Wilson has recorded the work of British explorer John Rae. The Hudson Bay Company hired Rae as a doctor, but his skills as an outdoors person helped him survive the harsh conditions. In 1845, the British government entrusted Rae to discover the Northwest Passage after the failed Franklin expedition. Where Franklin met with adversity and death, Rae learned from the Inuit the skills and techniques necessary to survive. Information regarding the story of the fateful Franklin expedition is reported. The visual maps, pictures and headings make the content accessible.
This book was a finalist in 2004 for the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction.

This book introduces a seldom-told aspect of Canada's history. Tracing history from over 400 years ago, this illustrated book tells the story of the men and women who fought oppression and discrimination against Black Canadians. Whether it was slavery in New France, the Underground Railroad, prairie settlers or the modern celebrations of Caribbean heritage, the story of Black Canadians will interest students as they discover a new element of their country's history.
An index and a timeline are included.

This addition to Canadian children's literature tells the story of Mina, whose grandfather has come from India to live with her family. Mina has conflicting feelings about her grandfather's move, which are intensified when a classmate sneers at her grandfather's accent at a school open house. Mina vows to get revenge, but her wise grandfather intervenes at the crucial moment, and Mina comes to an awareness of herself and other people. The first-person narrative portrays a contemporary East Indian family in North America.

Twelve-year-old Selina Palmer is growing up in the Halifax community of Africville. Selina is the only black child in her class and daily endures discrimination from her classmates. One girl in particular, Doreen, bullies her relentlessly because of her race. Selina makes one friend, Rosalind, and is hurt when Rosalind's mother forbids their friendship. Selina's refuge is her home in Africville, where she is surrounded by the love and warmth of her family and community. The city of Halifax does not see these strengths in the community. It sees only the dilapidated houses, the lack of plumbing and the crowded conditions. It becomes obvious that the city is going to destroy Africville and that the tight-knit community will be scattered.
One strength of this novel is its portrayal of the effects of discrimination - the daily humiliations, the lack of opportunity and the sense of powerlessness.
The Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Willow Awards Committee nominated Last Days in Africville for the 2005 Diamond Willow Award.

Rosie in New York City: Gotcha! presents a fictionalized version of an 11-year-old girl's participation in the New York shirtwaist-makers' strike of 1909-1910. When Rosie's mother falls ill, Rosie takes her place at the shirtwaist factory sewing sleeves. Working conditions are terrible. The workers are fined for talking, injuries are common and the bathrooms are filthy. A similar situation exists in many clothing factories in New York. Soon there is talk of forming a union to work for better conditions.
The novel accurately depicts the deplorable working conditions that led up to the strike, the courage of the women who participated in the strike and the harsh measures used to put down the strike and prevent the creation of unions. This story takes place in a part of New York that is predominantly Jewish.