Holiday Gift Guide: Northern Kids by Linda Goyette

The fourth entry in Brindle & Glass’ Courageous Kids series, Northern Kids follows the pattern set by the previous books in telling regional children’s stories in their own voices.

Based on archival material and extensive interviews, author Linda Goyette here recreates the stories of children as authentically as her source material allows. A brief section after each chapter called “What Do We Know For Sure” explains just where the source material came from and how much of the narrative is a retelling and how much is a reconstruction.

The stories I personally liked best had historical elements and brought some element of history to life. Children will have their own favorites. Goyette tells a broad spectrum of stories here: different types from different eras. It’s a wealth of information.

Northern Kids focuses on the stories of children and teenagers from Canada’s North. Previous books in the series have offered stories from Edmonton, the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver Island. It’s an interesting premise. I’m looking forward to seeing where it leads. ◊

Monica Stark is a contributing editor to January Magazine. She currently makes her home on a liveaboard boat somewhere in the North Pacific.