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2002
finalists.

2002 Hackmatack

Children's Choice Book Award/Prix littéraire - le choix de jeunes

Rebecca discovers that fate can change your life in an instant the night that fire destroys the farm where she lives in western Canada with her large extended Jewish family. Having lost everything, the family, including Rebecca's grandparents, decides that they must move to the city to start over. Their new home will be Winnipeg and the year is 1912. In spite of their sadness at leaving their home and friends behind, the children feel some excitement about moving to the city, but once they arrive reality deals Rebecca another blow. There is not enough money for the family to rent living space large enough for them all to stay together, so until the adults can get established, Rebecca and some of the other children must be placed temporarily with other families in the community. To make matters worse, Rebecca's new family is not even Jewish, but Ukrainian, and Rebecca has heard that Ukrainians hate Jews. To her great surprise, Rebecca becomes close friends with Sophie, the daughter in her new "family", but their friendship is threatened by the suspicions and attitudes of others, including Rebecca's family. Rebecca desperately wants to return to her real family but she comes to cherish Sophie's friendship too and must find a way to overcome prejudice and bring both her old and new worlds together.

A very accessible historical novel for ages 9-12.