Join author Judith Silverthorne has she takes us on a short tour of the historic Government House in Regina, Saskatchewan Canada. As she reads from her book, Ghosts of Government House, two young girls explore the haunted house to see if the ghosts really do roam the halls and bedrooms of this enchanted old mansion.
Are there really ghosts at Government House? Sam and J.J. have heard about the legendary ghost ‘Howie,’ but who is he really? And is he responsible for all the mysterious things that happen there?
The two girls, along with Grandma Louise, find out more than they’d bargained for when they set out on their ghost detecting adventures in the historic mansion. Howie is the least of their worries — and so is proving to Sam’s older brother Gabe that ghosts actually exist. What none of them had anticipated is their encounters with so many unexpected apparitions. Who are those ghosts, and why are they there?
Erik wanted to stay in Norway, but his mother’s new husband, Rolf, has brought the family to Canada. Farming in Saskatchewan in the early 1900s is hard to get used to, and there are problems. Dueck has captured the Norwegian voice in a well-written novel that is rich in detail of the Saskatchewan prairie and the early homesteaders.
~ excerpt from the 2012 Saskatchewan Book Awards program
Congratulations to Adele Dueck, whose novel Racing Home has been chosen by the Ontario Library Association as one of 2011’s Best Bets for Children and Young Adults!
Books are chosen for their literary merit and their appeal to their intended audience, in this case middle grade readers.
The OLA summarizes the book as follows:
Racing Home
Written by Adele Dueck | Coteau Books
Erik did not want to leave his grandfather’s farm in Norway. But he must adjust as his new stepfather moves the family to the Canadian west. This is a richly detailed and engrossing portrait of pioneer prairie life seen through a young boy’s eyes.
Adele Dueck’s novel Racing Home received 31/2 out of 4 stars in a review from CM magazine. The reviewer said:
Adele Dueck’s latest novel, Racing Home, is a fascinating work of historical fiction that explores the unique experiences of early twentieth-century immigrants in Saskatchewan through the character of 12-year-old Erik Brekke…While the main appeal of the story is in the details of settlers’ lives and their incredible daily experiences, the story is successful as a novel because of the realistic characters through whose lives the reader learns about the history.