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English Titles

		WHERE POPPIES GROW: A WORLD WAR I COMPANION LINDA GRANFIELD MARKHAM, ONT.: FITZHENRY & WHITESIDE, 2005. 48 P. ISBN 1550051466 AGES 9 TO 12
Where Poppies Grow: A World War I Companion Source

Linda Granfield's latest book is a tribute to the triumphs and tragedies that enveloped society during and after the Great War. The author is not attempting to tell a history of the war, but rather provides snapshots of the variety of ways that it affected the populace, becoming part of day-to-day life as the conflict dragged on much longer than anyone had originally anticipated. Many had a relative or neighbour who was overseas, and almost everyone on the home front was involved in supporting the war effort, from rolling bandages to knitting socks.

Each two-page folio of the book is liberally illustrated with period photographs, postcards and other images (most of which are from the author's own collection), and each introduces a specific aspect of the conflict. These include the work of the nursing sisters, the propaganda machine, stories of boys who made it home, and those who did not.

Readers will discover a wealth of information pertinent for all age groups: the Canadian connection to Winnie-the-Pooh, ships painted in swirling patterns to confuse the enemy ("dazzle" ships), John McCrae's famous poem, and the origins of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

-MMc