The Rebels

Nancy W. Dixon is an elementary-school English teacher with the
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

“Rebels are people who object to questions, or defy the lawful or
existing authority” and who stand up for their beliefs and fight for
causes. “Some rebels fight ... with weapons, others with words, and
other by antisocial behaviour.” Canada’s history is chock-full of
such determined characters, whose ideas, courage, and sense of justice
have helped shape the country as we know it today. This latest volume in
the Discovering Canada series introduces the reader to a mosaic of
Canadian rebels, including Louis-Joseph Papineau (1786–1871), a lawyer
and politician who supported independence for Lower Canada and was a
leader in the Rebellion of 1837; Big Bear (1825?–1888), a Plains Cree
Chief who advocated peaceful resistance to the government moving his
people to reserve; Thomas D’Arcy McGee (1825–1868), a politician,
journalist, and Father of Confederation who was assassinated; and Nellie
McClung (1873–1951), a politician, writer, and women’s rights
activist. Divided into six chapters, The Rebels documents the French,
English, Irish, and Native peoples who, from 1837 to 1921, took a stand,
ultimately influencing the development of society, religion, education,
politics, military, and business in Canada.

Strong black-and-white line illustrations throughout the book capture
the characters, clothing, settings, and scenes of the time. Simple maps
help make sense of the locations of battles and specific events. While
occasionally the textual information seems difficult to connect
(especially when a number of subtitles are used) and facts seem
isolated, the after-chapter “hands on” activities offer the reader
creative opportunities to enhance and extend the learning. Recommended.