Children's Nonfiction Sports & Recreation
Meet Tom Longboat (Scholastic Canada Biography)
- Publisher
- Scholastic Canada Ltd
- Initial publish date
- Jan 2019
- Category
- Sports & Recreation, Native Canadian
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781443163910
- Publish Date
- Jan 2019
- List Price
- $16.99
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 6 to 10
- Grade: 1 to 5
Description
Meet Tom Longboat, the Onondaga runner who broke world records . . . on his own terms!
On April 19, 1907, a hundred thousand people lined up to watch the eighth running of the Boston Marathon. At the start of the race, more than one hundred runners surged forward, and at the end, Tom Longboat won it in a record-breaking 2 hours,24 minutes and 24 seconds. He became the most famous runner in the world, yet faced scrutiny and criticism of every part of his life, from his revolutionary training techniques to his Indigenous heritage.
This picture book will introduce young readers to a brave and fascinating man whose legacy as Canada's foremost distance runner continues to be recognized to this day.
This new biography series features accessible text, full-colour illustrations, with historical notes and timelines that provide even more information on Tom Longboat's background and incredible accomplishments.
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
Mike Deas est auteur-illustrateur de bandes dessinées, telles que Tank and Fizz and The Case of the Tentacle Terror. Il signe aussi les illustrations de la série Graphic Guide Adventure. Sa passion pour l'illustration a été entretenue tout au long de son enfance à l'île Saltspring, en Colombie-Britannique où il habite encore aujourd'hui.
MIKE DEAS is an author/illustrator of graphic novels, most recently Tank and Fizz and the Case of the Tentacle Terror. He is the illustrator of the Graphic Guide Adventure series. His love for illustrative storytelling comes from an early love of reading and drawing while growing up on Saltspring Island, British Columbia. Visit him online at www.deasillustration.com.
Awards
- Commended, TD Summer Reading Club - Top 10 Recommended Read
- Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Selection
- Commended, OLA Best Bets
- Short-listed, OLA Silver Birch Express Award
Editorial Reviews
"A fantastic way to introduce one of Canada’s truly great sports heroes to young readers. This amazing Indigenous athlete broke both world records and stereotypes and MacLeod and Deas bring history to life in this engaging biography." (Meet Tom Longboat) — The Globe and Mail
Author Elizabeth MacLeod has an indisputable flair for storytelling, and biographical details are relayed in a readable and relatable manner. As a child, “Tom had many chores to do, but he still made time for fun. He liked to chase after the cows.” He also escaped abuses at residential school by literally running away. Mike Deas’s energetic, colourful illustrations are packed with early 20th-century details, including bespoke period fashions, and panoramic views of streets lined with marathon spectators. Speech bubbles extend the text and capture fickle public attitudes, from the congratulatory cheers of “You’re top dog, Tom!” at the height of his celebrity, to gossipy sneers when Longboat retired from racing and found a job as a street cleaner in Depression-era Toronto. Longboat’s honest assuredness and resolve remained undeterred: “What a sky! I love working outdoors.” (Meet Tom Longboat) — Quill & Quire
Praise for Scholastic Canada Biography:
"The story is fast paced, with dramatic, emotion-filled scenes. Highly recommended." (Meet Viola Desmond) — CM.
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