Canada's 150th Birthday. (Celebrations in My World). Kathy Middleton. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2017. 32 pp., pbk., hc. & html, $9.95 (pbk.), $25.95 (List RLB), $20.76 (School RLB). ISBN 978-0-7787-4124-4 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-4108-4 (RLB), ISBN 978-1-4271-1859-2 (HTML). Subject Headings: Canada-Juvenile literature. Canada-Social life and customs-Juvenile literature. Canada-Centennial celebrations, etc.-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-4 / Ages 7-9. Review by Inderjit Deogun. *** /4

excerpt:

Canada became a nation on July 1, 1867. This event was called Confederation. At that time, Canada had only four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Other provinces joined the country as their populations grew.

Canada's 150th Birthday, part of the "Celebrations in My World" series, explores the featured holiday through 14 chapters that cover the country's formation, its peoples and past celebrations before focussing on this year's historic birthday.

      The use of short sentences, simple vocabulary and large print ensures children will read the text with ease. In addition, there are a number of maps, photographs and "Did you know?" sidebars that provide additional information, such as the fact that hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky will be the NHL's official centennial representative. Middleton highlights the four themes of the sesquicentennial that have also been identified as important to Canada's future: diversity and inclusion, reconciliation with indigenous peoples, the environment, and youth.

Young people will be leaders in the future. That is why it is important to encourage children to learn about their communities and get involved when they are young. One project is hoping to inspire young people to do good things in their communities. A cellphone game called MC2 rewards you for your positive actions.

      But what readers may be most interested in is how they can get involved in the celebrations: The book offers several fun projects for children to participate in, such as creating their own time capsule to be opened on Canada's bicentennial.

      With the inclusion of a table of contents, glossary and index, Canada's 150th Birthday would be a solid addition to classroom libraries, one that will get young students excited about our country's historic milestone.

Recommended.

Inderjit Deogun is a communications professional in Toronto, ON.

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