Novels for Remembrance

(Photo Credit: The National War Memorial at night in Ottawa, Ontario, was captured by my talented friend and photographer, Celeste Odono!)

(A version of this article first appeared in Kingston Neighbours magazine, November, 2021.)

Remembrance Day is a somber event across Canada, especially in military communities. While November 11th provides a necessary and meaningful opportunity to reflect on the devastating human cost of our vigilant pursuit of peace and freedom, it can be hard to find age-appropriate resources to help our older kids understand its importance.

This is why well-researched historical fiction for youth is a go-to for me; novels can provide an immersive yet safe experience in which older kids and teens can explore the difficult issues of war. Fortunately, there are some great historical fiction novels for young adults that span Canada’s 250+ years of military history. 

18th and 19th Century

Some of the best pre- and post-confederation Canadian historical fiction novels for youth are part of 2 different Scholastic book series: I Am Canada and Dear Canada. 

Seven Years’ War (1756 – 1763)

• The Death of my country: The Plains of Abraham Diary of Geneviève Aubuchon, (Dear Canada series), Maxine Trottier (2005)
• Brother in Arms: The Siege of Louisbourg, Sébastien de l’Espérance, New France, 1758, (I Am Canada series), Don Asker (2015)
• Storm the Fortress: the Siege of Quebec, William Jenkins, New France, 1759, (I Am Canada series), Maxine Trottier (2013)

War of 1812 (1812 – 1815)

• Whispers of War: The War of 1812 Diary of Susanna Merritt, (Dear Canada series), Kit Pearson, (2012)
• A Call to Battle: the War of 1812, Alexander MacKay, Upper Canada, 1812, (I Am Canada series), Gillian Chan, (2012)

Red River and Northwest Resistances (1869 – 1870, 1885)

• Blood Upon Our Land: The North West Resistance Diary of Josephine Bouvier, Batoche, District of Saskatchewan, 1885, (Dear Canada series), Maxine Trottier (2009)
• A Girl Called Echo series, (graphic novels), Katherena Vermette, (2017 – 2021) — There is a wonderful teacher’s guide for this series as well: Teacher Guide for A Girl Called Echo: Learning About the History and Culture of the Métis Nation in Grades 7–8 by Reuben Boulette

WW1, 1914 – 1918

In addition to the Scholastic series, there are many historical fiction books for youth about WWI that you should check out, including these by well-known Canadian authors:

• Rilla of Ingleside, (Anne of Green Gables series), Lucy Maud Montgomery, (1921)
• The Hydrofoil Mystery, Eric Walters, (1999)
• Dark Terror, John Wilson, (2015)

WW2, 1939 – 1945

There are literally thousands of novels written about WWII and the Holocaust for youth, with more being published every year. Here are some of the most recent to consider:

• A Boy Is Not a Ghost, Edeet Ravel, (2021)
• I Am Defiance: A Novel of WWII, Jenni L. Walsh, (2021)
• The Enigma game, Elizabeth Wein, (2020)
• War Stories, Gordon Korman, (2020)

Korean War, 1950 – 1953

While there are few books for youth about the Korean War, often called the Forgotten War for a reason, here are a couple: 

• Finding Junie Kim, Ellen Oh, (2021)
• Brother’s Keeper, Julie Lee, (2020)

Modern Day Peace Support Operations, 1954 – present

These books for older kids and teens will help them better understand more recent conflicts in the late-20th and early 21st century in which Canada has performed peacekeeping roles:

The Balkans, 1991 – 2004 

The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War and Survival, Amra Sabic-El-Rayess (2020)

Somalia, 1992 – 1994

• Let’s Go Swimming on Doomsday, Natalie C. Anderson, (2019)  

Rwanda, 1993 – 1996

• Shattered, Eric Walters, (2006)

Afghanistan, 2001 – 2014

• Ground Zero, Alan Gratz, (2021)

Remembrance begins with understanding and empathy. Fictional accounts of historical events can help youth develop both. And with that awareness, perhaps future generations will be better equipped to prevent wars and atrocities from occurring. Lest we forget.

Historical Source:

National Defence. “Canadian Military History.” Canada.ca, https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/militaryhistory.html.