No comments about David Thompson (The Canadians).

2 comments about June Callwood: A Life of Action.

1. "Each person is like a stone in a pond...Individual actions, good or bad, send out tiny ripples that change the surface of the public pond. People, by choice, can spread warm understanding or cold indifference."--June Callwood
   
   June Callwood, a Canadian journalist and activist, has led a very active life. Having written articles about everything from celebrities to censorship, and over thirty books dealing with topics like Canadian history and the battle against AIDS, Ms. Callwood has definitely kept busy.
   
   JUNE CALLWOOD: A LIFE OF ACTION is a comprehensive biography of the woman who helped establish over fifty different organizations, such as Digger House for homeless youth and Casey House for people with AIDS. She's also a Companion of the Order of Canada, which is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a Canadian citizen, and has a park and street named after her.
   
   Filled with dozens of photographs, a timeline of her life, and selected honors she's received, this is a great book for anyone looking for information specifically on Ms. Callwood, or for those interested in Canadian activists.
   
   Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"



2. Teacher, librarian, and award-winning author Anne Dublin presents June Callwood: A Life of Action, a biography for young adults about the remarkable life of June Callwood, one of Canada's greatest journalists and activists. Callwood grew up poor during the Great Depression, in farm communities and small towns of Southern Ontario, yet through compassion, hard work and sheer grit she made a difference in thousands of lives around her. She founded more than 50 activist groups, including Jessie's, a center that gives housing and support for teen parents; Nellie's, a shelter that protects abused women and children from violence; and Casey House, the world's first special-care hospice for people with AIDS. Her journalism career included an interview with a young Elvis Presley, and for a time she even hosted her own television show. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this inspirational tale of an exemplary life, highly recommended for school libraries.

1 comments about Paddling The Boreal Forest: Rediscovering A.P. Low.

1. See Max morosely viewing the map on the floor. See Max glance forlornly at his paddling partner, Jim Stone. Hear Max exclaiming, "We're lost! And we haven't left the house yet!" It's easy to sympathise with Max Finkelstein's distress. He and Stone have set themselves a daunting task. They intend following the path of one of Canada's "iron men", A. P. Low, who explored the vastness of Northern Quebec at the end of the 19th Century. Adding to the usual problems of preparations for the journey, the vagaries of Canadian sub-Arctic weather, and the endless supply of stinging or biting insects, the pair face one condition Low wouldn't have dreamt of - some of the rivers don't run the same direction any longer.

   In this fine account of Albert Peter Low's travels in the northern boreal forest, Finkelstein and Stone use an unusual technique. They retell Low's records of exploration, following with their attempts to trace the trail he left. They have one great advantage. Low thoroughly recorded and mapped what he saw and where he traversed. The great disadvantage is that Low left virtually nothing of himself in the annals of Canadian explorers. The chance of bringing A. P. Low "to life", a major factor in any author's attempt to capture a subject, thus eludes these biographers. Yet, as you read this book, you'll see that you're not dealing with but "half a man".

   Canoe trips are part of the weave of Canadian history. The voyageurs who brought furs from the upper Great Lakes are honoured by a bus line. Their route, however, quickly became a commute - arduous and not without peril - but the unknown was dispensed with after a few trips. A. P. Low's journeys were nearly all into territory unfamiliar to the "white" European-derived population of urban Canada. He followed rivers on the Quebec-Labrador border, scouting for timber, minerals and potential agricultural sites. He utilised whatever resources he encountered. Aboriginal guides told him of their fur-trade and hunting routes. Hudson Bay Company factories [trading posts] provided records. Low, however, merely used these aids as pointers. It was important to him to see for himself. For Finkelstein and Stone, it was important to trace his paddling and his steps. How they accomplished that makes for highly entertaining reading.

   Although they had every modern convenience at their command, the authors found matching Low's pace through the forests and along the rivers a distinct challenge. Weather wasn't cooperative, although it seems little different than in Low's day. Fires, a frequent occurrence in the spruce forests, sometimes left trees toppled across the trail. That's assuming the portage was visible at all. In a delightful aberration, they recount a live interview for a CBC programme using a cell 'phone. Another device, a Global Positioning System unit, was occasionally dug from the pack, only to be apparently thwarted by heavy cloud! Finkelstein develops what canoeists delicately refer to as "diaper rash", and nauseates himself by adding the wrong "creamer" to his morning coffee.

   There is another, more meaningful aspect of their journeys, however. All those rushing streams, the wildlife depending on them and the Cree who have inhabited these lands for millennia, are under threat. The Quebec government, declaring that the James Bay region must be "conquered" is diverting the rivers to feed the maws of hydro-electric generators. Finkelstein is vividly aware of what the diversion of waters will mean as he travels the Rupert River with paddling partner Alain Filion. There's more than backward-running streams, however. He knows what impact the James Bay Project has had on the Cree peoples. The building of houses and introduction of packaged food has significantly transformed their lifeways. Finkelstein asks "are the economic benefits worth the social turmoil" and emerging health problems. These are questions, he reminds us, that not only the Cree, but all North Americans must ask themselves. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

No comments about A Russian Paints America: The Travels of Pavel P. Svin'in, 1811-1813.

No comments about Baseball's Canadian-American League: A History of Its Inception, Franchises, Participants, Locales, Statistics, Demise and Legacy, 1936-1951.

No comments about John Clay, Jr: Commission Man, Banker, and Rancher (Western Frontiersmen Series, 28).

No comments about The Siren Years: A Canadian Diplomat Abroad.

1 comments about From Bourassa to Bourassa: Wilderness to Restoration.

1. We learn nothing new in this book. The book blames everyone but the actual person who really killed the Meech Lake Accord, i.e. Robert Bourassa. Did anyone oppose Meech before the Quebec premier invoked the notwithstanding clause of the constitution? No. The book also tries to support the myth that he was some kind of political genius; a master strategist. The bottom line? Everything he did blew up in his face. Bill 22? Lost the 1976 election because of it. Bill 178? Meech Lake. The rest of Canada should have just ignored him and gone about its own business. Save your money and buy another book.

No comments about Micmac by Choice: Elsie Sark--An Island Legend.

3 comments about The Old Brown Suitcase: A Teenager's Story of War and Peace.

1. Hi. My name is Becca. I loved this book!
   The Old Brown Suitcase
   I think that this book was very touching. It was educational hearing about what happened to the Jews in the war, and good hearing about this girl's veiw of the war, being right inside it. I think that if this book were rated out of 10, 1 being the lowest, I would give it a 10. Sure call me a softy for giving it perfect, but I really enjoyed this book. I thik this book would be best for grade 6/7 to adult. I recommend this book to all who love to read truely good books!
   Becca Kouwenhoven



2. Marvolous. And even that is not enough to describe it. I just could not put this down and have read it more then once. This something that everyone should read a least once no matter your age.



3. WOW! what an amazing book. I am only 14, so it is rare that a book captures my attention. Slava, the main character in the novel, is my age. I understand some of the things she goes through. I reccomend it to anyone. Age 11-111. So READ IT and enjoy ;) thanks