Chapter Books for Young Readers — Review

Belle of Batoche

by Jacqueline Guest
Orca Book Publishers, 2004
ISBN 1-55143-297-8
$7.95, 144 pp, ages 8 – 11
www.orcabook.com

The Metis rebellion is brought to life for young readers in this fictional story of Belle Tourond who lived in Batoche, Saskatchewan when the government forces surrounded the town in 1885. Jacqueline Guest, whose great-great-grandmother actually did live in Batoche, draws on her family history to weave the story of the rebellion into the life of Belle and her family.

Belle is preoccupied by a competition to decide which child will be chosen to be the next bell-ringer at the church—in Belle’s opinion, the most wonderful job in the world—when she is swept into the middle of the Riel Rebellion. As General Middleton’s troops occupy the town, Belle must rely on her own resources to save, not only her own family, but her competitor for the coveted bell-ringer position as well. Belle of Batoche is a welcome addition to the growing body of historical fiction that serves to entertain and inform young readers about the history of Canada.

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