It's 1812 and rumors of war are sweeping Upper Canada. But 15-year-old Jeremy Fields has other things on his mind --- like what to do now that his parents are dead and he's been swindled out of the family farm. Angry and confused, Jeremy sets out for the town of York, only to lose his few remaining possessions --- and very nearly his life --- when a bridge collapses beneath his feet. Plucked from the river by British soldiers, Jeremy decides to join their regiment. Before long, the farm boy from Upper Canada becomes the personal servant to the great military strategist General Isaac Brock. Jeremy's War 1812 blends historical fact with an exciting fictional story of a boy caught up in the battle to save Canada!

Darrell Bricker is the CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs. Prior to joining Ipsos Reid, Bricker was director of public-opinion research in the office of the prime minister. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Carleton University and is the co-author (with Edward Greenspon) of Searching for Certainty: Inside the New Canadian Mindset. He is the co-author, with John Wright, of What Canadians Think About Almost Everything. Follow Darrell on Twitter @darrellbricker.

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• Short-listed, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, Canadian Children’s Book Centre

I have encountered few works of fiction which address the War of 1812 for this age group, and certainly feel that Jeremy’s War 1812 should be on the shelves of Canada’s school libraries. The new cover art commends this work of historical fiction to male students looking for some ’action and adventure.’