government’s Order of the Rising Sun for her contribution to preserving Japanese-Canadian history.

This year Kogawa is the headliner at the annual Convergence Writers’ Weekend in Silverton. She will speak on the theme of “Writing Toward Forgiveness” on Friday, June 7 at 7 pm at the Silverton Gallery. Her talk is open to the public as well as Convergence registrants; cost to the public is $12.

Kogawa’s other talks are on the theme of “The Journey Toward Forgiveness.” She will speak at 2 pm on Saturday, June 8 at the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for students or seniors.

On Sunday, June 9 at 3 pm, Kogawa will speak at the Nelson United Church, and on Monday, June 10, she will talk at Kaslo’s Langham Centre.

The focus of Kogawa’s West Kootenay talks will be her most recent book, the 2016 memoir Gently to Nagasaki, which is available at Raven’s Nest. The Vancouver Sun’s Douglas Todd called the book “a mature work of history and spirituality, bravely detailing the intersection between mass global evils and those perpetrated intimately by members of one’s own family.

“Kogawa’s memoir deeply explores how denial works in regards to racism, paedophilia, nuclear power, Canadian internment camps and Japanese war atrocities,” Todd said. The Toronto Globe and Mail praised Gently to Nagasaki for “breaking the us/them dichotomy of victimization.”

(This post is based on the Convergence Writers’ Weekend press release. For more information visit <www.widespot.ca/convergence-writers-weekend>.)

Welcome to New Denver – we’re open for business all year round!  🙂

Please click on the Facebook link below to see our new video introducing Raven’s Nest to the outside world:

As things warm up outside, it may be time to think of ways to beat the heat. May we suggest cool natural fibre fashions as an integral element of any successful strategy. Raven’s Nest currently has a fine selection of bamboo, organic cotton, and hemp clothing from Nomads, OÖM and other eco-designers that should certainly fill the bill. Just drop by the next time you find yourself in sunny downtown New Denver.  🙂

Image Credits: Nomads and OÖM

Nomads Hemp Wear, the Slocan Valley’s own organic eco-clothing pioneer, is back and as strong as ever with their latest Spring Summer collection. Raven’s Nest has a nice selection of new ladies fashions – tops & bottoms, dresses & skirts, as well as bras & underwear. Drop by and try something on!

Bright and colourful spring fashions have begun to arrive from Montreal’s OÖM Ethikwear. OÖM designs stylish, trend-setting clothing that is eco-friendly and ethically produced right here in Canada. Pictured below are a few of the styles we are currently carrying at Raven’s Nest.

More about OÖM and their philosophy: “Since 2005, OÖM has made socially and environmentally ethical clothing a reality! Behind each red button is an ethical philosophy offering consumers the opportunity to wear their conscience, expressing themselves through clothing that reflects their personal values.

“Proud of the positive and engaged message our clothing conveys, we ensure their production by socially engaged organizations in Québec. OÖM clothes are made entirely from organic cotton and eco-responsible fabrics including 70% recycled cotton, recycled polyester, Tencel and hemp.

“Our goal as designers is to progressively overcome the difficulties of producing perfectly ethical clothing. We offer complete transparency on the production of each of our collections.

“Our business does not act independently of its environment, but rather is a responsible citizen participating in the active development of civil society. This is why we have always donated 1% of our sales to organizations that contribute to the betterment of our society and environment.”