Meet Clara Hughes (Scholastic Canada Biography)

Written by Elizabeth MacLeod

Illustrated by Mike Deas

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-9772-4

32 pp.

Ages 6-10

January 2023

 

Just out this week is Meet Clara Hughes, the newest addition to Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas's fabulous illustrated book series, Scholastic Canada Biography. They've covered important historical and contemporary figures in Canada, including athletes like Tom Longboat and Willie O'Ree–see the listing below for those titles–who dealt with issues of racism and discrimination. But, by showcasing a contemporary athlete who has dealt with mental health and turned that into advocacy for others, Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas have championed Clara Hughes as much for her athleticism as her good work.

Born in 1972 in Winnipeg, Clara Hughes loved to read, do crafts, cook, ride her bike, and do sports like hockey and ringette. But when things got tough at home, with her parents arguing, Clara acted out, by shoplifting, partying, and staying out all night. Things changed after seeing Gaétan Boucher speed skate at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Taking up speed skating changed everything for Clara, focusing her energy on positive things, working hard, and having fun. As part of her training, she also cycled, and when the province of Manitoba encouraged more women to try that sport, Clara switched, eventually making Canada's cycling team for the 1996 Olympics, and then medalling.

From Meet Clara Hughes, written by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas

Still, Clara experienced depression. After she was able to ask for help and find ways to help her cope with her depression, she challenged herself to return to speed skating. By focusing on doing her best and the joy of her pursuits rather than winning, she achieved great success in her sports, becoming the only Canadian who has ever won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympics.

But Clara Hughes's successes have reached beyond the Olympics and the podia. Her work with Right to Play, an organization that helps kids in conflict zones and poverty learn important life skills through sports, and her mental health awareness advocacy work that includes Bell Canada's Let's Talk campaign have extended her impact beyond her athleticism and into the realm of public service, touching many in ways we might not even understand.

From Meet Clara Hughes, written by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas

I'm so delighted that Elizabeth MacLeod chose to showcase Clara Hughes in this latest book of Scholastic Canada Biography. Elizabeth MacLeod has always told the stories of exemplary persons (see the list below) who've achieved much, though sometimes inconspicuously during their lifetimes. They come from a variety of backgrounds, whether in the fields of science, business, the arts, or sports, but their achievements have led them to greater societal impacts than may have been recognized at the time. For many, Clara Hughes is a successful speed skater and cyclist, achieving gold, silver, and bronze medals at multiple Olympics. (In fact, she's the only Olympian to win multiple medals in both winter and summer sports.) But her advocacy work, particularly with regards to raising awareness about mental health, must be recognized as significant, taking discussions about mental illness from inner thoughts and doctors' offices to public forums and educational campaigns. By telling Clara Hughes's story of becoming a successful athlete alongside her challenges with depression and efforts to cope with it, Elizabeth MacLeod has made Clara Hughes more real.

From Meet Clara Hughes, written by Elizabeth MacLeod, illus. by Mike Deas

Because of the complexity of Mike Deas's art, using digital tools with watercolour and gouache paints as well as ink, the illustrations of the Scholastic Canada Biography series always set the right tone. While emphasizing the biographical, showing the Clara Hughes that we all recognize from her Olympic events like carrying the flag at the 2010 Winter Olympics or raising the Canadian flag after a winning race, Mike Deas gives us more than just that which could have been seen in photographs. We also see her hanging out with other troubled teens in a parking lot, overwhelmed by a black cloud of depression as she speaks to her doctor, and finding solace in nature with her partner Peter Guzman. Mike Deas helps us see the child, the athlete, and the advocate, through all her triumphs and her challenges. 

 

For many, Meet Clara Hughes will give them a new perspective on an athlete whose prowess in cycling and speed skating are just a fraction of her achievements. By going beyond the Olympic medals and showing us how Clara got to be the outstanding athlete and how her personal and sports challenges led her to further accomplishments in mental health education and awareness, Elizabeth MacLeod and Mike Deas have given us the true and complete Clara Hughes.

 

 

 • • • • • • •

Scholastic Canada Biography (to date)

Meet Viola Desmond (2018)
Meet Chris Hadfield (2018)
Meet Tom Longboat (2019)
Meet Elsie MacGill (2019)
Meet Willie O'Ree (2020)
Meet Terry Fox (2020)
Meet Thérèse Casgrain (2021)
Meet David Suzuki (2021)
Meet Mary Ann Shadd (2022)
Meet J. Armand Bombardier (2022)
Meet Buffy Sainte-Marie (2023)

Meet Clara Hughes (2024)

The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them: Guest review

Today's review was written by teacher-librarian Elizabeth Cook.

Written by Rob Laidlaw

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-103-8

52 pp.

Ages 8-12

April 2020

As a librarian in an elementary school, I can attest to how popular non-fiction books on animals are.  My shelf labelled “636.7 Dogs” is always empty, despite how many books I buy.  Children just love their dogs!  Who wouldn’t love an animal widely known as ‘man’s best friend’?  These lovable pets have long captured our hearts and we are curious to know more about them.

Rob Laidlaw’s book The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them goes beyond the traditional information of different breeds.  A well-known advocate for animals, Rob Laidlaw, wanted to not only explain how to care for dog companions but to educate readers about some of the dangers these animals can face.  Unfortunately, we may be unknowingly causing some of these dangers to our companion dogs and Rob Laidlaw is helping to educate his readers in hopes of making better informed decisions in the future.  One theme that seemed to resonate with me during this book is the need for dogs to receive the correct amount of activity.  If dogs are kept in a crate for too long, not given enough walks, or play time around the house, it can result in unwanted behaviours or health risks.  The text offers the readers excellent guidelines for proper care and a list of websites for more information to ensure man’s best friend is treated as such.

From The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them by Rob Laidlaw

Peppered throughout the books are inspiring stories of young children volunteering and advocating for dogs around North America.  These Dog Patrol stories help readers understand that any person can help.  A perfect example is that of Molly Matlow from Toronto, Ontario who at the age of only 6 years old has raised funds for a variety of animal protection organizations and helps to educate others about animal welfare.  Another Dog Patrol story that opened my eyes was the fundraising and awareness campaign of Brooklyn Bockelmann in Le Mars, Iowa.  She has worked to ensure that all fire departments in Iowa have proper canine and feline oxygen masks to help animals who were exposed to smoke in house fires.  Even the youngest of readers can’t help but be inspired to take action from these stories.

From The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them by Rob Laidlaw

This book is an excellent read for children who love animals.  It will help them to better understand all of the care a companion dog needs, how to understand the signals dogs are giving humans, how to find a reputable adoption centre, and so much more.  Many families may not be able to have a dog due to allergies or space restrictions, but they can still be a dog advocate like some of the children in the Dog Patrol profiles highlighted in the book.  I am sure Rob Laidlaw’s The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them will inspire readers to support animals in need in their own communities.

From The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them by Rob Laidlaw

~ Elizabeth Cook is a teacher-librarian in the Halton District School Board. She is an avid reader and fan of Canadian literature.