A Pioneer Thanksgiving by Barbara Greenwood

You can read my reviews by clicking on any of the book titles that are bolded with links.

I have read and reviewed some of these books. If you have any suggestions for a book that is missing, please – message me with the details! Jyl, who had generously posted the list online for everyone, gave me permission to use and expand on Nicola’s original list. It obviously took a lot of time and effort to compile the list, but as with all things – it was time for an update. It allows readers to dive into a period of history and experience it from someone living in that moment, getting a chance to understand their feelings of the world around them right then.Ī great big thank you is due to a lady named Nicola who, in 2006, put together a long list of books of Canadian history. This book fulfills its purpose nicely, giving an accessible overview of pioneer Christmas traditions for kids in Grades 3 to 7, though it seems better suited to the younger end of that range.A fantastic way to learn about Canadian history is through historical fiction. The pencil illustrations by Toronto-based artist Heather Collins are versatile, capturing the soft, historical mood of the tale and yet showing things clearly in the reference sections. The book is well designed: its alternating format sustains interest, the layout is spacious and attractive, and the index is useful for returning to information quickly. The non-fiction component consists of single-page information sections with instructions for making Christmas crafts, descriptions of games, lyrics for carols, and brief historical explanations of various traditions observed by pioneers of European descent 150 years ago. The anticipation of the visitors’ arrival is focused through the consciousness of Sarah, one of the older children in the family. The Robertsons fear that they will be caught in a winter storm and that Sophie, who is almost nine months pregnant, won’t be strong enough to manage in the snow drifts. As the holiday approaches, there is no sign of the young couple. The fiction component relates the activities of the Robertson family as they prepare for Christmas and for the arrival of Andrew and Sophie, who are travelling from the east coast. As a companion book to Barbara Greenwood’s 1999 A Pioneer Thanksgiving, it follows the same format: narrative interspersed with reference sections. A Pioneer Christmas is social studies in an attractive package.

A Pioneer Thanksgiving by Barbara Greenwood