Children's Fiction Post-confederation (1867-)
A Blinding Light
- Publisher
- Nimbus Publishing
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2017
- Category
- Post-Confederation (1867-)
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781771085458
- Publish Date
- Sep 2017
- List Price
- $8.99
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 8 to 12
- Grade: 3 to 7
Description
It's 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The First World War is raging, and despite its distance from the conflict, the Halifax Harbour is bustling with activity. Anti-German prejudice is rampant, and though 12-year-old Maddie Schroeder and her 15-year-old brother Will are still mourning the loss of their father, who died in a mysterious boating accident just six months before, his German heritage doesn't merit them much sympathy. The rumours he'd been a German spy are only flamed by his disappearance.
On the morning of December 6, while Maddie is in Richmond begging forgiveness from the Schroeders' former housekeeper, Will is atop Citadel Hill reporting for the school paper, when he sees two ships collide. A flash of light, then thunder from underground: the Halifax Explosion hits. Instantly, the city is unrecognizable. Lost and separated in the dark, destroyed city, will the siblings find each other again? Where is their mother? And who is to blame for the catastrophe?
In A Blinding Light , award-winning author Julie Lawson (No Safe Harbour) tells a riveting story of the Halifax Explosion and its aftermath, exploring the concepts of guilt, blame, and taking ownership, the divide between the rich and poor, locals and immigrants, as well as the human bonds that arise in times of tragedy. Young readers will be spellbound, and teachers and librarians will find plenty of topics for discussion in the book's historical and cultural lessons.
About the author
Julie Lawson is the author of over 30 books for children and young adults. Her critically acclaimed works have received numerous award nominations, including the Children's Book Centre Award for A Blinding Light, the Canadian Library Association Award for White Jade Tiger, and Forest of Reading Awards for Goldstone, Ghosts of the Titanic, A Ribbon of Shining Steel, and many more. Her YA novels include White Jade Tiger (winner of the Sheila A. Egoff BC Children's Fiction Prize), No Safe Harbour (winner of the Hackmattack Children's Choice Award) and A Blinding Light (runner-up for the City Of Victoria Bolen Books Prize).
Julie writes from her home in Victoria, BC.
Other titles by
Out of the Dark
White Jade Tiger
Dear Canada: A Ribbon of Shining Steel
The Railway Diary of Kate Cameron, Yale, British Columbia, 1882
A Morning to Polish and Keep
Midnight in the Mountains
Audio Enhanced Edition
Cher Journal : Récit de Noël : N° 7 - Une paix bienvenue
Dear Canada Christmas Story No. 5: When War Hits Home
Dear Canada Christmas Story No. 7: The Daft Days of Christmas
Cher Journal : Récit de Noël : N° 5 - La guerre vue de Halifax
Cher Journal : Sans havre
Charlotte Blackburn lors de la grande explosion, Halifax, Nouvelle-Écosse, 1917
