Author Hugh Brewster’s book At Vimy Ridge told the story of the First World War from its beginning to the battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917.
Brewster was at the Capilano library Wednesday to talk to school kids about Vimy Ridge and his recent book From Vimy to Victory: Canada’s Fight to the Finish in World War I.
“I wanted to tell the rest of the story,” he said in an email to the North Shore News about his book. “Canada’s great contribution and great sacrifice during the war earned it recognition as a nation in its own right, not just as a part of the British Empire.”
The books are designed for readers ages eight and older and feature text, photos, paintings, maps, and drawings.
Brewster answered some more questions after the library talk.
Why did you want to write this book for kids?
The two great wars of the 20th century really jump-started the modern world. It’s a very important period in the history of our world and the history of Canada. Kids today are very interested in Canada’s military past in a way that my own generation wasn’t.
Remembrance Day has once again become an important commemorative day in schools. Battlefield tours are something many high school students take part in and are a great learning experience. Often students tell me that going to Vimy Ridge and visiting the graves of soldiers from their town, or even their family, was the most moving experience they’ve ever had as a Canadian.
How do you talk to kids about war?
By the age of eight or nine most young people have seen more horror on the evening news or in movies, video games and TV shows than they will find in my books. Personal stories of men and women in war, many of whom were only a few years older than they are, bring home the reality of war in a compelling way. But there is never gratuitous violence, and discretion is exercised in choosing what content to include and what to leave out.
Why do you think it’s important for kids and youth to learn about Vimy Ridge?
The story of both the battle and the monument is a window into an important chapter in our history. To call Vimy Ridge “the hill where Canada was born” is an exaggeration. But to dismiss it as a myth is also an exaggeration. Over 10,000 Canadians were killed or wounded there. That is very real. It took 14 years to build the amazing monument on its crest. This is a story that resonates with Canadians and that young Canadians should come to know.
What are some common questions you hear from school kids when you do presentations about your book?
“Were you in the war?” is one that always makes me smile. I have to explain that my parents both served in the Second World War but that I was not yet born. “How did Hitler die?” is a remarkably common question, even when the subject is the First World War. (Hitler always fascinates.) They are also fascinated by trench warfare, and want to know where soldiers slept in trenches and what they ate and how they stayed warm.
What would you like students to take away from your talks?
Some sense of the terrible cost of war. Of the sacrifices made by previous generations for the freedoms we enjoy today.
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Brewster says he knew he wanted to be a writer from an early age and calls himself a “book -loving child” who “haunted his local library.” He became a writer after first working
in publishing.
What do you like best about being a writer?
When it’s going well it’s highly pleasurable and a whole day can fly by in what seems like minutes. I also really enjoy preparing and giving talks and dramatic presentations about my books,
What are the biggest challenges of being a writer?
For the vast majority of writers, the money is terrible and getting worse.
What message or advice would you share with someone who may want to be a writer?
Don’t give up your day job until you can support yourself with your writing,
Anything you want to add?
Reading is the most important skill any child can have. And reading actual books not screens is crucial for brain development. Read to your kids. Buy books for them. It’s the best investment you can make.
