And the Boats Go Up and Down

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

The time is 1936 and the place Belleville, Ontario, when 12-year-old
Edie Simpson and her 11-year-old cousin, Rafe, go back 50 years to the
time of Rafe’s grandmother and experience the destructive flood in the
downtown area. Rafe is researching his school project on 1930s local
life and wanders off on a foggy evening. The two youngsters meet
Rafe’s grandmother, then a young girl, and see the damage to buildings
and bridges.

Alexander includes interesting details of the Depression years:
brown-sugar sandwiches, newspaper in shoes to keep feet warm, dippers
for drinking water from wells, and long-forgotten expressions like
“wet your whistle.” The story moves quickly and, with its large
print and fast-paced action, should appeal equally to boys and girls in
grades 5 and 6. The inclusion of a single parent, an overweight
youngster, and an appealing dog, Major, adds to the realism. The story
might encourage further reading or research on the 1930s. Unfortunately,
the book has annoying typographical errors. Recommended for novel
studies or library collections.