WRITING BOOKS
Each of these non-fiction books for children came to life after thorough journalistic research. 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Kids originated as an article in the National Post, and first appeared as a book in 2001. A new edition appeared in 2006. The book is now available in Arabic, Korean and Indonesian. Our Song: The Story of O Canada -- the only book about the national anthem – emerged after the author conducted exhaustive research at the National Library in Ottawa. Scholastic will publish a new edition of Our Song in 2015.
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What do a skateboarder, an actor, a drummer, and a ballet dancer have in common? They all have strong opinions about what it means to be successful, and each one has a personal strategy for reaching goals. For this book, author Peter Kuitenbrouwer traveled across Canada to gather the inspirational stories of 25 children, aged 9-12. Their secrets include "Choose a good role model" and "Don't be afraid to try a new thing." In this updated edition of 7 Secrets, you will find new interviews with tweens about their recipes for success, a foreword by Degrassi: The Next Generation star Miriam McDonald, the inspiring stories shared in the first edition, and updates on where those kids are now.
I would recommend this book to teachers, but especially to parents and caregivers. It shows, with a great deal of evidence, that children will have a positive attitude and will achieve their potential with support and encouragement from their parents, grandparents and alternate caregivers. As teachers, our job is to be a good model in showing students that using the seven strategies or "secrets" helps them to succeed in all facets of their lives in and out of school.
- GARY EVANS, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
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Canada's national anthem is an orphan: its birth parents abandoned the song, and its adopted family knows nothing of its origins. In the first ever history of O Canada, Peter Kuitenbrouwer traces its origins as a hymn composed in French for a celebration of the French fact in North America, and first performed in Quebec City on St. Jean Baptiste Day in 1880. The song takes 80 years to get official words in English; by that time it is discarded by the Quebec, who prefer the Gilles Vigneault song, Gens du pays. One hundred years after O Canada's birth, in the wake of a divisive referendum on Quebec independence, the House of Commons in 1980 adopts O Canada as the nation's official national anthem.
Simply put, this is a must-read for anyone who ever wondered about the origins of the Canadian national anthem. The gorgeous illustrations and sheet music make this book ideal for teachers who are looking for a lively way to teach Canadian history. - TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY
