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Children's Fiction General

Dear Canada: Not a Nickel to Spare

The Great Depression Diary of Sally Cohen, Toronto, Ontario, 1932

by (author) Perry Nodelman

Publisher
Scholastic Canada Ltd, Independent Publishers Group
Initial publish date
Sep 2012
Category
General
Recommended Age
8 to 12
Recommended Grade
3 to 7
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780439961301
    Publish Date
    May 2007
    List Price
    $16.99
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781443124034
    Publish Date
    Sep 2012
    List Price
    $16.99

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

Coping with being poor during the Depression is hard enough, but Sally also has to contend with anti-Jewish sentiment when she ventures outside her familiar neighbourhood near Toronto's Kensington Market. Her cousin Benny is always getting into scrapes or dragging Sally into his hare-brained schemes. But it's also Benny who tries to open Sally's eyes to the wider world, telling her about Hitler's rise in Europe and urging her to stand up for herself when she comes across anti-Semitism.

A historical note gives readers the background of the Depression, which hit Canada harder than most other countries. It also describes the way Jews were treated in Canada. Today's readers might be surprised to know that there were people in Toronto who prided themselves on being part of The Swastika Club. A map, photographs and documents provide a visual context for the story.

About the author

Perry Nodelman is professor emeritus of English at the University of Winnipeg and author of The Pleasure of Children’s Literature and Words About Pictures: The Narrative Art of Children’s Picture Books. Professor Nodelman is also an accomplished author of children’s books such as Behaving Bradley.

Perry Nodelman's profile page

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