Ellen, Book 4: A Time for Courage.

Deborah Dowson is a Canaadian children’s librarian in North Wales,
Pennsylvania.

The war in Europe is far removed from Vancouver, yet Ellen and her friends do what they can to help with the war effort. They collect newspapers for the paper drive, knit scarves for sailors, and save their money for war bonds. But, the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan brings the horror of war much closer to home. Now there is a curfew, and everyone must use blackout curtains at night. Worst of all, people have become suspicious of all Japanese Canadians and the Canadian government has ordered that all Japanese descendents be sent to internment camps in the interior. Ellen’s best friend, Amy, is sent away and Ellen is heartbroken at the injustice, yet she is powerless to change it.

This is the final story in the Ellen books from the Our Canadian Girl series. The story gives girls a glimpse of what life was like for children during wartime in Canada, and during this especially dark period in Canadian history. The author focuses on the daily tasks that girls participate in during this time period and shows how their lives lacked the opportunities and freedoms that we take for granted today. It is a sad ending for Ellen, but even more so for her friend Amy, and a thoughtful lesson in history for the reader. Recommended.