A Blinding Light

by Julie Lawson

The First World War is raging, and anti-German prejudice is rampant. Maddie and Will Schroeder are mourning the loss of their father, but their German heritage doesn't merit much sympathy.

On the morning of December 6, there's a flash of light, then thunder underground: the Halifax Explosion hits. Instantly, the city is unrecognizable. Lost in the destroyed city, how will the siblings find each other?

Exploring concepts of guilt, blame and the divide between locals and immigrants, A Blinding Light will hold readers spellbound. Teachers and parents will find plenty of topics for discussion in the book's historical and cultural lessons.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Canada, Historical, Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2017

About the author

Julie Lawson is the award-winning author of many books for young people. Her novels include White Jade Tiger (winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Book Literature Prize and nominated for both the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award and the Silver Birch Award), Destination Gold, and The Ghost of Avalanche Mountain. Among her acclaimed picture books are The Dragon’s Pearl, Emma and the Silk Train, Bear on the Train, and Whatever You Do, Don’t Go Near That Canoe! Her most recent novel, Ghosts of the Titanic, was released in Spring 2011.

Some of the events written about in A Ribbon of Shining Steel were based on the real-life experiences of Julie’s own grandfather, John Anderson, who was among the many immigrants needed to keep the CPR running smoothly.

Julie lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Reviews

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nicely written and quite gripping historical fiction about the infamous Halifax explosion of December 1917. It's an event I had obviously heard of, but didn't know much about. Out of all the books we read for the kids' bookclub this past 6 months, A Blinding Light was probably the one they enjoyed the most.

[Joanne Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my two international students. It is filled with meaningful vocabulary and vocabulary of the period (lots of discussion around words no longer used commonly). I thought I knew quite a bit about the Halifax Explosion, but the novel really brought the event to life and was both informative and compelling. I wished that the novel had contained more "real life" stories in the endnotes, as I think that would have been meaningful. Overall, a great read for middle school or youth, or adults who like YA historical fiction.

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Julie Lawson’s Middle-Grade/ Young Adult novel A Blinding Light to be very enlightening and educational historical fiction. My grandmother was a survivor of the Halifax Explosion, and as one who did not like to speak of the past, only gave us the bare minimum of information. I feel this story fleshed out what it was like during and in the aftermath of this horrific disaster. Lawson’s description was so vivid that you can almost taste the smoke and debris in the air. It’s through stories like this that younger and seasoned readers alike can get a glimpse of life during this time period. I applaud Julie Lawson’s straightforward manner of describing the horror and injuries that occurred as a result of the explosion to a Middle-Grade audience. She didn’t sugarcoat the violence of the event at all. She even went into the prejudices of the time against the Canadian Germans. I would recommend A Blinding Light for anyone who likes history, young or old, particularly those who are interested in Canadian and Nova Scotian History.

[Cindy Wiedemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional story surrounding a very real horrific event. Interesting that the author chose a child's perspective for the main character, although there are many view points presented. I enjoyed the attention to detail to include many facts of the Halifax Explosion(such as the eye injuries being most common issue )while presenting it from a fictional family. One interesting aspect I found was touching on the mental health of survivors. This is not a common concern in telling of historical events and I appreciated the inclusion of not only the view point of surviving (whatever that looked like) but also the impact days, weeks, years later on mental health. The book was well written, very simple and clean and easy to read. This is why I didn't give 5 stars. There was a lost opportunity or perhaps just not the authors style, to write with more emotion, to have the reader feel the devastation, the turmoil. There were moments the book was a bit flat and boring and seemed to skim over details which may have left the audience more touched and impacted. I do recommend this book, and it's a great starter for anyone new to the story if the Halifax Explosion.

[Jorja Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It went into a lot of detail about the moments before and after the explosion. The author also discussed many of the different injuries that the characters had and made you feel empathetic for all of them even if they had a small part in the book. This book was a fast read and even though I knew the outcome of the book the author had me turning every page with anticipation! I give this book a rating of 5/ 5 stars!!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8
wish i had read this when i was 12, it would have surely changed me
this was especially cool to read having been to halifax, recognizing landmarks & street names etc.

[Ella During · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I really thought that her dad was going to show up but he never did 😭

[Sheri Radford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical novel for children is far more interesting than the cover and plot summary suggest. I greatly enjoyed reading about the deadly explosion in Halifax Harbour in 1917, even though I find most historical novels for kids dreary and preachy. The author did a fantastic job making me care about the main character and her brother, allowing me to imagine what it would have been like to live through this horrible moment in history.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lawson, Julie A Blinding Light, 257 pages. Nimbus, 2017. $14.95. Language: G Mature Content: PG Violence: PG.

On December 6, 1917, two ships, one carrying an enormous amount of munitions bound for Europe, collide in Halifax Harbor, Canada. The result is an explosion that levels the northern part of Halifax. Thousands of people are injured or die. 15-year-old Will Schneider witnesses the collision, but the truth is not what people want to hear. They are determined to find Captain Mackey responsible. When Will decides to testify on his behalf, he is subjected to ridicule because of his German heritage. Meanwhile, Will’s sister, Livy, and his mother recover from their near brushes with death when they unexpectedly find themselves on the north side during the explosion.

I found this book to be slow to get into. The explosion does not occur until ¼ of the way into the book, and until that time the storyline doesn’t lead anywhere interesting. Historical fiction can be a tough sell to kids and unless the story grabs you right away with action or emotion, it’s not going to gain an audience. It’s an interesting topic, but as written, can’t compete with historical events that already have a natural appeal for kids.

EL, MS – NOT RECOMMENDED. Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, Media Specialist
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Digitally Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia's review:
This book was given to me for free for being a youth ambassador with Digitally Lit. A Blinding Light follows two siblings Will and Livy as they go through the loss of a loved one and a

giant explosion that happens.

The explosion is called the Halifax Explosion and it is one of the biggest ones in history. The explosion happens and everyone is shell shocked and needs to build back the life they had before the incident.

This book is set in Halifax, Nova Scotia and surrounding areas. I thought that the setting is great because it shows some history that I was unaware had happened there.

Overall, I absolutely devoured this book, finishing it in less than 24 hours. I thought that it was well written with dynamic characters and a great setting. This book made me feel all the different emotions and I absolutely loved every moment in this world.

I rate it 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Blinding Light details the Halifax explosion through two main characters, Livy and her brother Will.
Livy is sent to Riverside (the poorer neighbourhood) to deliver a letter from her mother and Will is at the wharf when the explosion happens. Both children survive but the devastation to the city is immense. Readers are immediately drawn into the danger and become invested in all the characters' survival. The depiction of the trauma faced by the survivors is also very touching. It is a novel that would work well for middle grades studying the time period as it represents the class separation at the time and is a part of Canadian history that serves as a cautionary tale.
Recommended for middle grade readers who love survival stories and historical novels.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Blinding Light is a well-written historical fiction account of the 1917 Halifax explosion. Told through two siblings, Will and Livy, accounts of the day, the story unfolds of the great disaster and the chaos of the aftermath. Readers develop an understanding of the class segregation of the time period, as well.

A Blinding Light is short-listed for the 2019 MYRCA Sundogs. I recommend this title for school libraries serving students in grades 4-6. I also would recommend A Blinding Light be included in novel studies and/or as a read aloud as part of a Canadian history unit. (In Manitoba this lines up with Grade 6 curriculum.)

3.5/5 stars

[Elli Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I had never heard of the Halifax explosion before coming to Nova Scotia, the severity of the tragedy moved me. So, I picked up this book at the airport to find out more about the way it affected people.
A Blinding Light by Julie Lawson was the first historic fiction novel I've read by choice. In the book, we follow the experiences of the Schneider family and see the loss and devastation the catastrophe caused first hand.The book was well written and sometimes very emotional. It was also very well researched since everything I read fits what I learned about the explosion at several exhibits in Halifax.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start but once Livy blurts who broke the vase, the adventure starts. It was a reminder of the class segregation and how far we have come. Ridiculous ideas that only some people deserved help and this horrible compulsion the human race has to need to blame someone. I think the students will really enjoy it. I did.

[Taylor Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book !
I didn’t know this story and it’s a critical part of Candian history
Such a tremendous tragedy
The story it’s self was written to a perfect point
Always keeps you interested and never wanting you to stop
Highly recommend


Read while at work on Tanker Sarah Desgagnes ⚓️

[Erica McNaughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good YA historical fiction about events in Halifax during WWI, including the Halifax Explosion.

[Avery Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical event told in a interesting and page turning way.

[Katie Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Talia B-M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of the explosion that occurred in Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia in 1917 when two ships refused to yield the right of way. One ship was carrying several thousand tons of explosives. The collision created a spark that ignited a fire that blew up the ship sending a shockwave that demolished an entire area of the city. 15-year-old Will Schneider observed the collision. In his mind he knew which ship was at fault and consequently would be called to testify later. His immediate concern was for his sister and mother. Although his home was not affected by the blast, his sister had gone to the northern neighborhood that was hit hardest. His mom was missing for days, but finally surfaced in a makeshift hospital disoriented and nearly blind. Two families work together to get back on their feet, as Will, hated for his German heritage, goes against public ridicule and stands for the truth.

I enjoyed the historical parts of this story, however I didn't feel like the historical component of the story was center stage or developed well. The explosion didn't even occur until 1/4 of the way into the book. The first 1/4 of the book was all about creating the backstory and it ended up overshadowing the disaster. The Schneider family is at the forefront. Their German father has gone missing and is believed dead in a sailing accident. Livy is a brat who mistreats everyone, including the housekeeper who she lets take the blame for a vase she broke. The book is mainly a story of this family and the effect the explosion had on them. There is no detail of the panic, mayhem or devastation that probably occurred. Neither was there a detailed account of what really happened in the collision except in the afterword. All in all, I felt shortchanged.