Boldly Canadian: The Story of the RCMP

Brenda Reed is a public services librarian in the Education Library at
Queen’s University.

This comprehensive young person’s guide to the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police will tie in with Grades 3 to 6 social studies units across
Canada. The information ranges from the history of the force to
biographies of outstanding police to accounts of how the RCMP work on
and solve the crimes they encounter today. Young readers will find
scattered throughout the text such interesting details as “[t]he fumes
from heated Krazy Glue can make invisible fingerprints appear under an
ultraviolet or laser light.”

The book is well supplemented with drawings that elucidate the text
(the lack of color illustrations or photos is somewhat disappointing).
The text is not a chronological history but rather a six-chapter glance
at various aspects of the RCMP. The introductory chapter explains the
organization of the force and the training that a new recruit undergoes.
In Chapter 2, the author provides a brief history of the North-West
Mounted Police, focusing on several men and women who made important
contributions to the developing police force. Chapters 3 and 4 look at
the work of police in the field and in the office (sections on police
dogs, the Musical Ride, and the protection of dignitaries give young
readers an idea of the breadth of jobs done by the RCMP). The concluding
chapter presents several amazing examples of the types of crimes police
deal with today and of new crime-solving methods that are available to
them; the daily routine of a member of the RCMP is clearly shown to be
anything but routine.

This engaging and highly accessible book is a welcome addition to the
resources available for elementary Canadian social studies. Highly
recommended for public, school, and home libraries.