Joe Howe to the Rescue

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

Halifax in 1834 is a town of crooked streets and crooked government.
Young Jack Dance can’t abide bullies and always sticks up for the
smaller kids at school. His hero, Joe Howe, continually challenges the
corrupt and powerful magistrates of the town by publishing accounts of
their shady activities in his newspaper The Novascotian.

When Jack starts to work for the newspaper, his life takes an
adventurous and somewhat dangerous turn. He learns that the men at the
top will stop at nothing to maintain their power, and they put Joe Howe
on trial for seditious libel. Initially, it looks like Joe will be sent
to prison, but the people become united by Joe’s courageous words and
their will prevails. The successful outcome of Joe’s trial leads to
the removal of the corrupt magistrates from power.

This exceptionally well-written work of historical fiction employs a
level of detailed description and characterization that is often absent
from books for young people. Bawtree creates a visually rich sense of
the place and an intimate view of life at the time. The action is
especially exciting when Jack courts danger in his dealings with the
evil magistrates, but even the most mundane aspects of daily life in the
newspaper office are made interesting by virtue of their greater
importance in the fight for justice. Jack’s character is compelling,
as is the depiction of Joe Howe as the champion of the people. Highly
recommended.