Bright Paddles

Deborah Dowson is a Canaadian children’s librarian in North Wales,
Pennsylvania.

When Gregor MacGregor went off to Grand Portage to work for the North
West Company, he thought his two young daughters would be well cared for
in the home of Mrs. Melmouth. Things have changed now that the money for
their keep has been spent and no word from MacGregor is forthcoming. The
girls are forced to work for their meagre rations of porridge and a
place to sleep in the attic. After hearing Mrs. Melmouth and her brother
devise a nasty plot to take over MacGregor’s position, they join a
band of voyageurs and set off to Grand Portage to warn their father.

This beginning chapter book is fast paced and full of adventure. The
eldest sister as narrator is sweet and sensible, in contrast to her
daring younger sister. Their companion Jack, who is prone to mishap and
misadventure, provides comic relief for the girls in their distress.
Although there are some dire situations, the book maintains an
optimistic tone and comes to a happy resolution.

The author has a nice touch with language, conveying character and time
period with clear and evocative vocabulary. Details such as the
voyageurs’ repairing the seams of the canoe with pine roots and pine
gum add to the story’s authenticity. The historical background
enhances the tale without dominating it; for example, the estrangement
of the girls’ father from his wife’s French-Canadian family
effectively illustrates French–English tensions.

Entertaining as well as educational, this historical chapter book is
recommended for children in Grade 3 and up.