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Children's Nonfiction Post-confederation (1867-)

Canada Year by Year - Revised Edition

by (author) Elizabeth MacLeod

illustrated by Sydney Smith

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
Oct 2021
Category
Post-Confederation (1867-), General, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781525308246
    Publish Date
    Oct 2021
    List Price
    $24.99

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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 8 to 12
  • Grade: 3 to 7
  • Reading age: 8 to 12

Description

Award-winning author Elizabeth MacLeod's year-by-year tour of Canada's fascinating history highlights a single milestone for every year from the country's founding in 1867 up to its 150th anniversary in 2017. Divided into ten distinct eras, coverage ranges from politics, sports, business and arts and culture, and includes significant events both at home and in world affairs. A few examples: *1881 --- A railway across Canada is begun. *1893 --- The Stanley Cup is first awarded in hockey. *1908 --- Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables is published. *1947 --- Oil is discovered in Alberta. *2015 --- Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau is elected prime minister. Along with the featured stories for each of the 150 years, the pages are filled with sidebars --- with content such as short biographies, quotes, important firsts and trivia --- that are linked to that year. There are also 39 capsule biographies of noteworthy Canadians at the back of the book. The topics chosen offer an inclusive historical perspective, incorporating women, Aboriginal peoples and people with disabilities into Canada's rich and diverse narrative. Illustrations by awarding-winning artist Sydney Smith bring a contemporary feel to the stories of the past. This book is a perfect fit for lessons on Canadian history and geography. The accessible format also makes it a compelling choice for children to pick up and browse, or to search for a particular year. A table of contents and an index round out this engaging reference.

About the authors

Liz is one nosy author, which is why she loves writing non-fiction. She’s very curious about why people do what they do, and likes sharing with kids the amazing facts and secrets that she uncovers.As a kid in Thornhill, Ontario, the idea of being a writer never crossed Liz’s mind—she figured most authors were already dead and they definitely weren’t Canadian. Besides, it was science that interested Liz.But writing was already part of Liz’s life. After dinner on school nights, Liz and her two brothers would trudge up to their rooms, close their doors and start to do their homework—or so their parents thought. A few minutes later, a piece of paper would come sliding under Liz’s door. One of her brothers had drawn a picture, usually of some weird creature.Liz really couldn’t draw (still can’t!), so the only way she could respond was to write a short story, often about a mad scientist or space alien. She would slip the story under her brother’s door and—well, not a lot of homework got done.At university, Liz studied sciences—there was hardly any writing involved at all. But after university, she was hired as an editor at OWL magazine, where she could combine writing and her love of science. But it wasn’t long before Liz had a goal: to write a book. Her first one was about lions and since then she’s written more than fifty others.Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns (2008) is one of her favourite books because royalty has always fascinated Liz. She loved going behind the scenes with monarchs from Cleopatra to Dracula to find out just what they would do to hold onto power or protect their families.Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries (2013) was the winner of numerous awards, including the Crime Writers of Canada 2014 Arthur Ellis Award in the Juvenile/YA category. Liz’s latest book with Annick Press, Galloping Through History: Incredible True Horse Stories (Spring 2015), combines, once again, her outstanding storytelling skills with her passion for history. This time her love of animals also shines through as she recounts the stories of six horses that changed the way humans live, travel, fight, work, and play.Liz lives in Toronto with her husband, Paul, and their cat Cosimo. While she writes, he is usually sprawled across her desk—often right on the book she needs for research!

Elizabeth MacLeod's profile page

Sydney Smith was born in rural Nova Scotia and has been drawing from an early age. Since graduating from NSCAD University, he has illustrated multiple children’s books, including the highly acclaimed wordless picture book Sidewalk Flowers, conceived by Jon Arno Lawson, which won a Governor General’s Award, was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book and has been long-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. He is also the illustrator of Grant and Tillie Go Walking by Monica Kulling and The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart, both highly acclaimed. Sydney has received a number of other awards for his illustrations, including the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration. He now lives in Toronto and works in a shared studio space in Chinatown.

Sydney Smith's profile page

Awards

  • Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
  • Winner, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction, Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards
  • Short-listed, Information Book Award, The Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada
  • Winner, Kids Books of the Year 2016, Quill & Quire

Editorial Reviews

Both revelatory and entertaining ...

Kirkus Reviews

... this colorful book will be a useful addition to libraries on both sides of the border.

Booklist

Interesting, educational and entertaining, Canada Year by Year has a place in every public school and library.

CM Magazine

... this book will be a hit with historians and trivia buffs alike.

Resource Links

With such rich information complemented by its appealing visuals, children, adults, residents of Canada --- old and new --- and non-residents, will each find Canada's unique story engaging.

Canadian Children's Book News

An excellent overview of Canadian history and culture, perfect for browsing or for research.

School Library Journal

Other titles by Elizabeth MacLeod

Other titles by Sydney Smith