Shovels not Rifles

Name: Shovels not Rifles
Availability: InStock

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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average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, book lovers sharing their thoughts

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Julia

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average rating is 5 out of 5

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An informative book

Book: Witchcraft
Author: Clary Croft
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing

Witchcraft by Clary Croft is a really good Halloween read, it goes into the history of witchcraft in the Maritime Provinces. As a reader we learn about everything from what witches looked like to how they cast different spells to what you should do if you were the person the witch cast the spell on.

Lately, I have been really into learning about folklore and especially witches and through reading this book I learned about a lot of different folklore stories! I really enjoyed reading about something I am currently learning about in school!

By far, my favourite part was reading all of the different true accounts of stories that actually happened!

I rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

I recommend this book.

Violet

Location:

average rating is 3 out of 5

Time Published

Haunted Harbours

Haunted Harbours by Steve Vernon is a collection of 21 ghost stories based on legends and historical stories from across Nova Scotia. The stories range from mysterious spirits and haunted ships to strange creatures and unexplained events. What makes the book especially interesting is that the stories are connected to real places in Nova Scotia, making the legends feel much closer and more believable.

One of the strongest parts of the book is Vernon’s storytelling. Rather than simply listing facts about each legend, he tells the stories in a conversational way that feels almost like listening to someone tell a ghost story around a campfire. The descriptions create an eerie atmosphere while also showing the history and character of Nova Scotia.

Even though ghost stories aren’t my cup of tea, Haunted Harbours is an enjoyable collection for anyone interested in Nova Scotia, local history, or ghost stories. Vernon does a good job of turning old legends into entertaining stories while preserving their connection to the province. It is especially interesting because it shows that Nova Scotia’s history is filled with stories that are just as mysterious as they are memorable.

I recommend this book.

Julia

Location:

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

Such a great book

Book: Cammie’s Family Secret
By Laura Best
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing

Cammie’s Family Secret by Laura best is by far my favourite book I have read all year! This book follows our main character Cammie Turple who is a young girl who just so happens to be blind, she goes on to figure out who her real family is. In Laura Best’s previous books we see Cammie grow to be more independent.

I really loved all of Laura Best’s books and this one was definitely not the exception. I liked that even though Cammie has a disability this book is not just about her disability, it’s about her ability to problem solve!

My favourite part was when Cammie was looking for her aunt’s scrapbook.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

I recommend this book.

Julia

Location:

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

Such a great book

I recommend this book.

Fifi Chen

Location:

New Brunswick

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

Creative Mind, Happy Soul Review

Creative Mind, Happy Soul is a colouring book for individuals to get their creative minds rolling! From prompts to patterns, questions to sketching, this book is amazing for a wind-down after a long day.

Having the digital version, I printed off a couple of these pages to try them out too, and they did not disappoint! Especially after a long day of school, I looked forward to this activity at the end of the day. I especially love how low the time commitment is to have some time to myself while enjoying some artsy activity and listening to my favourite music.

I think this activity book is great for all ages, but as for who would get the most out of it, it would for sure be those who love art, creativity, peaceful, and calm things to do. Some occasions where I would strongly recommend doing this are on a rainy day, snow day, boring day, or simply when you want to clean the dust off of your markers and curate some art masterpieces!

I recommend this book.