MMGM: Joy of Apex by Napatsi Folger

Date Published: May 15, 2012

ISBN: 1926569474
Genre: Middle grade fiction, contemporary
Publisher: Inhabit Media Inc.
Themes: friendship, family, home, cultural diversity
Add it on: Goodreads / Indie Bound / Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

About The Book: Joy is ten years old, living in Apex, Nunavut—a suburb of Iqaluit—and loving life. Her little sister Allashua may be annoying, but all in all Joy loves living at the top of the world in Apex. But when Joy begins to notice her parents fighting a lot more than usual, and her mom staying with her sisters in Iqaluit more than she is home, Joy’s perfect life soon becomes a lot more complicated. As Joy navigates her parents’ separation and its affect on her family, she learns some valuable lessons about how to cope when life gets tough. Told in the wry, funny voice of a smart and savvy ten-year-old girl, this book will appeal to young readers everywhere.

First Line: My name is Joy Magnussen and I live in Apex, or Niaqunngun, which is the Inuktitut name for my hometown.

What Others Are Saying: "This is a well-written volume and an engaging read. The work is clearly rooted in the author’s personal experience growing up in the Eastern Arctic. Pre-teens through adult readers will enjoy this book. Highly recommended for public libraries and school libraries everywhere" —The Deakin Review

"Folger is careful at letting the story go first, working in sensory reminiscences from her own childhood in Iqaluit without creating a setting that outweighs plot or character." —Scoop It

Bloggers Weigh In:
Paper Tigers
Beverly Brenna
Pigeon Peas Booknook

What I Thought: Joy of Apex is a slice-of-life contemporary novel about a ten year old girl who's parents split up. Folger does a great job of injecting cultural detail without sacrificing plot pace. I think this would be a great choice for a cultural diversity discussion. It shares interesting peeks into Inuit life while demonstrating common threads all middle grade students share. 

Photo Credit: Nunavut Online

About The Author: Napatsi Folger

Who: Napatsi Folger was born and grew up in Iqaluit, Nunavut, She lived there until her family moved to Vancouver in 1991. Napatsi returned to Iqaluit in 2004, to work for the Department of Education, Government of Nunavut. In 2010 she moved to Toronto to continue her education at the University of Toronto. Joy of Apex is Napatsi Folger's first novel.

Next Week: 
A Week With Fiona Wonder 
                  by Kelly Huddleston







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