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New book cover for The Mystery of the Moonlight Murder, image ready for media use:
Author Images - Roderick Benns
Press Releases and Tip Sheets / Sidebars
Happy Birthday John Diefenbaker! Fireside Publishing House Gives Away 50 Free Copies of New Book to Celebrate John Diefenbaker’s Birthday
Five Things to Admire about John Diefenbaker
Diefenbaker Chosen as First PM in New Book Series on Canadian Leaders
Kid’s Historical Fiction Series on PMs Aims for Jason Kenney’s ‘Deeper Sense of Citizenship’
Legacy of Pierre Berton Was Inspirational for New Kid’s Book Series on Canada’s PMs
Diefenbaker Solves 100-Year-Old Murder
From Northern Issues, Arctic Strategies, a New Icebreaker and now a New Children’s Book, the Chief Seems to be Everywhere. Is Canadian Nationalism Revived?
Media: Please feel free to use the information below for direct quotes or background information.
Questions and Answers with Roderick Benns on the Leaders & Legacies series, including Book One -- The Mystery of the Moonlight Murder: An Early Adventure of John Diefenbaker
Q: Why did you begin the series with John Diefenbaker?
A: John Diefenbaker had an extraordinary childhood and was part of the great surge westward that helped to redefine our country. The Diefenbakers lived an authentic pioneer life for many years, and certainly for John’s formative years. There isn’t another prime minister who can claim this fascinating experience.
By doing the series in a non-linear way it’s simply a lot more enjoyable. There is something to be said for the fun of not knowing who will be coming out next!
Q: Isn’t a novel still just a novel? In the end, how will this attract more kids to reading, especially boys?
A: Some experts point out that nearly 50 per cent of boys describe themselves as non-readers by the time they enter secondary school. That’s a real problem. Part of the issue in elementary school and middle school is that we know a book’s content is very relevant for boys as a motivator. So in many cases, it is not that boys do not like to read, but that they do not like to read what they are presented with in the classroom. Boys like to read books that reflect what they aspire to be, or to do. They want reading that appeals to their sense of mischief. They want action – not an over-emphasis on the emotions. They also love books in series, likely because there is comfort in familiarity. So this book – this series – brings all of these elements to the forefront.
Q: What about girls? Will they be inclined to read this book?
A. Absolutely! The thing about girls is they tend to have more flexible reading habits overall. Many girls will resonate with the themes in the book, and we know they tend to appreciate strong characters and character development overall. There will also be great female characters in all of our books, as there are in this one.
Q: Can teachers teach with historical fiction?
A: It’s a wonderful way to teach history -- a perfect teaching vehicle for a number of reasons. Actually, I can think of five:
- It’s going to grab their curiosity much more quickly than a text book.
- This is a big one for teachers -- it creates more equity. The fact is some kids will have a tremendous amount of prior knowledge to draw from for the overall theme of the book while others will have far less. Reading the historical fiction account of a time period together promotes a kind of even playing field since no one knows this particular story. Then the history itself can be talked about afterwards.
- Sometimes it’s difficult for kids to convert a few quick descriptions from a social studies text book and translate that into something meaningful for them. So historical fiction provides an enriched understanding of the time period. People make difficult choices every day (and the characters in a historical fiction book should reflect this) so it presents people how they are, both the positive and negative.
- Historical fiction recreates history and illustrates complex problems.
- Historical fiction promotes diverse perspectives! This is a big one, too. In life we want our children to share their own perspectives and their ideas while continuing to respect the opinions of others. Characters in the book obviously have different points of view and will deal in unique ways with the challenges they face. Historical fiction embodies the interpretive nature of history as seen through individuals and institutions at the time.
Q. So you’re saying students might actually learn more when taught using historical fiction than if they were using a traditional text book?
A. Yes and no. No historical fiction book is meant to replace a history book – it is a companion and often a great entry point for key learning and discussions guided by the teacher.
However there was a 1992 study by Guzzetti, Kowalinski and McGowan who demonstrated that the Grade Six kids they studied actually absorbed more social studies concepts when they were taught through literature instead of a text book. They felt this was because stories helped to clarify ideas for kids since people of this age tend to personalize things more.
So if there is a way we can provide an enriched entry point into Canadian history for kids – and I think this is a key role for historical fiction -- then we must measure this as a success.
Q: Is there a reason parents, too, will be especially involved in guiding their kids to read this book and this series?
A: Yes – and I think grandparents, too. It is so important to have parents involved in their children’s reading and this series in particular should be of high interest to anyone who feels we need to do more to encourage a connection between young people and their country. We are also very excited about public libraries and school libraries getting involved to help us share with a broader audience of students.
Q: You’ve mentioned in some of your press releases the term ‘civic nationalism.’ What does this mean?
A: Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, has been advocating for a form of civic nationalism since he took on this role and I think we should be sitting up and taking notice as Canadians. In an April 2009 interview in Maclean’s, Kenney spoke about the need for Canadians to reclaim “a deeper sense of citizenship…a kind of civic nationalism where people understand the institutions, values and symbols that are rooted in our history.”
That’s the kind of thing we are hoping to support in our own small way. Luckily, I think there is a sense of urgency for a new kind of Canadian nationalism – not anti-American in any way -- but simply an abiding insistence that we must know our own stories. The Dominion Institute has been saying this for years, too.
Q: Isn’t Diefenbaker a controversial figure in Canadian politics?
A: By its very nature, politics breeds controversy. No prime minister – no person at all -- will please everyone and this is par for the course. One of the things I think Canada would benefit from would be for everyone to lower the rhetoric a notch or two, especially about opponents. Americans do this very well. There is a genuine respect for the office of the presidency which transcends the individuals who hold it.
From our perspective, for the Leaders and Legacies series, we want to celebrate and honour our leaders. We hope people can appreciate the fact that each and every person who held office in Canada did not do so in order to achieve some diabolical plan. They made a contribution. Some of our prime ministers were conspicuous in their greatness and accomplishments, like John A. Macdonald or Wilfrid Laurier. Others were more modest with their brief duration in the prime minister’s chair, but yet they led service-oriented lives in the political arena before and after and deserve respect, such as John Turner or Joe Clark.
Q. What is your overall hope for this series, aside from strong book sales?
A. We hope this will become a movement. We hope that the Leaders and Legacies series will serve to inspire – kids, parents and grandparents alike. If it sparks and sustains a deeper love for Canada, one that honours our history and cares for its future, then we will have accomplished a great deal together.
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