Happy Birthday Canada! This year they are celebrating their sesquicentennial! I have found all kinds of sites of festivities across the country. I'm reading more books about Canada at the moment, too. :-)

For an overview of Canadian history try A Little History of Canada, by H.V. Nelles. Written for tourists, those new to Canada, or just readers who wanted a 'bit of history' the author has done a nice job here.

How did the Canadian flag come to be the only flag showing a maple leaf? Just how was the design chosen? (One with hockey sticks was proposed). Our Flag: the Story of Canada's Maple Leaf, written by Ann-Maureen Owens & Jane Yealland and illustrated by Bill Slavin & Esperanca Melo will explain everything.

This may be the last of Stuart McLean's books (he died earlier this year) (unless there are some unpublished manuscripts ?? ;-) ). Vinyl Cafe Turns the Page is a wonderful collection of stories from the radio show. I can hear Stuart's voice in my head as I read.

Even though this book is intended for young readers, I found Let's Call it Canada: Amazing Stories of Canadian Place Names, by Susan Huges and illustrated by Clive Dobson and Jolie Dobson to be a delightful read. Learning how various places got their names was fascinating whether it was from local animals, or terrain,or the person who first settled there, or a twisted version of a foreign language. Just fun!

Although Uprooted: a Novel, by Lynne Reid Banks, is fiction, it is also based on the author's experiences. During WWII many women and children were sent to Canada from England for safety. This is the story of a mother, daughter, and nephew who ended up in Saskatoon and how they adapted to being so far from home and family.

Reading Hermit With Dog