Yesterday's Children

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

This collection of 12 short stories from the East Coast is a vibrant mix
of historical fiction, legends, and stories of pioneer life, animals,
and Native peoples. The opening story of Sylvia, the black servant of
Lunenburg’s Colonel Creighton, is set in the summer of 1782 and
examines racial discrimination, loneliness, and loyalty in a community
that was to become the first Canadian settlement for black Loyalists.
“Bay of Fundy Rescue” tells the story of a pioneer family rescuing
their animals from a burning barn.

Short informational paragraphs at the end of the stories provide
additional facts on pioneer mail, toys, weather forecasting, and topics
related to the individual stories.

This would be a good read-aloud story for junior grades; students in
grades 5 and 6 could read it for themselves. The book could stimulate
discussion on the changing role of young girls since pioneer times, the
life of Native peoples, and the early rural community. In all, an
action-filled, exciting collection perfect for classroom use or
recreational reading.