From Amazon
Canada: Our History, Rick Archbold's original and spirited approach to Canadian history, cleverly brings 15 prominent events of 20th-century Canada to life through the viewpoints of young people between the ages of 10 and 17. Dramatic opening photographs draw the reader into many of the better-known episodes of our nation's past--Hurricane Hazel, Expo 67, the Halifax explosion, the Canada/USSR hockey series, and the FLQ crisis, to name a few. Archbold based many of his fictional characters on people he knows or true stories he has heard or read, and his characters convincingly reflect the perspectives of Canada's diverse cultures. The voices are original, honest, and often surprising. No stereotypes or clichés here.
Many of the riveting archival photos that accompany the stories are bound to elicit comments and questions from young readers. As historian Christopher Moore says in his introduction to the book, "I like old pictures because they're so strange. Look at the way they wore their hair! Imagine getting around in cars like that! What if you had to work in a kitchen like that one?" One small complaint is that the people and locales in many of the photos are not specifically identified. This minor point aside, Canada: Our History is a valuable reference source for young students and their teachers as well as a wonderful enticement for the individual reader. --Martha Johnson
Book Description
In this beautifully illustrated book, fifteen of the most compelling episodes in Canada's past are presented, each by a young narrator who witnessed history being made. Using a key photograph as the starting point for each chapter, the individual narrators lead the reader through an exploration of a particular moment in Canadian history, explaining the photograph and chronicling the events of the decade in which it occurred. Each section also contains 10 to 15 additional captioned images, which help the reader envision the past and enhance his or her experience of the events.
Parents, children and teachers will all benefit from this exciting true story of Canada's past, which promises to become an essential component of every home and school library.