Aram's Choice

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

Aram’s Choice is a story about Canada’s first international
humanitarian effort, which involved the relocation (from Turkey to
Ontario) of a group of boys orphaned after the Armenian genocide that
followed World War I.

Twelve-year old Aram is one of 50 boys who is sent to Canada. His
journey takes him from Greece, where he leaves behind a grandmother who
is too poor to feed him, to an orphanage in Georgetown, Ontario. Upon
settling in, Aram is full of questions about what life will be like in
his adoptive country. Will he be able to pluck gold from the branches of
maple trees and use the money to bring his grandmother to Canada?

Students will enjoy reading about Aram’s reactions to bananas,
butter, spearmint gum, fresh milk, sandwiches, and other luxuries that
were denied to him in Turkey. Although Aram learns that money does not
grow on trees, he also discovers that his new country offers a freedom
and security far more precious than any leaves of gold.

This latest instalment in the New Beginnings series features short
chapters, colourful illustrations, a map showing the route Aram took to
get to Canada, a glossary, and a historical note. Recommended.