Two biographical books for young readers (or listeners) have recently been released by publishers in Eastern Canada.
Whale Man: The Story of Jon Lien, by Robert Chafe and illustrated by Katie Arthur, is published by Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides (NL). This beautiful picture book tells the story of Jon Lien, a lifelong observer of animals. As a child, Jon helped out at his uncle’s farm, where he watched the animals and wondered what they were thinking—they seemed different from people in some ways, but alike in others. As an adult, Jon became a scientist, and went to Newfoundland to study storm petrels. One day, a fisherman friend phoned Jon because a humpback whale had become tangled in his net. They rushed out to sea, but the whale was huge, and the men feared for their safety. Then the whale rolled over and looked at Jon, and when Jon looked into the whale’s eye like he had looked into the eyes of his uncle’s farm animals, he realized that the whale was afraid too. After freeing that whale, Jon was called to untangle others, eventually freeing over 500 whales and teaching rescue techniques to others, earning the title “The Whale Man.” What a great true story to share with your students! This introduction to Jon through the retelling of his first whale rescue could lead to learning about whales, birds, scientists, role models, and life in Canada’s easternmost province. It’s an inspirational story that celebrates the life of a kind and always curious man.
She Was the STORY GIRL: How L. M. Montgomery Learned to Never Give Up! is published by Nimbus Publishing (NS). In this short chapter book, the author draws parallels between L. M. (called Maud) Montgomery’s sometimes difficult childhood living with her grandparents in Cavendish, PEI, and the life of Anne Shirley that she created in the Anne of Green Gables series. Maud decided she wanted to be a writer at a young age and persevered despite little support from her family and rejections from publishers; she was determined to “never give up!” Maud convinced her grandparents to let her take teacher training, and she earned enough to attend Dalhousie University to study English Literature at a time when girls were discouraged from becoming more educated. Eventually, a publisher accepted Anne of Green Gables, and it quickly became a huge success, selling many copies, earning substantial royalties for the time, and being translated into more than thirty languages. Maud became a famous writer through her own determination—a great role model for young people who have dreams for their future!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diana Mumford
Diana is the Editor of Canadian Teacher Magazine.
This article is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2026 issue.
