A Kid's Reference Guide to Victoria: City of Gardens

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

This six-volume series profiles six important Canadian urban centres.
All volumes follow a standardized format. Following an introduction are
seven chapters: “The Past,” “Famous People,” “Culture,”
“Economy,” “Sports and Recreation,” “Tourism,” and
“Architecture.” Each chapter is a dynamic blend of interrelated
photographs, charts, text, and sidebars. What gives this series variety
is the diverse nature of the cities profiled.

Iqaluit examines Canada’s newest capital. Boasting a population of
just 5000, Iqaluit is also unique in that it is the only Canadian
capital city that is not accessible by road and requires an airplane to
enter or leave. The volume focusing on Quebec City, one of Canada’s
oldest and most beautiful cities, celebrates everything from snow
castles to solid stone walls. The birthplace of Canada and potato power
are just two of the themes found in Charlottetown. The transformation
from a wilderness log camp to a national capital is traced in the book
on Ottawa. Bucking broncos, beef barbecues, and Big Sky are featured in
Calgary. Warm winters and whale-watching are two secrets revealed in
Victoria.

All of the books include a glossary, an index, a “Fascinating
Facts” section, and suggested activities to help young readers better
understand the communities they are reading about. Solid research and
thoughtful layout make this series a “must-have” for library
shelves. Highly recommended.