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Ranking All 33 Dear Canada Books

The anthologies don't count and this is the hill I am going to die on.

By kit vaillancourtPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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If you were a Canadian child in the early-mid 2000s then you probably saw the Dear Canada books hanging out on library shelves with their beautiful ribbon bookmarks and incredibly foreboding titles. If you were like me between the ages of 9-12, then you probably spent most of your allotted library time hypnotized by those books. If you were me between the ages of 9-12, then you were fascinated by the books as a whole but were too intimidated to read ones you felt were Too Historical and as a result, only read a handful.

What I’m getting at is that I spent a good chunk of 2018 reading and re-reading these books because I realized that there’s literally nothing stopping me from indulging my 10-year-old monkey brain. And now, I will proceed to rank all 33 of them (not counting anthologies).

(I had an elaborate ranking system which took up a 30-page Word document and was broken down into categories of narrator, love interest, writing, topic/setting, and whether I’d want to be friends with the narrator. Of course I’m also tremendously biased. )

33. Not a Nickel to Spare: The Great Depression Diary of Sally Cohen, Toronto, Ontario, 1932 by Perry Nodelman (2007)

I wrote a book report on this in fifth grade and remembered certain plot points but not the fact that it SUCKS. Sally’s an insufferable moron and awful human being who’s barely in her own book because the author focuses on her omnipresent cousin Benny who’s only marginally better. The writing itself is bland and recycles the same three plot points. If i were to meet Sally Cohen I would immediately challenge her to a duel and I would win.

32. Whispers of War: The War of 1812 Diary of Susanna Merritt, Niagara, Upper Canada, 1812 by Kit Pearson (2002)

I had high-ish hopes for this book based solely on the fact that Kit Pearson and I share a name and because she has pictures of her and her wife on her website and it’s all very wholesome. Unfortunately, this book is not great. The romance is awful, and you’re beat over the head with it. It’s also not very informative or exciting; I learned more about 19th-century candle-making (still cool) than, say, Laura Secord’s walk or the burning of the White House AKA the two most iconic moments of the War of 1812.

31. Where the River Takes Me: The Hudson’s Bay Company Diary of Jenna Sinclair, Fort Victoria, Vancouver’s Island, 1842 by Julie Lawson (2008)

Honestly, this book wouldn’t be quite so bad if it weren’t literally the longest in the series despite the fact that nothing ever happens. There’s a lot of potential (and a murder mystery which is introduced and solved within about 20 pages) but Jenna’s annoying writing tics like writing tho’ and Capitalization, along with her aggressive heterosexuality, make it a no from me.

30. Flames and Ashes: The Great Fire Diary of Triffie Winsor, St. John’s, Newfoundland, 1892 by Janet McNaughton (2014)

The fact that I’m supposed to feel sorry for a girl who says stuff like “I think those who are unfortunate enough to be poor should at least have the grace to show gratitude” after she loses everything-but-not-actually-everything-because-they-have-good-insurance after the fire is hilarious.

29. Banished From Our Home: The Acadian Diary of Angélique Richard, Grand-Pré, Acadia, 1755 by Sharon Stewart (2004)

My library copy had small rips on several pages along with crayon and marker scribbles which means that one of the small children reading this book before me was either a) rightfully upset about the deportation of the Acadians or, b) mad because Angélique is a weak narrator and the writing is never very concise.

28. With Nothing But Our Courage: The Loyalist Diary of Mary MacDonald, Johnstown, Quebec, 1783 by Karleen Bradford (2002)

Me? Sympathizing with a badly-written Tory? It’s less likely than you think!

27. A Sea of Sorrows: The Typhus Epidemic Diary of Johanna Leary, Ireland to Canada East, 1847 by Norah McClintock (2012)

If this book would have come out when I was in fifth grade and utterly obsessed with Ireland and the potato famine I would have gone ham over it. Unfortunately, it didn’t come out when I was in fifth grade and blind to the fact that this book is boring. Johanna’s narration is so detached from the action that her entire family dropped like flies and she was like “it be like that sometimes.”

26.A Country of Our Own: The Confederation Diary of Rosie Dunn, Ottawa, Province of Canada, 1866by Karleen Bradford (2013)

I don’t like Karleen Bradford’s writing and I don’t like this book very much. There are only two things keeping it marginally ahead of With Nothing But Our Courage: some of the plot points reminded me a lot of A Rebel’s Daughter, my childhood fave, and Rosie quotes my favourite verse of “The Lady of Shalott”. Aside from that, this book is just phoned in.

25. Winter of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge, Marie’s Cove, New-Found-Land,1721 by Jan Andrews (2005)

Okay, hear me out. This book falls victim to capslock abuse, exclamation point abuse, and quotation mark abuse, but it’s so damn funny. Sophie’s dad is @GuyInYourMFA personified and uproots his entire family so he can write a terrible Defoe-esque novel. Sophie literally prays that a cat will like her and considers reporting a deckhand for impertinence because he was picking his nose. It’s hilarious

24. An Ocean Apart: The Gold Mountain Diary of Chin Mei-ling, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1922 by Gillian Chan (2004)

Good in theory, incredibly mediocre in practice. I wanted to like this book so much and I want only good things for Mei but no good things happen to Mei because there’s only unrelenting misery. Please give this girl a) a hug b) her family c) some good age-appropriate friends d) a teacher who doesn’t have a white saviour complex

23. Footsteps in the Snow: The Red River Diary of Isobel Scott, Rupert’s Land, 1815 by Carol Matas (2002)

So you know how Cher from Clueless is a closeted lesbian struggling with compulsory heterosexuality because she only displays attraction to unattainable men and redirects her own feelings for Tai by trying to get her into the perfect relationship? Well, this book is 1815 Clueless with Isobel as Cher her frenemy Kate as Tai and ends with Kate marrying Isobel’s brother because it’s the 19th century.

22. A Ribbon of Shining Steel: The Railway Diary of Kate Cameron, Yale, British Columbia, 1882 by Julie Lawson (2002)

Most of the drama in this is focused on what’s essentially a love triangle between Kate and her old best friend and new best friend. Aside from the fact that her portrait looks a LOT like Benjamin Franklin, Kate’s pretty likable. But, idk man, trains are kind of a boring subject.

21. Orphan at My Door: The Home Child Diary of Victoria Cope, Guelph, Ontario, 1897 by Jean Little (2001)

I feel like I can’t judge this one too harshly because it was the first DC published and also because the topic is handled very well (fun fact sometimes I just go to hang out in front of the Hazelbrae Monument to the Barnardo children), it just could be so much more. Luckily for us, one of Jean Little’s later books is just this one but better and much more mature.

20. Blood Upon Our Land: The Northwest Resistance Diary of Josephine Bouvier, Batoche, District of Saskatchewan, 1885 by Maxine Trottier (2009)

Josephine has a cool motivation for writing (preserving her Métis way of life) and I’m incredibly glad that I know the Michif word for werewolf (it’s rougarou, which comes from the French loup-garou and PLEASE look up the French Catholic mythology surrounding werewolves because it’s hilarious) but other than that it’s just... there.

19. All Fall Down: The Landslide Diary of Abby Roberts, Frank, District of Alberta, 1902 by Jean Little (2014)

I mean... it’s very well-written and Jean Little always does a great job of exploring disability but the slide itself only happens in the last 30 pages and it’s so boring.

18. Pieces of the Past: The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1948 by Carol Matas (2013)

The odds are probably stacked against this one because "WWII-adjacent YA with a girl narrator" is one of my fave niche subgenres so it had a lot of expectations to live up to. Mostly it lives up to those expectations but there’s a very strange romance subplot. Rose bonds with a fellow survivor named Oskar and there are two instances where he says something nice to her and she’s like ohMYGOD I’M GONNA MARRY HIM. Like… Rose... lost her entire family and had her mother executed right in front of her—she doesn’t need a boyfriend she needs a therapist!

17. Alone in an Untamed Land: The Filles du Roi Diary of Hélene St. Onge, Montreal, New France, 1666 by Maxine Trottier (2003)

There were two points in this where I was actually shocked by plot twists but it might just be because I’m a dumbass. And I wish, I really wish I could get past the romance but I can’t. I know it’s 1666 and I know that Hélėne’s entire reason for being in New France is so she could marry but of all the eligible bachelors in Montreal did she have to marry HER BEST FRIEND’S DAD who’s twice her age when she’s 14 and they get married a few weeks after the book ends—oh my god can you imagine your bff becoming your stepmom? I’m so uncomfortable.

16. Turned Away: The World War II Diary of Devorah Bernstein, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1941 by Carol Matas (2005)

Sally from Not a Nickel to Spare: who are you?Devorah: a decent human being.

15. Brothers Far From Home: The World War I Diary of Eliza Bates, Uxbridge, Ontario, 1916 by Jean Little (2003)

The high melodrama subplot in this (like in all of Jean Little’s books) is absolutely bonkers. Eliza’s brother Jack and and his best friend Rufus both fall in love with this nurse named Rosemary so they FLIP A COIN to decide who marries her and Rufus wins but is killed in a plane crash. Jack then marries Rosemary and seemingly has a baby with her but it turns out that she was pregnant when she first married Rufus and feels like she’s a burden. They name the baby after Rufus. Honestly, I got whiplash from all the plot developments.

14. A Desperate Road to Freedom: The Underground Railroad Diary of Julia May Jackson, Virginia to Canada West, 1864-1865 by Karleen Bradford (2009)

I can’t believe I’m ranking a Karleen Bradford book this high and I really wish that DC got a black author to write this one but despite everything, it’s not that bad. Julia’s cute, as is her budding childhood romance which surprisingly isn’t shoved in your face, and the pacing isn’t too wonky which is the best I can say for a Bradford book.

13. A Trail of Broken Dreams: The Gold Rush Diary of Harriet Palmer, Overland to the Cariboo, 1862 by Barbara Haworth-Attard (2004)

Harriet spends most of the book crossdressing, during which time she meets her future husband who continues to call her "Harry" even after her secret is revealed. It’s... loaded. And then they almost murder a dude together. More books about rowdy dirtgoblin girls!

12. A Prairie as Wide as the Sea: The Immigrant Diary of Ivy Weatherall, Milorie, Saskatchewan, 1926 by Sarah Ellis (2001)

Sarah Ellis is a lesbian and as a result, her books have Strong Sapphic Subtext and Ivy Weatherall is one of the gayest characters I’ve ever read. There’s this character who’s a flapper who’s only there for like 4 pages and Ivy’s utterly obsessed with her, constantly remarking how pretty she is and how much she wants to be like her. And one of her teachers has strong Miss Honey energy. And she never marries. Instead, she drives sports cars and teaches nursing. Honestly, I’m in awe of the fact that this was the second book published because it’s so incredibly gay.

11. Days of Toil and Tears: The Child Labour Diary of Flora Rutherford, Almonte, Ontario, 1887 by Sarah Ellis (2008)

Is this a book largely about the horrors of child labour a la Dickens? Nope. Is this a book about a traumatized orphan being adopted by a perfect screwball comedy couple and learning about kindness and family and being safe around mills? You bet your bottom dollar it is. Not as gay as Sarah Ellis’ other books but Flora marries a man who “was kind, responsible, and could sing the birds out of trees” which is romantic AF.

10. Torn Apart: The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1941 by Susan Aihoshi (2012)

Mary has a girl squad! They call themselves The Gang and meet up for tennis and girl guide meetings; they all stand up for Mary and publicly confront her bully. It’s actually really rare for a DC narrator to have more than one good friend—they normally have one friend, or are friendly with adults, or have no friends at all—and if anyone deserves unwavering friends it’s Mary.

9. If I Die Before I Wake: The Flu Epidemic Diary of Fiona Macgregor, Toronto, Ontario, 1918 by Jean Little (2007)

In my second year of university, I got a case of the flu so bad I ended up in the ER because I couldn’t breathe and ended up having to reschedule my exams. At the time I didn’t know it was the flu because they swabbed me for whooping cough and all signs pointed toward bronchitis or some sort of lung infection. So when the doctor told me I had influenza, I, as someone who was absolutely terrified of this book and refused to even look at it, and was also OBSESSED with Twilight immediately thought “oh god... the Spanish flu…. time to write my will” and I genuinely started tearing up because I thought I was going to die which the doctor realized and told me to calm down since it was just the flu. Anyway...

8. Exiles From the War: The War Guests Diary of Charlotte Mary Twiss, Guelph, Ontario, 1940 by Jean Little (2010)

Points for reminding me of the single most influential piece of media on my childhood, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, and points for being Orphan at My Door but stronger. They both take place in Guelph and explore a pair of British siblings sent to Canada, and the narrator is initially unhappy but the story ends with everyone happy and a new baby. It’s like Jean Little galaxy brained.

7. These Are My Words: The Residential School Diary of Violet Pesheens, Northern Ontario, 1966 by Ruby Slipperjack (2016)

Ruby Slipperjack uses her own experiences with the residential school system and makes a really good book. I wish it wasn’t so short and typeset with such a large font and if it were longer it would have been perfect. Also not only does Violet extensively bemoan puberty, but she says tits on-page... twice. T i t s.

6. The Death of My Country: The Plains of Abraham Diary of Genvieve Abuchon, Quebec, New France, 1759 by Maxine Trottier (2005)

I’m biased for a lot of reasons, including but not limited to Genvieve was my confirmation name, as a kid I thought the girl on the cover was super pretty, I never actually read this one but really wanted to. Gen single-handedly demolishes every single "war is hell" white man. Like “when the wind blows off the battlefield where still so many bodies lie, all I can smell is death”... Hemingway whomst?

5. A Rebel’s Daughter: The 1837 Rebellion Diary of Arabella Stevenson, Toronto, Upper Canada, 1837 by Janet Lunn (2006)

So I was absolutely obsessed with this book when it came out. I read it at least three times and tried (and failed) to keep a diary of my own which I named Arabella. I cannot begin to explain how utterly formative this book (especially the fact that it heterobaits you and Arabella never ends up marrying) was to Little Child Kit. And it holds up!

4. To Stand on my Own: The Polio Epidemic Diary of Noreen Robertson, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1937 by Barbara Haworth-Attard (2010)

In lieu of an explanation please accept the most wholesome section of this book which was possibly written by a golden retriever, it’s that wholesome.

3. Prisoners in the Promised Land: The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk, Spirit Lake, Quebec, 1914 by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (2007)

Every single point of my checklist was passed with flying colours: a compassionate and engaging protagonist who I’d love to be friends with + a well-developed enemies-to-lovers dynamic with her future husband + a well-paced narrative interwoven with little sketches + a largely unknown topic which is explored thoroughly = a great DC book.

2. No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1917 by Julie Lawson (2006)

The explosion itself doesn’t occur until halfway through the book and until then I had an actual ball of dread in the pit of my stomach. Oh my god. Jesus Christ dude. This book has no right to be as good as it is and I’m genuinely still sad about it. If I had read this as a small child I would have had even more nightmares than normal, my parents would have had to put me in therapy and I l o v e d it.

1. That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1912 by Sarah Ellis (2011)

[Stefon voice] this book has everything. A protagonist who may or may not have committed manslaughter, philosophical discussions about the worth of a life, a unique method of presenting dialogue through Dorothy’s mini plays, an author’s note which made me cry, and excessive dragging of Titanic (1997). I would DIE for Dorothy.
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About the Creator

kit vaillancourt

Kit is a former english major writing about niche books, old movies, and general oddities. They dream of disappearing in the Arctic under mysterious circumstances. Follow them on Instagram or twitter @kitnotmarlowe.

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