Rachel: A Mighty Big Imagining (Our Canadian Girl series) by Lynne Kositsky Date of Publication: 2001 ISBN: 978-0141002521 Number of Pages: 88

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: Low Intermediate : Low
GENRES: Historical Fiction
THEMES : Family – Prejudice - Coming of Age

SUMMARY:
In 1783, after escaping slavery in South Carolina, ten-year-old Rachel and her family helped the British during the American Revolution and were promised freedom and land in the wonderful northland of Canada. Rachel and her family are overjoyed at this prospect until they arrive at their land. The property they are given isn't at all what they expected and they are not prepared for a Canadian winter. To top it off, Rachel's mother is pregnant. Rachel begins to question if they were better off as slaves. Rachel is a fighter, however, and is determined to live and make the most of her new life of freedom. How will Rachel rise above the prejudice surrounding her? What will her encounters with the natives bring? Will her family turn their hovel into a home, and survive the cold winter…and will life ever be what she imagined?

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- loves historical fiction
- likes a strong female character
- likes the Our Canadian Girl series
- is interested in the history of slavery
- has recently immigrated to Canada

WHAT ELSE?
This is the first in a series of Our Canadian Girl: Rachel books.

RELATED LINK:
For more information, check out www.ourcanadiangirl.ca and the author’s site, www.lynnekositsky.com .