The Jo Boy Deserts and Other Stories

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

This collection of short stories—all three of which are set in western
Canada—is fast-paced, entertaining, and well written.

“Jo Boy” is a term for “everyone’s servant,” and in the title
story, set on Vancouver Island in 1863, young Tad Skyes has been forced
to work on the ship Nancy Anne. When he deserts the ship, he is helped
by the Lennox family, with 10-year-old Lucinda playing an important
part. “The Mystery of the Slashed Cabbages” concerns a
Dutch-Canadian family of market gardeners in Kildonan, Manitoba, in the
1930s. The cabbages of 11-year-old Theo Versteeg’s father have been
slashed in a sabotage attempt to prevent the family from winning prizes
at the local fall fair. “The Trouble with Esmay” takes place in
Winnipeg during the summer of 1935, and relates a series of escapades in
which young Joanie and Beth decide to save an escaped pig, Esmay, from
the slaughterhouse by hiding her in their uncle’s shed.

These stories would appeal to junior-grade students, and could be used
to promote a discussion and understanding of changing lifestyles in
Canada’s past. The book is well balanced in terms of male/female roles
and ethnic diversity.