Alberta

Children's Literature - Catherine Campbell Wright

There is much to learn about fascinating Canada, and this inviting series "Hello Canada" from Lerner provides readers with rich resources about this country's exciting provinces. Each attractive and colorful book is laid out in the same format, beginning with a few pages of Fun Facts, then subsequent chapters exploring the land, history, economy and the people of the featured province. The final pages of each book showcase famous sons and daughters of Canadian provinces, from hockey players and movie stars to human rights activists and educators. In addition, a page of Fast Facts gives young researchers quick information such as landmarks, statistics, and provincial signs and symbols. New words throughout the book are shown in bold type, and later included in the handy glossary and pronunciation guide at the end.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Informative texts cover each province's geography, economy, history (beginning before European expropriation), and people. The numerous, full-color photographs have clear captions. There are, however, a number of items that detract from each volume: the pronunciation guide, glossary, time line, "fun facts," and economic maps are humorous, vague, or incomplete, rather than informative. Students researching Nova Scotia or Alberta will find plenty of facts in these titles, but by far the best resources on Canada and its people are Canada and the Canada Yearbook, published annually by Statistics Canada. They include well-designed charts and maps, are easy to read, and are useful for researchers and browsers alike.-Lucinda Lockwood, Thomas Haney Secondary School, Maple Ridge, BC