Conversations at The Compass

[Theresa]

How joyful for your family, Nancy!

[Booknblues]

Congratulations Nancy!

I wanted to pass these along to anyone interested in finding books from diverse authors.
Pura Belpré Award: This award is given annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best represents and celebrates the Latino cultural experience.
Diverse BookFinder: A valuable resource for finding children's books by Latino/Latina authors and illustrators.
The Core Collaborative: Features lists of Hispanic children's authors and books to celebrate.

[Sue]

Booknblues wrote: "Congratulations Nancy!

I wanted to pass these along to anyone interested in finding books from diverse authors.
Pura Belpré Award: This award is given annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illust..."

I just finished the 2026 Pura Belpre' Award winner for illustration: Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music. It was delightful! I don't read a ton of children's books, but will definitely look for these award winners when I do!

[Booknblues]

Sue wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Congratulations Nancy!

I wanted to pass these along to anyone interested in finding books from diverse authors.
Pura Belpré Award: This award is given annually to a Latino/Latin..."

I love that you found that book, I've never read it before and was thrilled to read about it.

[Holly R W]

I went to the library today and with the help of the children's librarian, took out 4 children's picture books about different countries. Each one is short. I'd like to review each one.

I don't plan to travel to each place. Where should I post the reviews?

The first one read is about Viet Nam - Hundred Years of Happiness by Thanhhà Lại

[NancyJ]

Sue wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Congratulations Nancy!

I wanted to pass these along to anyone interested in finding books from diverse authors.
Pura Belpré Award: This award is given annually to a Latino/Latin..."


This sound great for Ellie!

[Theresa]

Looks like this week we have a bit of a Free Pass Support Group going - Amy, Holly R W, and myself all have spins that aren't working with what we need to be reading in whatever time we each have to read. Free Passes will be used!

JoAnne however finally got one that works for her - 3 cheers 🥳🥳🥳 and a raised glass🍸!

[Linda C]

I am currently leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina and heading SW. I can probably look for Chile's lowest parts or further down in Argentina. But both are hard to find books for. If I go past there to use Antarctica, do I need to find a point SW or can I just consider a book set in any part of Antarctica as my SW bering? I am considering reading How the Penguins Saved Veronica Would that work? How do I calculate distance? Any help on this is welcome.

[NancyJ]

I’m pretty sure the book Who Is Vera Kelly? involves a southwesterly trip by boat to escape from Buenos Aires to Chile. I recall that she saw penguins along the way. This could work under the rules of the game.

Antarctica. The research stations in Antarctica all seem to be directly south of you, or slighly SE. Livingston Island, Palmer Island, Shetland islands and Amundsen South Pole station in the middle of the continent. Those are the places that Veronica, Bernadette and the penguin researchers were stationed in various books. Wild Dark shore is set on an island to the east.

Joy might know if any of the historic ATA expeditions started or ended in a position SW of Buenos Aires.

You might consider Patagonia, or the Pompas region. There are also several books about ships that sail south around Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America. You could pick almost any spot along the trip as your map point. Also look for books set near Tierra del Fuego archipelago, Aguilar islet, and the Diego Ramires islands.

Joy is very familiar with the books about historical ship voyages and might have some other ideas.

[Joanne]

I need a book with penguins, too. I will check that one out.

[Joanne]

Linda C wrote: "I am currently leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina and heading SW. I can probably look for Chile's lowest parts or further down in Argentina. But both are hard to find books for. If I go past there to ..."

I have been just using the country, at times, Linda. Not sure if there will be an argument here about that, but I say go for it.

[Joy D]

Linda C wrote: "I am currently leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina and heading SW. I can probably look for Chile's lowest parts or further down in Argentina. But both are hard to find books for. If I go past there to ..."

Linda, One book I know that traveled to that specific area around the tip of South America and to Antarctica, which I'm sure would count, is Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night. If I recall correctly, there's a map that shows the course and "drift" (once they got caught in the icepack.)

Most of the books set in Antarctica (on the continent itself) will reference a location - mountains or seas or one of the Science Stations. If they don't you can always use the general continent, and the map will show somewhere in the middle.

I have asked what happens if you land in Antarctica, and you will need to get a northerly direction (N, NE, NW) for your next move (or I assume you can use a free pass). E or W would mean reading another book set in Antarctica.

Here's a link to my Antarctica shelf (but there's no guarantee I remembered to tag them all):
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Theresa]

Linda C wrote: "I am currently leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina and heading SW. I can probably look for Chile's lowest parts or further down in Argentina. But both are hard to find books for. If I go past there to ..."

I found myself exactly in the same position at one point earlier in The Compass. I also had the additional requirement that it had to be crime fiction which is my theme. In fact I was stuck in the Uruguay/Argentina area a couple of times. Here's a link to a post in my personal tracking that shows my findings - it is all crime fiction though: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I ended up not having to use them - both times I ended up in that area, the spinner gave me a direction other than South - first time I went to Shanghai and the second to Melbourne.

[Theresa]

Joanne wrote: "I need a book with penguins, too. I will check that one out."

There was a lengthy discussion and recommendations on books with Penguins earlier in this thread. I have an appointment to go to now and can't take time to look back for it and link it, but if no one has by the time I get back this evening, I'll do so for you, JoAnne.

[Linda C]

Thanks for all the recommendations.
I ended up finding a couple of memoirs by a woman named Margaret Winslow who did her geology research in Tierra del Fuego and various other areas in Patagonia and the southern Andes.
Over My Head: Journeys in Leaky Boats from the Strait of Magellan to Cape Horn and Beyond and The Cusp of Dreadfulness: Fifteen Seasons in Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia
They look really interesting. I will use the first one for this direction and save the other for the next time I have a need to read something in this locale.

[Joanne]

Theresa wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I need a book with penguins, too. I will check that one out."

There was a lengthy discussion and recommendations on books with Penguins earlier in this thread. I have an appointment..."

Thanks Theresa, I found one at the library sale today The Penguin Lessons

[Theresa]

Joanne wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I need a book with penguins, too. I will check that one out."

There was a lengthy discussion and recommendations on books with Penguins earlier in this thread. I hav..."

That sounds wonderful!

[Linda C]

Joanne wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I need a book with penguins, too. I will check that one out."

There was a lengthy discussion and recommendations on books with Penguins earlier in this thread. I hav..."

The movie of Penguin Lessons is on Netflix. I just read that book and am looking forward to seeing the movie.

[Theresa]

I just got my 25th spin direction, thus starting my 3rd trip! I'm sticking to my theme of crime fiction - and this one takes me to Japan where I will finally read the last book I need to complete ATY 2025 -- prompt is translated novel from Asia. I am very fond of the translated Japanese crime fiction I've read - most from the Golden Age of Detective fiction - and I've had The Tattoo Murder Case in my ebook TBR Towers for too long.

I've been trying to get to Japan for 2 full rounds!

Will I finish a full 12 to make for 3 complete rounds? Probably not but who knows?

How's everyone else doing?

[Booknblues]

For a free ticket in October, read a book which mentions one of the following:
Pumpkins
Leaves turning colors
Apple picking
Harvest festivals
Costume ball, party or trick or treating