Agriculture. (Canadian Industries). Heather Kissock. Calgary, Weigl (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2007. 48 pp., cloth, $26.95. ISBN 978-1-55388-222-0. Subject Headings: Agriculture-Canada-Juvenile literature. Agriculture-Economic aspects-Canada-Juvenile literature. Agriculture-Canada-History-Juvenile literature. Grades 6-9 / Ages 11-14. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Energy. (Canadian Industries). Melanie Ostopowich. Calgary, Weigl (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2007. 48 pp., cloth, $26.95. ISBN 978-1-55388-224-4. Subject Headings: Energy industries-Canada-Juvenile literature. Energy industries-Economic aspects-Canada-Juvenile literature. Energy industries-Canada-History-Juvenile literature. Grades 6-9 / Ages 11-14. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Fishing. (Canadian Industries). Graham Beehag. Calgary, Weigl (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2007. 48 pp., cloth, $26.95. ISBN 978-1-55388-226-8. Subject Headings: Fisheries-Canada-Juvenile literature. Fisheries-Economic aspects-Canada-Juvenile literature. Fisheries-Canada-History-Juvenile literature. Grades 6-9 / Ages 11-14. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Forestry. (Canadian Industries). Heather Kissock. Calgary, Weigl (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2007. 48 pp., cloth, $26.95. ISBN 978-1-55388-228-2. Subject Headings: Forests and forestry-Canada-Juvenile literature. Forests and forestry-Economic aspects-Canada-Juvenile literature. Forests and forestry-Canada-History-Juvenile literature. Grades 6-9 / Ages 11-14. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Manufacturing. (Canadian Industries). Tina Schwartzenberger. Calgary, Weigl (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2007. 48 pp., cloth, $26.95. ISBN 978-1-55388-232-9. Subject Headings: Manufacturing-Canada-Juvenile literature. Manufacturing industries-Economic aspects-Canada-Juvenile literature. Manufacturing industries-Canada-History-Juvenile literature. Grades 6-9 / Ages 11-14. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4
	Mining. (Canadian Industries). Sheelagh Matthews. Calgary, Weigl (Distributed by Saunders Book Company), 2007. 48 pp., cloth, $26.95. ISBN 978-1-55388-230-5. Subject Headings: Mineral industries-Canada-Juvenile literature. Mineral industries-Economic aspects-Canada-Juvenile literature. Mineral industries-Canada-History-Juvenile literature. Grades 6-9 / Ages 11-14. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4

excerpt:

About 435 million people make up the North American health care market. Half of the market is within one day by truck of central Canadian cities. Canadian pharmaceutical sales are worth $14 billion, and exports are worth $3.4 billion annually. NAFTA accounts for 50.4 percent of the world pharmaceutical market. Trade agreements are also helping to increase sales to European and Latin American markets. (From Manufacturing.)

Identical in layout, the six titles in the "Canadian Industries" series focus on the various industries that fuel Canada's economy. Each book begins with an overview of all six industries - in fact, the text of this section is exactly the same in each title - and proceeds to cover their history, their importance in domestic and world markets, and their future. There are profiles of people in the featured industry as well as related careers, with representation from both genders. Environmental concerns are discussed frankly. Other commonalities among the titles are a "Then and Now" section which compares methods used long ago to those used today, one example being the way in which cattle are driven to market; a debate issue, such as whether or not people believe that there is a future for young people in the fishing industry; maps showing the prevalence of specific industries in various parts of Canada and the world; "Business Bits," fact boxes which highlight important information about the business aspect of the industry from a wider perspective; a timeline of events; a quiz consisting of matching, true or false and multiple choice questions; a research activity and an experiment (or, in the case of the fishing industry title, a recipe); and, finally, a list of print and electronic resources for further study. A table of contents, a glossary and an index are provided. Abundant maps, colour and black and white photographs, and a variety of types of graphs add to the reader's understanding of the topics discussed.

     Agriculture highlights the types of farming in Canada, careers in agriculture, such as an agronomist, a ranch manager and an agribusiness banker, and environmental concerns, such as land use, the impact of heavy farm equipment on the soil, and the use of pesticides. Other topics include the expensive cost of farming, with some machinery, for instance, selling at $300,000, the issue of fewer people choosing to continue the family farm, and the impact of technological changes on the future of the farming industry. Canada's place in world markets, supply and demand, and the nation's willingness to help eradicate poverty by teaching people in third-world countries better farming techniques through organizations like CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) are also discussed.

      Energy plays an extremely important role in heating, cooling, lighting, transportation, computer systems and the production of goods and services. In Energy, readers will learn the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources, and how oil, natural gas, electricity, uranium and coal are formed. An interesting fact from the "Business Bits" section reveals that one hour of the sun's energy to Earth takes about one year to be used up by humans. Careers in energy include an oil well driller, a utilities manager and a petroleum engineer. Advances in technology enable scientists to pinpoint the exact location of gas and oil deposits, to detect seismic activity, to reduce air emissions and to focus more on harnessing wind power. Also highlighted are the Alberta oil sands whose reserves are estimated to be eight times larger than those in Saudi Arabia, and the method with which the oil is extracted from the sand. Readers will be able to make a simple water wheel as an experiment.

      Canada has the world's largest coastline and the largest freshwater system. Therefore, it is no surprise that fishing, a $5 billion industry, is the mainstay of many Canadian communities. Fishing takes a look at the types of fishing in Canada, the problems with over-fishing, and the growth of aquaculture, the farming of fish and shellfish for food. It is felt that aquaculture will be of increasing importance in the future as the population of the earth grows along with the demand for more fish to eat. Various fishing methods are described along with new advances in electronics (e.g. fish-finding equipment), refrigeration, ice-making and fish-processing equipment. Finally, the book looks at the future of the fishing industry, where science and technology work hand in hand with fishers to provide information and equipment that helps the industry to be more efficient and environment-conscious.

      With 10 percent of the world's forests, Canada is the premier exporter of forest products and the nation's forestry industry nets $80 billion per year. Forestry covers topics such as the Model Forests Program, started in 1992, which teaches people in many parts of the world about sustainable forestry. There is information about tree diseases, insect pests and forest fires, the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the U.S., and the role of satellites, aerial photography and remote sensory imagery in keeping track of the size and health of forests, and the role of biotechnology in ensuring healthier trees through the development of disease and insect-resistant trees. Several pages are devoted to softwood lumber due to its importance to Canada's exports - 80% of softwood lumber is sold to international markets - and to wood pulp which is used in the manufacture of a variety of paper products including cardboard boxes and containers, brown paper bags, newsprint and writing paper. Lastly, the book talks about forestry-related issues. Some of these include forestry's role in controlling global warming, how to maintain healthy forests, the clearing of land to accommodate Canada's expanding oil and gas industry and international trade and restrictions on imports of wood and wood products.

      Employing more than 15% of Canadians and worth 21% of the nation's economy, the manufacturing industry consists of two main types of manufacturing - primary, which refers to a simple conversion of one material to another (e.g. iron to steel), and secondary, which involves more processes (e.g. the manufacture of cars or TVs). Manufacturing explains the changes in the industry due to Canada's evolution from a rural, agricultural society to an urbanized, industrial one, particularly after World War II. Some of the topics included in this title are the ways in which manufacturing is affected by trends and consumer spending, Canada's competition in world markets, the increasing use of robotics and the impact of technology on workers in the industry. For instance, it is estimated that 20% of workers' skills will become obsolete each year, so workers will have to learn new skills or else there will be no qualified workers to fill manufacturing positions. The book also focuses on the automotive and the fast-changing electronics industries as well as Canada's contribution to the pharmaceutical and aerospace industries. Mention is made of DART (the Canadian forces Disaster Assistance Response Team) which provides medical care, production of safe drinking water, and engineering and communications systems during emergency disaster relief. One of the DART programs is a system whereby engineers operate a Reverse Osmosis Water Purification unit (ROWPU) to filter contaminated water.

      Mining begins with a history of mining in Canada - the "Then and Now" section contrasts mine safety, types of mines, equipment and transportation of ore - and continues to the most recent mining boom in the north where Kimberlite containing high quality diamonds has been found. The foundation of the Geological Survey of Canada in 1842 to find, map and publicize the nation's mineral wealth and its subsequent geoscience work in the field and lab are highlighted along with a profile of its founder, Sir William Logan. Other topics include mine disasters such as the one at Hillcrest Mine in Crowsnest Pass in Alberta in 1914, mining in the sea, and issues such as the depletion of mineral resources and the need to recycle and reuse resources already in the marketplace, some examples being lead from batteries and gold from computer chips.

      This excellent series has a definite place in middle school libraries.

Highly Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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