NOVEMBER – Remembrance Day
Every year, on Nov. 11, Canadians are asked to pause for a moment to think on wartime experiences so that we continue to work towards peace in the full understanding of the tragedy that comes in the wake of war.
Many titles reflect on the experiences of Canadians in times of war across adult, youth, and children’s collections. All selections are inspired by real-life events.
L&A Libraries suggests the following as excellent youth novels on this topic:
Uncertain Soldier by Karen Bass
A young German soldier is sent to a Canadian POW camp then a work camp where he is tasked with figuring out who has been sabotaging the logging camp.
Kid Soldier by Jennifer Maruno
An underage boy enlists in the military and soon comes face-to-face with the true cost and brutality of war once sent overseas.
Fly Boy by Eric Walters
An underage boy devises a plan to enlist early and keep the secret from his family, teacher and RCAF authorities.
The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest
A young Metis boy copes with his brothers serving overseas by ardently reading comic books. He and a rival imagine fictional parallels as reality sharpens the tragedy of actual events.
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
A young girl manages her anxiety around her veteran father’s flashbacks – “a tough absorbing story of the effects of combat on soldiers and their families.”
See the complete list of suggestions here.
Jennifer is a Librarian at the Amherstview Branch of the L&A Libraries. She regularly writes awareness pieces that offer book suggestions relating to important and commemorative days in Canada.
