• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

Friend or villain? Brother or traitor? This compelling story of wartime friendship brings the looming War of 1812 to dramatic life.

Jacob is a steadfast Loyalist. Eli is a newcomer to Upper Canada, whose family has just moved from the American South. The two boys become fast friends, but their friendship is tested when Eli's father refuses to pledge allegiance to the Crown. As Loyalists in Upper Canada become more and more suspicious of those with American leanings, the looming war threatens to pull the boys — and their town — apart.

Peopled with key figures from the War of 1812, such as General Isaac Brock and newspaperman-turned-traitor Joseph Willcocks, Brothers at War portrays the tense era just before the War of 1812, which pitted neighbour against neighbour as Upper Canada prepared to fend off invading American forces.

DON CUMMER was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, but now makes his home in Ottawa, Ontario, where he is a professional speechwriter. His short story “The Burying Grounds” won The Writers’ Union of Canada Writing for Children Competition in 2012. Brothers at War was his first novel in a planned trilogy.

Don Cummer's profile page

• Short-listed, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
• Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre

Praise for Brothers at War:

"Readers gain an excellent understanding of the politics and events leading up to the war . . . The issues at hand are far from black-and-white, and Cummer doesn't oversimplify or sugar-coat these problems." —Canadian Children's Book News

"An exciting historical tale . . . The reader will feel invested in the characters and enjoy the rise and fall of tension as the story progresses through an ebb and pull of loyalties and intrigue." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"This novel is sure to engage boys with its war tensions, civil dramas, bullying, and what it means to be life-long friends despite the odds." —Resource Links