Kim Spencer
Kim Spencer is a graduate of the Writers Studio at Simon Fraser University, where she focused on creative nonfiction. Two of her short stories were published in an anthology released through SFU, and an experimental short story of hers appeared in Filling Station magazine and was shortlisted for the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Award. Kim was selected as a mentee by the Writers Union of Canada for BIPOC Writers Connect, as well as for ECW's BIPOC Writers Mentorship Program. Kim is from the Ts’msyen Nation in northwest BC and currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Kids Books (2)
Synopsis:
It’s the summer of 1989, and Mia is on her own—adjusting to life without her ex-best friend, Lara.
Summer vacation starts off well enough as Mia binges MTV and learns how to jar fish with her aunty and uncle. Then her grandma starts feeling unwell. At first, Mia isn’t too worried, but when a call comes in from the clinic to say her grandmother has to go to the hospital in Vancouver, everyone realizes this is serious.
Mia and her mom and aunties head to the city to be by her grandmother’s side. Mia mostly ping-pongs from the hospital to the motel, but she also gets to see some of the city and eat (too much) takeout. She even joins a basketball camp at the Friendship Centre, where she meets a teen coach who inspires her to get back into the game she loves and delve deeper into what it means to be Indigenous. As time passes, Mia’s grandmother's health doesn’t improve, and she has to face the fact that her beloved grandma might not get better.
Reviews
"Engaging, endearing and earnest, Spencer skillfully weaves together the simple joys of life with painful truths.” - Emily Seo, award-nominated author of The Science of Boys
"Kim Spencer is a master at seeing the world through a child’s eyes. A moving tribute to life, love, family and community." - Kevin Sylvester, award-winning author of Apartment 713
“A sensitive and wise rendering of Mia grappling with grief, family and identity. Mia’s self-discovery journey and her celebration of family, identity and roots will be hugely appealing and comforting to tweens exploring their own coming-of-age trials. Told in elegant poetic vignettes, I Won’t Feel This Way Forever is an emotionally rich and profound story that resonates across generations and cultures. A slam dunk follow-up to Weird Rules to Follow.” - Salma Hussain, author of The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan, a Quill & Quire 2022 Book of the Year
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.
Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient: Z
Lexile measure: 710L
Guided Reading Level: Z
Additional Information
192 pages | 5.00" x 7.50" | Paperback
Synopsis:
In the 1980s, the coastal fishing town of Prince Rupert is booming. There is plenty of sockeye salmon in the nearby ocean, which means the fishermen are happy and there is plenty of work at the cannery. Eleven-year-old Mia and her best friend, Lara, have known each other since kindergarten. Like most tweens, they like to hang out and compare notes on their crushes and dream about their futures. But even though they both live in the same cul-de-sac, Mia’s life is very different from her non-Indigenous, middle-class neighbor. Lara lives with her mom, her dad and her little brother in a big house, with two cars in the drive and a view of the ocean. Mia lives in a shabby wartime house that is full of relatives—her churchgoing grandmother, binge-drinking mother and a rotating number of aunts, uncles and cousins. Even though their differences never seemed to matter to the two friends, Mia begins to notice how adults treat her differently, just because she is Indigenous. Teachers, shopkeepers, even Lara’s parents—they all seem to have decided who Mia is without getting to know her first.
Reviews
“Readers will be left with a rich image of Mia’s world and the family and people that surround her as well as a strong sense of how culture and class impact people’s experiences. A touching exploration of identity and culture.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Heartfelt and moving…Recommended.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“Like a photo album but in text rather than in pictures…providing the reader with a layered, nuanced picture of Mia’s life.” — Booklist
“Simply put, Kim Spencer’s Weird Rules to Follow is a gem of a novel. With sensitive yet sharply written prose, it beautifully inhabits the preteen world of Mia Douglas, which bubbles over with friends, family and adolescent confusion. The town of Prince Rupert and its inhabitants come alive, giving readers the perfect backdrop for Mia’s evolving understanding of her Indigenous identity and how she is perceived by others. Like Margaret Simon, Meg Murry and Starr Carter, Mia Douglas is a fictional star whom young readers will love.” — Jen Sookfong Lee, author of The Conjoined
Educator Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.
An Author's Note at the end of the book explains the author's use of terms like Native, Native Indian, and Indian to match the language used at the time period the book takes place. The author explains that these terms are no longer appropriate and provides more information on this issue.
Additional Information
192 pages | 5.00" x 7.50"
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