Category: Children Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
ISBN-10: 1459800680
Type: Fiction
Pages: 59
Copyright: 2012
ISBN-13: 9781459800687
The river is rising, and young Tom must help get his family's dairy cows to higher ground.
In the spring of 1948, the Fraser River is on the verge of flooding. Tom wants to help his father and the other men working at sandbagging the river banks to protect the town, but instead he must stay home and go to school. Tom feels left out of the action until the rising water threatens to flood the school and his family's dairy farm. Can Tom help save his family's cows? Perhaps with a little help from his dog, Amos, and a little inspiration from his favorite radio hero, the Lone Ranger.
This story is based on real events that happened in the farming community of Agassiz, Canada during the Fraser River flood of 1948. Chapter book for ages 7-9. Illustrated by Leanne Franson.
Professional Reviews
Resource Links – June 1, 2012
“[Pearce] effortlessly weaves the story of friendship, co-operation, loyalty, family, unity, charity and selfless heroic efforts…The reality of the events [is] brought into perspective by the expressive and energetic pencil and watercolour illustrations…A heroic historical fiction novella for any child’s library, expressing good values as well as a sense of adventure.”
Booklist – June 1, 2012
“Offers an accessible, well-paced read while conveying the nature of floods, from preparations—such as shoring up with sand bags and moving furniture upstairs—to the geological impact. There are suspenseful moments and light touches throughout…Black-and-white drawings of characters, rural settings, and scenarios provide historic flavor to the story, which is based on the real Fraser River flood of 1948.”
CM Magazine – May 4, 2012
“A delightful and exciting story about a young boy who, in 1948, helped save the family cattle herd by using his wits and by helping his family. This story takes place in a much simpler time for children, a period when they learned from nature and used the skills that they developed from play and the hard work of doing chores and helping on the farm. This little snippet of history is an interesting insight into the past in British Columbia and will not only be a fun read for any child but a useful resource for the study of community and Canadian history for young children.”
