SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: HOW TO BECOME AN ACCIDENTAL GENIUS
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Toronto
STATE:
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
LAST VOLUME: SATA 275
http://www.canscaip.org/bios/macleode.html See Canadian National Library site for full list of works http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/profiles/macleod.html
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada; married Paul Wilson.
EDUCATION:University of Toronto, degree (with honours).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and editor. OWL magazine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, editorial assistant, then senior editor, 1985-89; writer for a software company for one year; Kids Can Press, Toronto, former executive editor; freelance writer and editor, primarily of children’s books.
AVOCATIONS:Reading, singing, swimming, tap dancing, theatre.
MEMBER:Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators & Performers.
AWARDS:Silver Birch Award shortlist, 1995, for The Phone Book, 2001, for both Lucy Maud Montgomery and To the Top of Everest, 2003, for Albert Einstein, 2006, for Eleanor Roosevelt, and 2008, for Everything but the Kitchen Sink; Hackmatack Award shortlist, 1996, for Stamp Collecting for Canadian Kids, 2001, for both To the Top of Everest and Lucy Maud Montgomery, 2003, for Albert Einstein, and 2004, for Marie Curie; Red Cedar Award shortlist, 1996, for Stamp Collecting for Canadian Kids, 2001, for To the Top of Everest, 2002, for The Wright Brothers, 2003, for Albert Einstein, 2004, for Marie Curie, and 2007, for The Kids Book of Canada at War; Rocky Mountain Book Award shortlist, 2001, for Lucy Maud Montgomery, and 2005, for Harry Houdini; Hackmatack Award shortlist, Red Cedar Book Award shortlist, Silver Birch Award shortlist, and Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People selection, Children’s Book Council (CBC), all 2003, all for Alexander Graham Bell; National Science Teachers Association/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book designation, 2004, for Marie Curie; Society of School Librarians International Honor Book designation, 2004, for Helen Keller; Association of Educational Publishers writing awards; Hackmatack Children’s Choice selection, 2007, for Harry Houdini; Red Maple Nonfiction Award and Arthur Ellis Award finalist in Best Juvenile Book category, Crime Writers of Canada, both 2009, both for Royal Murder; Lane Anderson Award finalist in young-reader category, 2009, for Why Do Horses Have Manes?; (with Frieda Wishinsky) Red Cedar Book Award, 2011, for Everything but the Kitchen Sink; Arthur Ellis Award, Red Cedar Award shortlist, and Rocky Mountain Book Award shortlist, all 2014, all for Bones Never Lie; Kids Books of the Year, Quill & Quire, 2016, and Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards, 2017, both for Canada Year by Year
WRITINGS
Contributor to educational anthologies.
“Scholastic Canada Biography” series simultaneously published in French as “Biographie en images” series, Éditions Scholastic, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
SIDELIGHTS
An author and editor of children’s books, Elizabeth MacLeod has written craft books and works of nonfiction as well as picture books for young readers. Inspired by her interest in history, MacLeod has also penned critically acclaimed biographies such as Alexander Graham Bell: An Inventive Life, Lucy Maud Montgomery: A Writer’s Life, George Washington Carver: An Innovative Life, and even the picture book Bunny the Brave War Horse. She pursues other interests in books such as Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Weird Stuff You Didn’t Know about Food and Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries. Writing in Canadian Children’s Book News, Lian Goodall dubbed MacLeod “one of the reigning queens of non-fiction.”
MacLeod’s Alexander Graham Bell looks at the inventor of the telephone, discussing several little-known aspects of Bell’s life, including his experiments with flight and his fascination with the Mohawk Indian tribe. Reviewing the biography for Booklist, Carolyn Phelan wrote that MacLeod’s “text reads well, and the extended captions offer interesting facts.” The author of the celebrated children’s book Anne of Green Gables is the subject of Lucy Maud Montgomery, and here MacLeod shows readers that the beloved Canadian writer “had much in common with her fictitious heroine,” according to a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.
Enhancing her text with archival photographs and reproductions of historical documents, MacLeod continues her focus on famous individuals in The Wright Brothers: A Flying Start, which introduces readers to the men who made the first controlled, sustained flight. In School Library Journal Barbara Buckley suggested that few books on the Wright Brothers “can rival this one for clarity of text and variety of illustration.” Another biography by MacLeod, Alfred Einstein: A Life of Genius, surveys the life of the great physicist by touching on his early career as an assistant in a Swiss patent office, his landmark scientific discoveries, and his advocacy of international peace following World War II. “The lively mix of text, sidebars, photographs, newspaper excerpts, equations, and Einstein’s handwritten notes adds up to a format inviting browsing,” wrote a critic in Kirkus Reviews.
One of the most fascinating characters of the turn of the twentieth century is the subject of Harry Houdini: A Magical Life. In a text that “manages to capture the human side of this master of escape,” according to Resource Links reviewer Deb Nielsen, MacLeod follows the childhood of the acrobat and showman whose world-renown ability to escape from the grips of death captivated the world. Like each of MacLeod’s biographies, Harry Houdini includes photographs, newspaper articles, and other reproductions that provide a window onto his live and times.
While less well known than Houdini, nineteenth-century agronomist and educator George Washington Carver had a far greater impact on the future, as MacLeod shows in George Washington Carver: An Innovative Life, . A man of wide-ranging talents, Carver dedicated himself to restoring the agriculture of the American south following the U.S. Civil War, and he advanced the fortunes of many of his fellow African Americans by encouraging the cultivation of peanuts, soybeans, and other crops able to flourish in a soil drained of nutrients through years of cotton farming. Citing the “richness of detail” in the narrative of George Washington Carver, School Library Journal contributor Anne L. Tormohlen concluded that “even reluctant readers will find something of interest” in MacLeod’s well-illustrated biography.
MacLeod profiles famous women in Helen Keller: A Determined Life, Marie Curie: A Brilliant Life, and Eleanor Roosevelt: An Inspiring Life. In her work about Keller, “America’s First Lady of Courage,” she includes both familiar and little-known events from the woman’s life, “smoothly integrated to reveal the struggle, the sadness, and the success Keller experienced over the years,” observed Booklist reviewer Stephanie Zvirin. In Marie Curie MacLeod focuses on the Nobel Prize winner who discovered the elements polonium and radium, while Eleanor Roosevelt profiles the life of a U.S. first lady who was known for her dedication to social issues. Carolyn Cutt, writing in Resource Links, dubbed MacLeod’s biography of one of the world’s most noted female scientists both “excellent and informative,” while Anne Chapman Callaghan deemed the text of Eleanor Roosevelt “clear, interesting, and affectionate toward its subject.”
MacLeod’s nonfiction works Why Do Cats Have Whiskers? and Why Do Horses Have Manes? employ a question-and-answer format to present information about popular animals, and she “writes competently and enthusiastically,” Kara Schaff Dean remarked in a School Library Journal review of the first work. Creatures of another sort are the focus of Monster Fliers: From the Time of the Dinosaurs, which offers facts and figures about Dimorphodon, Ctenophasma, and other pterosaurs. “MacLeod’s text is interesting and informative,” observed Dave Jenkinson in appraising Monster Fliers for the Canadian Review of Materials.
In Bones Never Lie MacLeod sheds light on seven fascinating and perplexing mysteries from history, among them the identity of the Man in the Iron Mask and the fate of Grand Duchess Anastasia of tsarist Russia. She describes the scientific techniques that have been used to investigate the circumstances of each individual’s death, including fingerprinting, medical imagery, and DNA analysis. “Each episode is a taut short story,” observed a Kirkus Reviews writer, “complete with historical context, conjectures, and plenty of background information and colorful minutiae.” Describing MacLeod’s prose as “engaging,” Val Ken Lem added in her Canadian Review of Materials review that here she treats readers to “an interesting blend of mystery, history, and science.”
MacLeod also examines the dramatic circumstances surrounding the deaths of Cleopatra, Vlad the Impaler, Marie Antoinette, and seven others in Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns. As Marilynne V. Black stated in the Canadian Review of Materials, here the author characteristically “maintains readers’ interest and curiosity.”
MacLeod and coauthor Frieda Wishinsky demonstrate an encyclopedic knowledge of food facts, lore, and trivia in Everything but the Kitchen Sink. Here they explore superstitions about garlic, ponder whether cola can clean a toilet, and identify the largest hamburger ever created, among other subjects. Their “amusing and informative” narrative drew praise from Rosemary Hollett in the Canadian Review of Materials. In A History of Just about Everything: 180 Events, People, and Inventions That Changed the World the two writers examine milestones ranging from the birth of Confucius to the invention of the telephone to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. According to Anne Chapman Callaghan in School Library Journal, the resulting reference work “is a good place to start when introducing world history to young students.”
“There are two things that I really like about writing for kids,” MacLeod once commented on her career to SATA. “One is that I get to investigate lots of different topics. The other is that I think writing for kids is a challenge. They ask really interesting and difficult questions.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Appleseeds, December, 2002, Sheila Wilensky, review of The Wright Brothers: A Flying Start, p. 29.
Booklist, December 1, 1998, Shelley Townsend-Hudson, review of Bake It and Build It, p. 665; June 1, 1999, Carolyn Phelan, review of Grow It Again, p. 1820; April 1, 2001, Carolyn Phelan, review of Lucy Maud Montgomery: A Writer’s Life, p. 1462; September 15, 2001, Roger Leslie, review of To the Top of Everest, p. 215; November 1, 2001, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Gifts to Make and Eat, pp. 472-473; April 1, 2002, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Wright Brothers, p. 1338; March 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of Albert Einstein: A Life of Genius, p. 1195; March 1, 2004, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Helen Keller: A Determined Life, pp. 1204-1205; October 15, 2005, Karen Hurt, review of Harry Houdini: A Magical Life, p. 45; April 15, 2008, Carolyn Phelan, review of Mark Twain: An American Star, p. 44; May 1, 2009, Carolyn Phelan, review of Marie Curie, p. 82; March 15, 2010, Kathleen Isaacs, review of From the Time of Dinosaurs, p. 44; August 1, 2013, J.B. Petty, review of A History of Just about Everything: 180 Events, People, and Inventions That Changed the World, p. 65.
Canadian Children’s Book News, winter, 2010, Lian Goodall, profile of MacLeod.
Canadian Review of Materials, May 30, 2008, Rosemary Hollett, review of Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Weird Stuff You Didn’t Know about Food; June 27, 2008, Marilynne V. Black, review of Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns; March 12, 2010, Dave Jenkinson, Monster Fliers: From the Time of the Dinosaurs; June 14, 2013, Val Ken Lem, review of Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries.
Children’s Digest, July, 2000, review of Alexander Graham Bell: An Inventive Life, p. 28.
Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2001, review of What Did Dinosaurs Eat? and Other Things You Want to Know about Dinosaurs, p. 1296; February 15, 2003, review of Albert Einstein, p. 311; August 1, 2004, review of Marie Curie: A Brilliant Life, p. 744; September 1, 2005, review of Harry Houdini, p. 977; September 1, 2006, review of Eleanor Roosevelt: An Inspiring Life, p. 907; March 1, 2008, review of Mark Twain; September 1, 2008, review of Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?; February 1, 2009, review of Marie Curie; January 15, 2010, review of Monster Fliers; March 1, 2013, review of Bones Never Lie; July 15, 2013, review of A History of Just about Everything; June 15, 2014, review of Secrets Underground: North America’s Buried Past; July 1, 2014, review of Bunny the Brave War Horse.
Publishers Weekly, September 21, 1998, review of I Heard a Little Baa, p. 83; February 26, 2001, review of Lucy Maud Montgomery, p. 88.
Resource Links, June, 1998, review of Dinosaurs: The Fastest, the Fiercest, the Most Amazing, pp. 10-11; October, 1998, review of I Heard a Little Baa, p. 4; April, 1999, review of Bake It and Build It, p. 17; April, 2001, Victoria Pennell, review of Lucy Maud Montgomery, p. 18; June, 2001, Shannon Danylko, review of Bake and Make Amazing Cakes, p. 19; October, 2001, Shannon Danylko, review of What Did Dinosaurs Eat?, p. 27; April, 2002, Victoria Pennell, review of The Wright Brothers, pp. 36-37; April, 2003, Karen McKinnon, review of Albert Einstein, pp. 26-27; April, 2004, Laura Reilly, review of Helen Keller, p. 31, and Victoria Pennell, review of The Kid’s Book of Great Canadians, pp. 31-32; October, 2004, Karen McKinnon, review of Bake and Make Amazing Cookies, pp. 25-26; December, 2004, Carolyn Cutt, review of Madame Curie, p. 28; February, 2006, Deb Nielsen, review of Harry Houdini, p. 36; April, 2007, John Dryden, review of Eleanor Roosevelt, p. 34; June, 2013, Leslie Vermeer, review of Bones Never Lie, p. 21; December, 2013, Victoria Pennell, review of A History of Just about Everything, p. 26.
School Library Journal, April, 2001, Kathleen Simonetta, review of Lucy Maud Montgomery, p. 164; June, 2001, Carolyn Jenks, review of Bake and Make Amazing Cakes, p. 139; September, 2001, Be Astengo, review of To the Top of Everest, p. 254; November, 2001, Patricia Manning, review of What Did Dinosaurs Eat?, p. 147; February, 2002, Augusta R. Malvagno, review of Gifts to Make and Eat, pp. 147-148; July, 2002, Barbara Buckley, review of The Wright Brothers, p. 138; May, 2003, Anne Chapman Callaghan, review of Albert Einstein, p. 174; May, 2004, Donna Cardon, review of Helen Keller, p. 134; November, 2004, Susan Lissim, review of Marie Curie, p. 169; February, 2005, Augusta R. Malvagno, review of Bake and Make Amazing Cookies, p. 150; April, 2006, Deanna Romriell, review of Harry Houdini, p. 158; November, 2006, Anne Chapman Callaghan, review of Eleanor Roosevelt, p. 162; June, 2007, Anne L. Tormohlen, review of George Washington Carver: An Innovative Life, p. 174; May, 2008, Stephanie Farnlacher, review of Mark Twain, p. 147; November, 2008, Kara Schaff Dean, review of Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?, p. 110; December, 2008, Anne Chapman Callaghan, review of Samel de Champlain, p. 113; May, 2009, Carol Schene, review of Why Do Horses Have Manes?, p. 96; January, 2010, Farida S. Dowler, review of Harry Houdini, p. 88; April, 2010, Frances E. Millhouser, review of Monster Fliers, p. 147; September, 2013, Anne Chapman Callaghan, review of A History of Just about Everything, p. 186.
ONLINE
Annick Press Web site, http://www.annickpress.com/ (August 15, 2014), profile of MacLeod.
Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers Web site, http://www.canscaip.org/ (August 15, 2014), “Elizabeth MacLeod.”
Kids Can Press Web site, http://www.kidscanpress.com/ (August 15, 2014), “Elizabeth MacLeod.”
Elizabeth MacLeod - Author
Elizabeth MacLeod
Biography
It's difficult to believe that Elizabeth MacLeod never took a writing course during her four years at the University of Toronto. Instead, she studied science, graduating with an honors degree in biology and botany. Her training has come in handy for researching and writing children's information books, including most recently Why Do Horses Have Manes?, What Did Dinosaurs Eat? and Monster Fliers. MacLeod was managing editor of Magazine from 1986 until 1989. Soon after, Kids Can Press asked MacLeod if she would consider authoring a book on electronic communications for kids. The result was The Phone Book: Instant Communication from Smoke Signals to Satellites and Beyond. Since then, MacLeod has risen to the challenge of creating books to fascinate and involve kids including titles in the Kids Can Do It, Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History and Kids Books Of series. She lives and works in Toronto, Ontario.
Awards
A History of Just About Everything
2015 - Silver Birch Nonfiction, Forest of Reading, Short-listed
2014 - Best Books of the Year for Children and Young Adults, Bank Street Children's Book Committee, Winner
2014 - Information Book Award, The Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada, Long-listed
2014 - Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction, Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards, Short-listed
2014 - Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, Short-listed
2013 - Book Award for Outstanding Youth Book Published in 2013, Canadian Science Writers' Association, Commended
Alexander Graham Bell
2008 - Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
Canada Year by Year
2017 - Information Book Award, The Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada, Short-listed
2017 - Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
2017 - Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction, Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards, Winner
2016 - Kids Books of the Year 2016, Quill & Quire, Winner
Eleanor Roosevelt
2008 - Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association, Short-listed
2007 - Information Book Award, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada, Short-listed
2006 - Best Bets - Top 10 Canadian Children's Books, Ontario Library Association, Winner
Lucy Maud Montgomery
2009 - Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
Lucy Maud Montgomery
2003 - Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, Short-listed
2002 - Alberta Children's Choice Rocky Mountain Book Award, Short-listed
2002 - Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association, Short-listed
2002 - Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
Mark Twain
2009 - Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
Samuel de Champlain
2009 - Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
The Wright Brothers
2009 - Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
Thomas Edison
2009 - Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
To the Top of Everest
2003 - Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association, Short-listed
2003 - Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, Short-listed
2002 - Information Book Award, Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada, Short-listed
2002 - Our Choice - Starred Selection, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
2002 - Young Adults' Choices, International Reading Association, Short-listed
2002 - Children's Literature Choice List, Winner
- Red Cedar Book Award
What Did Dinosaurs Eat?
2002 - Our Choice, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
Non-fiction
Canada Year by Year, 2016
A History of Just About Everything, 2013
Mark Twain, 2008
Eleanor Roosevelt, 2006
To the Top of Everest, 2003
What Did Dinosaurs Eat?, 2002
Lucy Maud Montgomery, 2001
Picture Books
Bunny the Brave War Horse, 2014
First Readers
Marie Curie, 2009
Samuel de Champlain, 2008
Thomas Edison, 2008
The Wright Brothers, 2008
Lucy Maud Montgomery, 2008
Helen Keller, 2007
Alexander Graham Bell, 2007
Elizabeth MacLeod
Liz is one nosy author, which is why she loves writing non-fiction. She’s very curious about why people do what they do, and likes sharing with kids the amazing facts and secrets that she uncovers.
As a kid in Thornhill, Ontario, the idea of being a writer never crossed Liz’s mind—she figured most authors were already dead and they definitely weren’t Canadian. Besides, it was science that interested Liz.
But writing was already part of Liz’s life. After dinner on school nights, Liz and her two brothers would trudge up to their rooms, close their doors and start to do their homework—or so their parents thought. A few minutes later, a piece of paper would come sliding under Liz’s door. One of her brothers had drawn a picture, usually of some weird creature.
Liz really couldn’t draw (still can’t!), so the only way she could respond was to write a short story, often about a mad scientist or space alien. She would slip the story under her brother’s door and—well, not a lot of homework got done.
At university, Liz studied sciences—there was hardly any writing involved at all. But after university, she was hired as an editor at OWL magazine, where she could combine writing and her love of science. But it wasn’t long before Liz had a goal: to write a book. Her first one was about lions and since then she’s written more than fifty others.
Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns (2008) is one of her favourite books because royalty has always fascinated Liz. She loved going behind the scenes with monarchs from Cleopatra to Dracula to find out just what they would do to hold onto power or protect their families.
Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries (2013) was the winner of numerous awards, including the Crime Writers of Canada 2014 Arthur Ellis Award in the Juvenile/YA category.
Galloping Through History: Incredible True Horse Stories (2015), combines, once again, her outstanding storytelling skills with her passion for history. This time her love of animals also shines through as she recounts the stories of six horses that changed the way humans live, travel, fight, work, and play.
In Vanished: True Tales of Mysterious Disappearances (2016), Liz returned to her winning formula of combining history and mystery. Here, she goes back in time to look at ten baffling mysteries that remain unsolved to this day.
Her most recent books with Annick Press are Top Dogs: True Stories of Canines That Made History (2017) and Super Cats: True Stories of Felines That Made History (Spring 2018) in which she once again reflects her love of animals by telling stories of how they left their mark on the world. Her cat Cosimo is particularly pleased with her latest endeavour.
MACLEOD, Elizabeth & Frieda Wishinsky. How To Become an Accidental Genius
Katherine Koenig
School Library Journal. 65.1 (Feb. 2019): p84.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MACLEOD, Elizabeth & Frieda Wishinsky. How To Become an Accidental Genius. illus. by Jenn Playford. 128p. further reading, glossary. index. Orca. Apr. 2019. pap. $24.95. ISBN 9781459816763.
Gr 4-9--Tackling everything from Popsicles to fiber optics, from windshield wipers to rocket fuel, MacLeod and Wishinsky cover a variety of inventions that came about through serendipity, curiosity, and persistence. The authors devote two to three pages to each inventor, with illustrations, photographs, and sidebars. The book provides basic biographical information is provided and cultural and historical context. These brief overviews focus on how the invention itself came about. Inventors are categorized not chronologically but thematically, in sections such as "Don't be afraid to try," "Pay attention," "Be persistent," and "Don't make assumptions." Each precept is expounded upon in a chapter prologue and is carefully referenced in each vignette, in addition to being reprised at the end in a single list. A short glossary is included, though most terms are explained in context as well. Print and digital sources are listed. Many websites are personal (for contemporary inventors) or are specific to an invention (e.g., Slinky and Braille). Others are from notable addresses, such as MIT or the Encyclopedia of World Biography. Print sources are appropriate for readers who want to delve deeper into the topic. VERDICT A worthy addition to the pantheon of books on inventors and inventions.--Katherine Koenig, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Koenig, Katherine. "MACLEOD, Elizabeth & Frieda Wishinsky. How To Become an Accidental Genius." School Library Journal, Feb. 2019, p. 84. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A571039935/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ffecf5f9. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A571039935
MACLEOD, Elizabeth. Super Cats: True Stories of Felines that Made History
Marie Drucker
School Library Journal. 64.5 (May 2018): p119.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MACLEOD, Elizabeth. Super Cats: True Stories of Felines that Made History. 88p. bibliog. chron. further reading, photos. Annick. Mar. 2018. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9781554519941; pap. $12.95. ISBN 9781554519934.
Gr 3-6--No cat fancier needs to be told that cats are super. But this fact-filled book will do an excellent job of convincing others. MacLeod, who has written a similar book about dogs, enumerates the various ways felines are cool by highlighting not only what some cats have accomplished or helped humans achieve, but also by diving deep into their physiology and history. Each chapter begins with a story-either entirely fictional or a mix of real-world facts and some imagination--then segues into infooTiation that fits the chapter. For instance, chapter four starts by retelling how Nikola Tesla's tomcat Macak motivated him to study electricity (the furry companion often produced sparks while walking), lhe section continues on to explore more about Tesla's inventions and electricity, why some prosthetics for runners are shaped like cats' paws, and cats who have inspired musicians and other artists. Mixing facts with real-life anecdotes makes this slim book highly accessible to readers. It's a smart setup to keep kids interested. Nearly every page contains a factoid box (in the shape of a cat's head, naturally), sidebars, photos, or drawings. Back matter includes a list of sources, places cat lovers may want to visit, and a time line stretching from 34 million years ago to present day. VERDICT An additional purchase--but a good one--where more books on domestic animals and their real-life stories are needed.--Marie Drucker, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, NY
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Drucker, Marie. "MACLEOD, Elizabeth. Super Cats: True Stories of Felines that Made History." School Library Journal, May 2018, p. 119. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536988133/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c820d0ee. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536988133
Macleod, Elizabeth. Top Dogs: Canines That Made History
April Sanders
School Library Journal. 63.2 (Feb. 2017): p118.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MACLEOD, Elizabeth. Top Dogs: Canines That Made History. 98p. chron. further reading. index, photos, websites. Annick. Mar. 2017. Tr $22.95. ISBN 9781554519071; pap. $12.95. ISBN 9781554519064. POP
Gr 3-6--Opening with Seaman, the Newfoundland who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their adventures, and going on to cover the role of the Pekingese in China's Boxer Rebellion, the first guide dog in the United States, and more, this title chronicles the lives of a number of legendary canines throughout world history. The 1 chapters are well organized and chock-full of photos and other design elements to keep readers' interest. The text is accessible and bursting with energy; readers will be captivated by tales of how these four-legged friends race sleds or sniff out bombs and other hazardous materials. VERDICT Sure to be a hit with dog lovers and kids looking for a dip into history.--April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Sanders, April. "Macleod, Elizabeth. Top Dogs: Canines That Made History." School Library Journal, Feb. 2017, p. 118. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A479405685/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=25ad64bf. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A479405685
Macleod, Elizabeth. Canada Year by Year
Linda Ludke
School Library Journal. 62.10 (Oct. 2016): p129.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MACLEOD, Elizabeth. Canada Year by Year. illus. by Sydney Smith. 96p. index. Kids Can. Oct. 2016. Tr $21.95. ISBN 9781771383974.
Gr 3-7--This primer on Canadian history is informative and accessible. A significant event for each year is highlighted, starting with the country's founding in 1867 and ending with its upcoming 150th birthday celebrations in 2017. A wide range of subjects and topics are covered, including the first passenger train, Frederick Banting's Nobel Prize, and the first female prime minister. Dark chapters in Canadian history are also forthrightly acknowledged and discussed, such as the wrongs committed against Chinese railway workers and indigenous peoples. The layout and design are very appealing, with sidebars, trivia, and quotes sprinkled throughout. Smith's charming watercolor illustrations vividly capture the people, places, and events. This valuable collection is rounded out with 39 thumbnail biographies of "Great Canadians" in the fields of art, politics, peacekeeping, science, and sports. VERDICT An excellent overview of Canadian history and culture, perfect for browsing or for research.--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ont., Canada
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Ludke, Linda. "Macleod, Elizabeth. Canada Year by Year." School Library Journal, Oct. 2016, p. 129. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A466167032/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=252381f2. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A466167032
3/25/2019 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
MacLeod, Elizabeth: HOW TO
BECOME AN ACCIDENTAL GENIUS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Feb. 1, 2019):
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
MacLeod, Elizabeth HOW TO BECOME AN ACCIDENTAL GENIUS Orca (Children's Informational)
$24.95 4, 2 ISBN: 978-1-4598-1676-3
MacLeod and Wishinsky investigate the genesis of 33 ingenious inventions.
Some of the inventions here came about as the result of an accident--the Popsicle, for example, or the
microwave oven--but most were the result of seeing the possibilities once presented with a situation. That
takes knowledge, as this book emphasizes, along with paying attention, making connections, taking your
time, persistence, avoiding assumptions, and being open to failure. Each invention, from friction matches to
folding beds, penicillin, high-dose radiation, the electronic feeding device, Teflon, corn flakes, and
windshield wipers--for starters--is accompanied by photos and images of the inventor and their invention. A
good half of those celebrated in these pages are women, and there is a decent sampling of different races
and nationalities. Explaining the mechanics of the inventions is a variable affair. Some are obvious, like the
aforementioned Popsicle, while others, such as fiber optics, don't lend themselves to simple explanations.
But no matter how abstruse the invention is, Macleod and Wishinsky make it clear why the invention was
important through its everyday application. Pull quotes from such lights as Leonardo da Vinci, George
Washington Carver, and Larry Page add interest, as do extra factlets introduced in sidebars; Playford's
illustrations add zip.
An engaging tour of the inspirations behind a host of marvelous inventions. (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"MacLeod, Elizabeth: HOW TO BECOME AN ACCIDENTAL GENIUS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2019.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A571548949/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d380554b. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A571548949
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MACLEOD, Elizabeth: Scholastic
Canada Biography Series: Meet Viola
Desmond
Victoria Pennell
Resource Links.
24.1 (Oct. 2018): p24.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Resource Links
http://www.atcl.ca
Full Text:
[E]
MACLEOD, Elizabeth
Scholastic Canada Biography Series: Meet Viola Desmond (978-1 -4431-6387-3); Meet Chris Hadfield
(978-14431-6389-7) Illustrated by Mike Deas. Scholastic Canada, 2018. 31 p. Illus. Gr. 2-6. Hdbk. $14.99
ea.
These titles are the first two in a new picture book biography series from Scholastic Canada. The books
feature an easy-to-read text with comic style illustrations containing speech balloons which bring the reader
into the lives of the people featured. A timeline and historical photos complete each book.
In Meet Viola Desmond young readers are introduced to the lady whose picture will now grace the front of
the Canadian ten dollar bill. The book tells how she grew up, established a hair salon business and the
incident in the theatre in New Glasgow where she was refused a seat in the main part of the theatre because
of the colour of her skin. Her fight for justice is covered as well as the pardon she received after her death.
Viola was instrumental in creating an awareness of the way people of colour were treated in Canada and
movements which led to change and acceptance.
In Meet Chris Hadfleld children read about one of Canada's most popular astronauts. The book follows
Chris from the time he was a young boy with a yearning to be an astronaut. It gives information on his three
trips to space with his being in command on the third trip. On his third trip he communicated with schools
and students through posting photos and more than 100 videos from the ISS to his Twitter account showing
them how "beautiful and amazing space is." (p. 25)
These biographies are beautifully done with just enough text to give a good overview of the lives of the
people featured. The colourful illustrations with speech balloons by Mike Deas add greatly to the books
both through visuals and additional information.
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I would highly recommend these books for primary grades and for any children who have in interest in
Canadian biography.
Thematic Links: Canadian Biography; Viola Desmond; Chris Hadfield
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Pennell, Victoria. "MACLEOD, Elizabeth: Scholastic Canada Biography Series: Meet Viola Desmond."
Resource Links, Oct. 2018, p. 24. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A561344231/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=92ee0352.
Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A561344231
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Super Cats: True Stories of Felines That
Made History
Angela Leeper
Booklist.
114.12 (Feb. 15, 2018): p71.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Super Cats: True Stories of Felines That Made History.
By Elizabeth MacLeod.
Mar. 2018.90p. illus. Annick, $19.95 (9781554519941); paper, $14.95 (9781554519934). 636.8. Gr. 4-7.
Cats are more than fluffy companions who love to curl up in our laps. Arranged thematically this fun and
educational title looks at the role cats have played throughout history. Each chapter introduces the topic
with a short story, such as scientist Nikola Tesla's interest in electricity being ignited by the shower of
sparks (what we now know as static electricity) produced by petting his cat. The chapter continues with
more ways cats have inspired inventors, musicians, and writers. Other topics focus on cat worship in ancient
Egypt, cats' roles as harbingers of both bad and good luck, their special hunting abilities, and their work
aboard ships, as therapy animals, and even in espionage. The text is arranged in manageable chunks,
surrounded by plenty of high-interest facts and archival photos, making it convenient for reading cover to
cover or simply browsing. While it includes a time line, cat-related places to visit, and additional back
matter, it's the inclusion of internet cat memes that really completes these tails ... err, tales.--Angela Leeper
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Leeper, Angela. "Super Cats: True Stories of Felines That Made History." Booklist, 15 Feb. 2018, p. 71.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A531171619/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=665fea5d. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A531171619
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MacLeod, Elizabeth: SUPER CATS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Jan. 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
MacLeod, Elizabeth SUPER CATS Annick Press (Children's Informational) $19.95 3, 13 ISBN: 978-1-
55451-994-1
With a colorful layout and plentiful photographs, this nonfiction book for younger readers explores cats in
history, from honored Egyptian animals through their wartime work to today's lovable therapy cats.
Readers may be familiar with cat mummies and some of the various breeds, but MacLeod goes beyond
common factoids to share more-surprising information: it was a crime to kill cats in ancient Egypt; much of
Europe could have been spared the Black Death by cats; and stealthy felines detected hidden spy equipment
during the Cold War. Each chapter begins with an imagined narrative--most are told from a cat's
perspective--that doesn't match the straightforward nonfiction tone of the book. The chapters are related in
short, choppy sections filled with many blurbs, sidebars, and callouts. While most of the side notes are
interesting, in one busy chapter on lucky cats, they are actively disruptive and disorganized. Not all of the
book's featurettes are helpful, and some may actually confuse, as in an instance when not all cats pictured
are described while some cats described are not pictured. Disappointingly, the book ends abruptly without a
reflection on any of the incredible history or stories shared.
Even ailurophobes can appreciate the fascinating information about felines, provided they can get through
the confusing layout and some unhelpful sidebars. (timeline, places to visit, sources, further reading, photo
credits, index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"MacLeod, Elizabeth: SUPER CATS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A522643034/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b59872df.
Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A522643034
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Top Dogs: Canines That Made History
Briana Shemroske
Booklist.
113.15 (Apr. 1, 2017): p32+.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Top Dogs: Canines That Made History.
By Elizabeth MacLeod.
2017. 98p. illus. Annick, $22.95 (9781554519071); paper, $12.95 (9781554519064). 636.7. Gr. 4-7.
In 456 BCE, guard dog Soter ("savior" in Greek) survived an onslaught of invaders, safeguarding the city of
Corinth by alerting its sleeping soldiers. On September 12, 2001, search-and-rescue German shepherd Trakr
located the final survivor to be wrenched from the rubble of the World Trade Center. Detailing these feats
and more, from the time of dog domestication (almost 24,000 years ago) to today, MacLeod turns the lens
on courageous canines and their groundbreaking contributions to world history. In eight breezy chapters,
MacLeod chronologically introduces legendary poster pups, aptly infusing the text with valuable historical
context. After centuries as Chinas most cherished breed, for example, the Pekingese all but vanished at the
hands of the Communist party. On the other hand, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, Morris Frank, and Buddy (the
first ever American seeing-eye dog) revolutionized rights for those with special needs, at a time when few
existed. Bedecked with anecdotal sidebars, gripping data, and irresistible photos throughout--as well as
illuminating back matter (a time line, places to visit, and further reading)--this rollicking resource is
practically paw-fect.--Briana Shemroske
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Shemroske, Briana. "Top Dogs: Canines That Made History." Booklist, 1 Apr. 2017, p. 32+. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491487900/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=59c72e3f. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491487900
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MacLeod, Elizabeth: TOP DOGS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Feb. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
MacLeod, Elizabeth TOP DOGS Annick Press (Children's Nonfiction) $22.95 3, 14 ISBN: 978-1-55451-
907-1
Dogs have played a role in human history for eons.MacLeod provides coverage on eight doggy themes
arranged chronologically: Seaman, the Newfoundland that accompanied Lewis and Clark; Pekinese dogs'
connection with Chinese royalty; dogs that served in World War I; Togo and Balto and their lifesaving trek
across the Alaskan tundra with diphtheria antitoxin; the first American guide dog, Buddy; dogs that served
in World War II; bomb-sniffing dogs, including Brandy, who found explosives on a jet in 1972; and searchand-rescue dogs, especially those that served on 9/11. A plethora of excellent photographs accompanies the
engaging text. Unfortunately, a profusion of text boxes, sidebars, and other interruptions breaks up the
stories. Page-sized featurettes on a yellow background headed "Dog Data" primarily focus on the history of
dogs and their natural characteristics. Small pullouts entitled "Woof!" contain brief, miscellaneous tidbits
that usually, but not always, relate to the topic at hand. The chapter on World War II dogs also includes: a
section on modern war dogs; a Woof! on a border collie that scares birds away from a Michigan airport;
boxes on both mythological Cerberus and a dog that defended a Persian city in 456 B.C.E.; and a World
War I photo. Excellent information presented in a frustrating and distracting jumble. (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"MacLeod, Elizabeth: TOP DOGS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A479234578/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fddee792.
Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A479234578
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Macleod, Elizabeth: Canada Year By Year
Victoria Pennell
Resource Links.
22.2 (Dec. 2016): p24+.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Resource Links
http://www.atcl.ca
Full Text:
[E]
MACLEOD, Elizabeth
Canada Year By Year
Illustrated by Sydney Smith. Kids Can Press, 2016.
96p. Illus. Gr. 4 up. 978 1-77138-397-4.
Hdbk. $21.95
Did you know?--the Canadian government created the North-West Mounted Police in 1873; Lucy Maud
Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables in 1908; Mary Pickford won an Academy Award in 1930 for her
role in the movie Coquette', Canada joined the United Nations in 1945; Pauline McGibbon became
lieutenant-governor of Ontario in 1974--the first woman not only in Ontario but in all of Canada; Margaret
Atwood won the Booker Prize in 2000 for her book The Blind Assassin; Scientists found the remains of
John Franklin's ship Erebus in 2014; Canada will turn 150 years old in 2017.
These are just a few of the 150 entries in this wonderful book which highlights each of the years since
Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. This book is a unique look at Canada's history which captures
many of the milestones which have influenced the growth of our country. The book is divided into ten
chapters with titles such as "A New Country 1867-1884", "Wartime and Beyond 19141928", "Boom Years
1954-1966", and "A New Millennium 200-2007". There is a brief entry at the beginning of each chapter
which gives information about the particular era the chapter is covering and then there is an entry for each
year in that time period. In addition to the main entry for each year there are colourful illustrations, sidebars,
biographies, quotes and trivia. There is a four page section at the end which highlights a number of "great
Canadians who have made their nation proud" (p.90) The book has a Table of Contents and an Index.
As we approach the 150th anniversary of Canada as a country, this book will be a hit with historians and
trivia buffs alike. It is written so that young readers at the elementary level can access it with ease yet it will
appeal to older readers and adults because of its interesting content.
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I would recommend this book for all school and public libraries and if you are looking for a memento of
Canada's 150th anniversary, I would add this to a personal collection.
Thematic Links: Canada--History
[E] Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Pennell, Victoria. "Macleod, Elizabeth: Canada Year By Year." Resource Links, Dec. 2016, p. 24+. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A476843309/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=28934b11. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A476843309
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Canada Year by Year
Carolyn Phelan
Booklist.
113.4 (Oct. 15, 2016): p38.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Canada Year by Year. By Elizabeth MacLeod. Illus. by Sydney Smith. Oct. 2016. 96p. Kids Can, $21.95
(9781771383974). 971. Gr. 4-7.
Though loosely organized into chapters such as "The Great Depression 1929-1938" and "The Digital Age
1980-1999," the information here is presented chronologically rather than thematically. As the title states,
MacLeod proceeds year by year, discussing a notable person, group, thing, discovery, invention, event,
movement, or milestone chosen to represent each 12-month period from 1867 (Confederation) to 1893 (the
Stanley Cup) to 1934 (Dionne quintuplets) to 2016 (World Festival of Children's Theatre hosted in
Stratford, Ontario). Sidebars fill in related facts and occasionally describe other things happening during the
same year. Including excerpts from 10 earlier Kids Can books credited on the title page, MacLeod brings
together a good deal of varied information and presents it clearly. Expressive line-and-wash illustrations
brighten every page while reflecting the varied periods covered in the text. With the sesquicentennial of
Canada's Confederation coming up in 2017, this colorful book will be a useful addition to libraries on both
sides of the border.--Carolyn Phelan
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Phelan, Carolyn. "Canada Year by Year." Booklist, 15 Oct. 2016, p. 38. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A468771303/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=64394d74.
Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A468771303
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Elizabeth MacLeod, Sydney Smith:
CANADA YEAR BY YEAR
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 15, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Elizabeth MacLeod, Sydney Smith CANADA YEAR BY YEAR Kids Can (Adult Nonfiction) 21.95 10, 4
ISBN: 978-1-77138-397-4
In anticipation of Canada’s 2017 sesquicentennial, a breezy year-by-year survey of its
history.MacLeod takes a consciously multicultural approach, highlighting both highlights and lowlights.
The first game of indoor hockey (1875) is celebrated, as is the discovery of gold in the Yukon (1896) and
the birth of the Dionne Quints (1934). Likewise, Treaty No. 7, the 1877 appropriation of much of what is
now Alberta, and discrimination against the Chinese, 8,000 of whom arrived in 1882 to help build the
railways, are duly noted. When Canada’s history intersects with world history, the book leaves
North America, as in the span from 1914 to 1918, which also includes a profile of “In Flanders
Fields” poet John McCrae, a sidebar on trench life, and the invention of the gas mask (by
Newfoundlander Cluny Macpherson in 1915). Though the format is limiting, it’s a surprisingly
effective tour that gets at both parochial Canadian culture (“1955: Fans riot over Maurice
Richard”) and its too often overlooked impact on international affairs, as with Lester B.
Pearson’s part in resolving the Suez crisis. Still, for all MacLeod’s admirable attention to
Canada’s problematic history with First Nations peoples and minorities, it doesn’t get at
the constant Anglophone-Francophone tension that has defined Canada from its inception, largely
sidestepping it until the 1968 emergence of the Parti Quebecois. Smith’s brushy vignettes include
both people of color and white figures as appropriate. Both revelatory and entertaining, though not without
its gaps. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Elizabeth MacLeod, Sydney Smith: CANADA YEAR BY YEAR." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2016.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A463215905/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6981615d. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A463215905
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Macleod, Elizabeth & Frieda Wishinsky:
Colossal Canada: 100 Epic Facts and
Feats
Victoria Pennell
Resource Links.
21.2 (Dec. 2015): p21+.
COPYRIGHT 2015 Resource Links
http://www.atcl.ca
Full Text:
[G]
MACLEOD, Elizabeth & Frieda Wishinsky
Colossal Canada: 100 Epic Facts and Feats
Scholastic Canada, 2015. 128p. Illus. Gr. 4 up. 978-1-4431-2820-9. Pbk. $8.99
Who made the first Inuksuk? Where are the hottest and coldest places in Canada? Why did it take so long
for Newfoundland to join Confederation? When was the Canadarm first used in space? What is a Hoodoo?
How did the beaver change Canadian history? Where is the world's tallest totem pole? Why do cars roll up
Magnetic Hill? Who are the famous five? Who invented the snowmobile?
If you are interested in finding the answers to these and many other questions about Canada then this is the
book for you. MacLeod & Wishinsky have presented 100 "epic facts and feats" about Canada in 10 distinct
chapters Uniquely Canadian looks at things that are distinctly Canadian; Extreme-ly Canada focuses on the
hottest, longest, snakiest and more; Unforgettable Canadian Moments highlights events in pictures and
words; High-Flying Canada identifies ideas and inventions that make us soar; Who Put the "Can" in Canada
explores how interesting place names came to be; Canada Did It! is about transforming people, places and
ideas; Colossal Canada identifies some of Canada's biggest structures; Monsters, Myths and Mysteries
looks at the funny, the scary and the weird; Things That Make You Sing "O Canada" looks at some
incredible Canadian accomplishments which cause us to be proud of our country; and Canada Rocks the
World focuses on celebrations, parades, festivals and roaring natural wonders. Each chapter contains 10
pages, each devoted to a specific fact or feat. The page layouts begin with a coloured banner at the top
identifying the topic. The text contains two or three paragraphs with bold headings. Colourful illustrations
and historical and contemporary photographs enhance the text. There are also quotations and Would You
Believe ...? boxes throughout.
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There is a tremendous amount of information contained in this little book and I'm sure that trivia buffs will
love it. It can also be an asset to Social Studies programs for students at the elementary and junior high level
as a springboard to doing more research about a wide variety of Canadian topics. Too bad there is no index,
however, it is not too difficult to thumb through the pages to identify specific topics.
Also available in French. See p. 43
Thematic Links: Canada--History; Canada Geography; Canada--Trivia
Victoria Pennell
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Pennell, Victoria. "Macleod, Elizabeth & Frieda Wishinsky: Colossal Canada: 100 Epic Facts and Feats."
Resource Links, Dec. 2015, p. 21+. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A440401549/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b4ab9fd7.
Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A440401549
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Macleod, Elizabeth: Galloping Through
History: Amazing & True Horse Stories
Mavis Holder
Resource Links.
20.5 (June 2015): p14.
COPYRIGHT 2015 Resource Links
http://www.atcl.ca
Full Text:
MACLEOD, Elizabeth
Galloping Through History: Amazing & True Horse Stories-Annick [G]
Press, 2015. 82p. Illus. Gr. 4-8. 978-1-55451-699-5. Pbk. $14.95
This book is written in six chapters, three about specific individual horses and the other three about groups
such as mustangs, pit ponies, and the Pony Express.
Bucephalus, the horse of Alexander the Great, has the opening story but it is extended to tell of warhorses
of Genghis Khan, English knights and WWI cavalry units. The chapters about Sybil Ludington's ride on
Star and the racing life of Seabiscuit are a little more focussed but give background information on the US
Revolution and horse racing in the respective chapters.
The chapters on mustangs, pit ponies and the mail carriers of the Pony Express are written in the same
mixture of story and non-fiction sections. All the chapters have sidebars and snippets of additional facts
scattered throughout.
The overall design shows horses galloping through woodland both as background to the verso, content page
and on the first page of each chapter. The book contains an index, bibliography and timeline. The
illustrations are mainly photographs from a wide variety of sources. All the pages are lightly shaded from
white to green to yellow down the page. This, together with the outlines of horses in the margins of many
pages helps to unify the large amount of information that is in the text. It will be a hit with horse lovers.
Thematic Links: Horses; Horses and Civilization
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Holder, Mavis. "Macleod, Elizabeth: Galloping Through History: Amazing & True Horse Stories."
Resource Links, June 2015, p. 14. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A421624356/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5e57aa36.
Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
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Galloping through History: Amazing
True Horse Stories
Carolyn Phelan
Booklist.
111.17 (May 1, 2015): p84.
COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
By Elizabeth MacLeod.
2015. 88p. illus. Annick, $24.95 (9781554517008). 636.1. Gr. 4-6.
MacLeod, whose book Bunny the Brave War Horse (2014) introduced an equine veteran of WWI, now
presents six more stories of horses in history. Some are illustrious individuals, such as Bucephalus, the
famous steed of Alexander the Great, and Seabiscuit, the celebrated twentieth-century racehorse. Others had
notable roles in American history, such as the swift horses of the Pony Express and Star, who carried Sybil
Ludington on her dangerous ride to summon her father's Revolutionary War troops. The remaining chapters
discuss pit ponies in American coal mines during the 1800s and mustangs, particularly in their role as
"buffalo horses" in Blackfoot culture. In both the lively main text and sidebars, the writing is detailed and
informative, though some sections are fictionalized. Sources are listed for each chapter, but the lack of notes
makes it difficult at times to separate fact from fiction. The many color illustrations include photos, prints,
and paintings. Readers drawn to the subject will enjoy the book's topical approach.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Phelan, Carolyn. "Galloping through History: Amazing True Horse Stories." Booklist, 1 May 2015, p. 84.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A417131282/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=44bc0758. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A417131282