Lights along the River
by Pat Lamondin Skene
illustrated by Sabrina Gendron
Orca Book Publishers, 2024
ISBN 978-1-4598-3651-B
$21.95, 31 pp, ages 4 – 10
orcabook.com
This book takes us to a small Ontario town in 1952, on the day that electricity became the new reality for a young girl and her family living near the Magnetawan River. The descriptive illustrations chart the everyday activities that Canadian families in the 1950s typically enjoyed. Whether it is dressing up and dancing to songs played by members of the extended family on their various instruments, cutting out clothes from mail-order catalogues to put on paper dolls, or having a favourite spot on the hillside to watch the river traffic go by, these children enjoy their lives. They wonder about the changes that electricity might bring. Using humour and warm-hearted descriptions of family life, the author explores the curiosity, anticipation, and wonder felt as lights get turned on by a switch on the wall. The colourful, detailed illustrations set the mood for a nostalgic look at the simple pleasures of family life before and after electricity comes to a typical Canadian town.
Classroom Connections: This book lends itself well to a Before/After chart of items and events that one might see, hear, or do before and after the advent of electricity into family life. An example from the book is taking water from the well before electricity and having running water from an electrically run pump after electricity. It also lends itself to imagining what life might be like on the planet 50 years from now, especially with a focus on how families might interact. “Belonging” is another interesting concept to explore with children. What strong
connections does the young girl in the story have with her surroundings that give her a sense of belonging? That discussion might lead to introspection by students about the strong connections they have with their landscape, home, and school that give them a similar sense of belonging. Conversations, illustrations, and insightful writing about those connections could follow.
Review by Betty Schultze.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2024 issue.
