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Shovels not Rifles

Shovels not Rifles

Historical young adult fiction set in the First World War featuring a young African Nova Scotian in the No. 2 Construction Battalion who faces racism and discrimination from his fellow Canadians.

Shovels Not Rifles is the story of Will, a young Black man from a small Nova Scotia town who enlists and goes to war in the historical Black Battalion in 1916.

When Coloured men are finally allowed to enlist in the Canadian military, Will Coleman has a chance to make his late father proud, see the world and earn enough money to take care of his mother. Immediately after joining the No. 2 Construction Battalion, he learns that the members of Canada’s only all-Black battalion are not allowed to fight on the front lines. Instead, they are assigned the same forestry work they were doing at home. Not only that, Will is the target of racism and discrimination by superiors and many fellow soldiers who refuse to accept a “checkerboard army”.

Alongside his fellow soldiers in the No. 2 Construction Battalion, Will slowly faces the harsh realities of the war -- and the country he wanted to fight for.

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Julia

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Jorja Walker

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Shovels not Rifles

Shovels not Rifles Review



Wilbur Coleman is a black Canadian who lives in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in the year of 1914. When Will was little his dad passed away from tuberculosis. Before his dad passed away his dad asked him to try to make a change for black people. Most people of color faced racism daily during this time so when WW1 starts, Will sees his chance to keep his promise to his dad. Will goes to enlist for the Canadian Militia but he is declined entry because the war was considered a “white man’s war”. Two years later Will starts seeing posters, flyers, and newspaper articles asking for black men to come and join the war effort. Will immediately goes to join with his best friend Charlie and his neighbor Louis. Will is excited to go fight at the front line with his best friend for their freedom. Slowly their excitement turns to disappointment as they find out due to the low numbers of recruits they are not considered a battalion and they will not be able to fight on the front. Instead they are told that they are going to be laborers in the No.2 Construction battalion. Their job will be to supply resources for the war effort and will be nowhere near the front. For Louis and Charlie this suffices but Will is a little hurt to have his pride stricken down like that. Will made the best of it though by working as hard as he could while still trying to get transferred to the front line. After being refused to be transferred and dodging death numerous times Will begins to feel that his dream will never happen. After losing friends and wanting this war to just be over Will finally gets sent to the front, but it isn’t at all what Will thought it would be.



I really liked this book because it had a lot of real facts about the No.2 Construction Company and WW1. The author did a lot of research on WW1’s black battalion and the events that happened to the battalion. It was a really good book, and I was glad I could learn more about something I learned at school. It does have a lot of swear words so I don’t recommend it for anyone under grade 6. I give it a 4/5 star rating.

I recommend this book.