Brooke Hamilton

Today I read Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. I’m not feeling nostalgic; it’s required reading for a course I’m taking on children’s literature through Athabasca University. The course is part of a larger four-year degree in English. This course has reintroduced me to books I loved as a child: Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables… as well as introducing me to literature I hadn’t heard of such as Ursula K. Leguin’s Earthsea books or Rosemary Sutcliff’s Eagle of the Ninth.

My favourite books as a girl were Tamora Pierce’s Tortall series. I loved reading about female warriors who were strong and broke gender barriers. I even did a speech in grade eight on the feminist role models in Pierce’s books. She made me want to be a writer.

Reading Winnie-the-Pooh as an adult is delightful. The humour is clearly meant for both kids and adults. My favourite character is Eeyore, but I also like Pooh Bear and Owl. I can personally relate to Pooh’s near constant desire for food and Eeyore’s gloomy social awkwardness.

I’m about to take Zazu on a walk and begin my evening. Not a whole lot going on today. Sometimes rest days are nice.