Key Selling Points

• An in-depth look at walls around the world throughout human history, up to the present day and into the future.
• From the US-Mexico border wall to the Israeli West Bank barrier and the Hungarian border wall, controversial and divisive walls are being built around the world today.
• This book will challenge young readers to think critically about why humans have built walls throughout history, who is affected, and the positive and negative consequences of building walls, for people and places.
• Deals with themes of war and peace (ancient and modern), the climate crisis, human migration, racism, nationalism, protectionism, ecosystems and food insecurity.
• The author is an award-winning journalist with CBC Radio in Victoria, British Columbia, and the author of books for both children and adults.

Gregor Craigie is a friendly public radio journalist, currently hosting CBC Radio One’s On the Island in Victoria, BC. He is generally well-liked and known for being fair, but will occasionally push people on political and social issues – while maintaining his manners, of course. Inspired by his interest in earthquakes, Craigie’s non-fiction book On Borrowed Time was a finalist for the inaugural Writers’ Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. In an effort to stay healthy and as a tiny offering in the fight against climate change, Craigie bikes to work daily.

Gregor Craigie's profile page

Arden Taylor is a freelance illustrator residing in Toronto, Ontario. She graduated Sheridan College with an Honours Bachelor of Illustration. She enjoys working with beautiful color palettes to create visually appealing, fun and sophisticated graphic illustrations of architecture, people, wallpaper, patterns and more. Her clients include Hazlitt Magazine and the California Institute of Technology. Arden's work has been featured in magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns and websites. The Kids Book of Black History in Canada is her first book.

Arden Taylor's profile page

“Another great nonfiction instalment…There is a whole world of historical contemporary walls that await in these seventy pages.”

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

“Building walls and often tearing them down is a part of the world's history. Sometimes they have helped; other times they have been a hindrance. Why do we have them? If you really want to know, this is a grand place to start.”

Sal's Fiction Addiction

“This thoroughly researched and well-written book will aid young readers in understanding how our society came to be, while looking at current systems from different perspectives. For any young person interested in learning more about the history of our world, exploring why humanity has put up barriers as we have evolved and why we continue this tradition, they couldn't ask for a better resource.”

BC BookWorld

“Conveys an abundance of information about unique locations across the globe…An attractive purchase for larger collections or populations interested in understanding the history of walls, geography, and the human tendency to build barriers.”

School Library Journal

“Provides a fascinating look at some of the different walls built over history, who built them, and why they were built. Walls provides a foundation on the topic for young readers and will be an excellent stepping stone for readers who want to learn more. Highly recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“This is one of those specialized STEAM offerings that takes a seemingly mundane subject—walls—and turns it into an international survey of ancient through modern-day structures, bringing in elements of architecture, engineering, agriculture, economy, and problem-solving…This colorful and inviting offering fills a void and makes for great middle-school world history curriculum support while shoring up STEAM collections.”

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