Town is by the Sea

Set in a Cape Breton mining town in the 1950s, this picture book tells of one boy’s day by the sea. The brightness and freedom of the boy's day are juxtaposed with the crushing darkness beneath, and the boy's thoughts continually stray to his father in the coal tunnels and the inevitability of eventually working in the same coal tunnels as his father. Useful in elementary classes as a read aloud, independent read, or group study, the book could encourage critical thinking, and the detailed illustrations make it valuable for visualization and creative writing projects.