Canadian Crusoes facts for kids
Canadian Crusoes: A Tale of the Rice Lake Plains is an exciting adventure novel written by Catharine Parr Traill. Published in 1852, many people consider it the very first Canadian novel specifically for children! It was her second book about Canada, coming after The Backwoods of Canada (1836). A company in London called Arthur Hall, Virtue, and Company first published it. Catharine's sister, Agnes Strickland, helped edit the book.
Who Was Catharine Parr Traill?
Catharine Parr Traill (1802–1899) was a famous writer born in England who later moved to Canada. She is well-known for her book about plants, Canadian Wild Flowers (1865). She also wrote The Backwoods of Canada (1836) and The Canadian Settler's Guide (1855). These books were written to help people from England who were thinking about moving to Canada.
Traill wrote many stories, even before she moved to Canada. Her books often taught lessons. Her Canadian stories were some of the first to be set in Canada. Canadian Crusoes was special because it was the first to feature a main character who was born in Canada. Her sister, Susanna Moodie, also wrote stories. However, Susanna's stories were usually set in England and followed English writing styles.
What Is Canadian Crusoes About?
This adventure story takes place in what is now central southern Ontario, near Rice Lake. Three children get lost in the wilderness and must learn to survive on their own. The book is inspired by Daniel Defoe's famous 1719 novel, Robinson Crusoe.
The story shows how these children, two English Canadian and one French Canadian, work together to survive in the Canadian wilderness. This idea of teamwork is very important. Later, they meet a Mohawk girl who joins their group. She uses her own skills to help them, making their team even stronger.
By the end of the novel, the children escape from the wilderness. The story ends with the English Canadian boy and the Mohawk girl forming a pair, and the French Canadian boy with the English Canadian girl. Each child's unique skills are useful, and they all need to cooperate to make it through. Their teamwork can be seen as a symbol of how different people can work together to build a peaceful nation in Canada.
