Remembrance Day is often a time to gather, reflect, and pay tribute.
This year we can all still participate in the last two by engaging with shared resources and connecting through our nation’s stories.
Here are a few titles to get you started.
For adults:
Everyday Heroes: Inspirational Stories from Men and Women in the Canadian Armed Forces, edited by Jody Mitic
A compilation of first-person accounts from members of the Canadian Armed Forces, this collection represents stories from World War Two to the war in Afghanistan. Filled with personal photographs and biographical notes, it’s an important collection to acknowledge and honour the people behind the statistics. Mitic’s earlier works include his own personal memoir, Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper.
Vimy: The Battle and the Legend by Tim Cook
Canadian military historian Tim Cook offers a sweeping account of the defining battle of the Great War and how it marked a nation. Looking back on its 100-year history, the author’s tribute illuminates the many ways in which the four-day battle and its layered narrative resonates with Canadians today. Cook is also the author of The Secret History of Soldiers, Shock Troops, and The Necessary War: Canadians Fighting the Second World War, 1939-1943.
Other notable titles for adults include Out Standing in the Field: A Memoir by Canada’s First Female Infantry Officer by Sandra Perron and Passchendaele: Canada’s Triumph and Tragedy on the Fields of Flanders.
For children:
Innocent Heroes: Stories of Animals in the First World War by Sigmund Brouwer
An excellent choice for young, but independent readers, this collection combines a mix of fictional accounts with an informative nonfiction afterward explaining the inspiration for each story. Speaking at the 2017 Ontario Library Association conference, Brouwer explained that he chose this format on account of its ability to break through to a young audience and connect a defined interest with a broader sense of understanding. Some of the animal heroes he includes are messenger dogs, war mascots, and carrier pigeons.
A Poppy is to Remember by Heather Patterson
A gentle introduction to the topic of war for very young readers (recommended for Pre-K up), this book also explains why the poppy stands as the symbol of Remembrance Day and includes the poem, In Flanders Fields. Patterson has also written several patriotic titles outside the topic including I Am Canada: A Celebration. Other excellent titles for children include Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion by Jane Barclay, Remembering: The Story of a Soldier by Virginia Mayo, and Poppy Day by Rosemary Moore.
