The cowboy life

Cowboy: A Kid's Album
by Linda Granfield


The history of the American cowboy is traced in this entertaining book. Filled with archival photographs, it describes the rigorous daily life of a cowboy, from ranch-hand to trail-rider, thief to outlaw. Imaginary letters from a cowboy to his sweetheart show how exhausting and dangerous a cattle drive could be. The book ends with the decline of cattle, the rise of rodeo, and a brief look at the life of a modern cowboy. Much is also mentioned of the way Hollywood romanticizes the West and distorts the truth.

Well-researched and inclusive - Granfield includes information on cowgirls, African-American cowboys, and the artists of the time - the book presents its subject with verve and excitement.

Mexican cowboys

Vaqueros: America's First Cowmen
by Martin W. Sandler


Almost everything a cowboy does, the clothing he wears, the equipment he uses, and the words that he speaks come directly from the vaqueros of Mexico. The vaqueros used their riding and roping skills to tend to the cattle first brought to Hispaniola by Christopher Columbus. When cattle were later introduced to the southwest United States, it was the vaqueros who taught the American cowboys everything they knew.

This book offers an enlightening glimpse at a people whom history has too long ignored.

Born to be a cowgirl

Born to Be a Cowgirl: A Spirited Ride Through the Old West
by Candace Savage


Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, families headed west to build ranches and raise cattle. Children often learned to ride horses before they learned to walk. Many of these children were girls. Once they were past babyhood, they were allowed to ride any horse as long as they didn't fall off. Having grown up with this amount of freedom, these women were not content to remain indoors to cook and clean. They headed outside to cart manure, brand cattle, and break wild horses. It didn't take long before they also made their mark with bronc riding, trick riding, barrel racing, and steer wrestling.

With historic photographs and fond recollections from the cowgirls themselves, this book is an enthusiastic look back at an exciting past.

Slavery in North America

Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage
by William Loren Katz


Slavery has existed in America ever since Columbus first landed in 1492. When the first slaves began to flee, they found refuge in Native American villages. The children of African and Native American marriages played key roles in the fight for liberty and equality, and made key contributions to the fur trade, to American colonization, and to the American Civil War.

Painful and difficult as their history is, it is nonetheless an important and enlightening book that all students should read.

A community remembered

Children of Africville
by Christine Welldon


Canadian Black history would not be complete without mentioning Africville, Nova Scotia. Founded in 1848 by black settlers, Africville grew into a caring, thriving community despite years of government neglect, prejudice, and racism. In clear, bittersweet prose, the children of Africville, now grown, look back and remember a seemingly idyllic time before their community was ruthlessly destroyed.

 

Last Days in Africville, by Dorothy Perkyns, is a fictional account of Africville's final days as seen through the eyes of twelve-year-old Selina Palmer. Selina's struggles with bullying and racism are tempered by the love and inclusiveness of her vibrant community. Read along with Children of Africville, it provides a clear idea of what living in Africville was really like. Both books will also have children wondering what would have happened if the people of Africville had fought harder for their community's survival. Their helplessness and fatalism is both frustrating and sorrowful.

Black history

The Kids Book of Black Canadian History
by Rosemary Sadlier


Black Canadians have made many contributions to the development of Canada. This book provides an overview to the people and events that have shaped our country. From the scourge of slavery to the settlement of the West, to the Black Loyalists and Construction Battalions who fought in our wars, this is a good look at a part of Canadian history that many of us may not know.

The kid-friendly layout and colourful pictures add to the book's appeal, as do the short profiles of Black pioneers such as Mathieu Da Costa, Josiah Henson, and Viola Desmond.

Canadian immigration

Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île
by Anne Renaud


Halifax's Pier 21 was not the only gateway into Canada. Between 1832 and 1937, more than four million people sailed across the Atlantic to the port of Quebec, in search of a better future. Due to poor conditions onboard ship, diseases like cholera and typhus claimed many lives, especially those of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine. To prevent these diseases from spreading, a quarantine station was needed, and it was located on Grosse Île.

This is the story about Grosse Île and how it became a comfortable settlement for thousands of newcomers. Historical notes, photographs and illustrations illuminate an important place in Canadian history.





To further understand the difficulties faced by immigrants to Canada, read Our New Home: Immigrant Children Speak, by Emily Hearn and Marywinn Milne. In it, immigrant children write about their feelings and how they have adjusted to their new country. Their letters are unedited, and thus contain errors (many could not speak English when the first arrived), but their words are remarkably candid. 

A good book that fosters understanding and empathy.

Becoming a Canadian

From Far and Wide: A Canadian Citizenship Scrapbook
by Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet
illustrated by Song Nan Zhang


A young girl named Xiao Ling Li describes the day when she and her family became Canadian citizens. She introduces the officials presiding over the ceremony, takes the Oath of Citizenship, and has a party afterwards. The scrapbook is decorated with Xiao Ling Li's artwork, her handwritten notes and her aunt's "photographs", cleverly drawn by artist Song Nan Zhang. The book ends with a summary of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. 

A good book that depicts the happiness and pride of all aspiring Canadians.

Gateway to a better life

Between 1928 and 1971, over one million immigrants passed through Halifax's Pier 21 on their way to settlements across Canada. Here are two books that tell their story.




Pier 21: Listen to My Story
by Christine Welldon


The voices of immigrant children come to life in this easy-to-read book. Some were fleeing war and persecution, joining new families or seeking a better life. All feel lucky to make Canada their home. Their stories reveal their first impressions of Canada and some of their earliest experiences in cities like Hamilton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Toronto.

Pier 21: Gateway of Hope
by Linda Granfield


Meet many of the faces who passed through Pier 21, all eager to begin their new lives. They include refugees fleeing persecution, war brides reuniting with Canadian husbands, and orphaned children joining new families. Archival photographs and documents, along with Granfield's clear, concise text, captures the feel of a living museum exhibit. Her book brings history to life.