When We Were Young - Book Review

When We Were Young
Collected and Introduced by Stuart McLean
Viking Group (Penguin) 1996
Interview with Stuart Mclean 2005
(click the Listen to the Show button)
Stuart McLean website

How many of you listen to the radio?
How many of you listen to the CBC?
How many of you listen to the Vinyl Cafe program?

My answers are all NOT ME times 3.

Before I picked up this book, I have never heard of the Vinyl Cafe. I used to listen to the radio when I was a teenager - but only for the music and Rick Casey's Top 40 show. I no longer listen to the radio. In fact I would be hard pressed to actually find a radio in my apartment. I do not watch much TV either - except for some of my favourite TV programs, and the Olympics. I now get all my news and entertainment from the Internet.

Anyway this is a collection of short stories and chapters from various Canadian books about kids growing up. The first chapters starts with children at a young age - about 5. And the kids slowly grow up in each subsequent chapter.

Chapters come from a variety of books such as Anne of Green Gables (the chapter where Anne breaks her slate over Gilberts head in school), Cats Eye, A chapter from the Cornish trilogy books, The Hockey Sweater and Hockey Night in Canada.

I found this an excellent way to become familiar with Canadian authors. I think I will read Cats Eye and the Cornish trilogy books soon. And I think I will try and find some Vinyl Cafe books to read as well.

I read this book for the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge.