I Am Canada: A Call to Battle

About this book

The War of 1812 comes to life through the eyes of a young Canadian boy.

It's 1812. War has begun, and thirteen-year-old Alexander (Sandy) MacKay is jealous when his older brother Angus goes off with their father to fight the Americans attacking the Niagara region. Too young to know the darker side of battle, he resents being left to shoulder the work on his family's farm.

Itching to get in on the action, he sneaks away from home and heads to Lundy's Lane to join up with the local militia. But battle is imminent, and now there's not much his father can do except try to shield him from the worst of the fighting.

Sandy's idealized notions of what battle will be like are shattered when the man standing before him is killed by a musket ball and Sandy's own brother is severely wounded. At the battle of Lundy's Lane, the united Canadian/British forces turn the tide against the American troops, but Sandy comes to know how chilling war can be.

Just in time for the bicentennial of the War of 1812, A Call to Battle is a sobering look at the realities of war. Author Gillian Chan skillfully depicts the transformation of an impetuous young boy, full of boyish enthusiasm, into a more realistic young man who emerges on the other side of war.

Reviews

Praise for I Am Canada: A Call to Battle:
"[A]n authentic perspective on the War of 1812, reminding readers that the important part isn't the battle, but how people continue to cope after it's over. Fans of historical fiction, as well as action-loving boys, will find much to like in this book." —Quill & Quire

"A Call to Battle is a coming-of-age story that provides a sobering look at the grim realities of war . . . a very good and interesting book." —CM Magazine

Praise for the I Am Canada series:

"Make[s] history come alive through an expert mix of fact and fiction." —Quill & Quire

"The chief characters are eminently likeable and quietly heroic, and their tales utterly engrossing." —The Globe and Mail

"The writing is immaculate." —The National Post

Extras

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