Halifax Explodes! Read online

  For my cousin and friend Philippe

  Many thanks to the hard-working Owlkids team, for their insightful comments and steadfast support. Special thanks to Patricia Ann Lewis-MacDougall and Barb Kelly for their engaging and energetic illustrations and design.

  Text © 2011 Frieda Wishinsky

  Illustrations © 2011 Patricia Ann Lewis-MacDougall

  Maple Tree is an imprint of Owlkids Books Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any information storage and retrieval systems, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Owlkids Books Inc., or in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a license from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright).

  Owlkids Books acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Book Initiative for our publishing activities.

  Print and e-book editions published in Canada by Owlkids Books Inc., 10 Lower Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5V 2Z2; published in United States by Owlkids Books Inc., 1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710

  www.owlkidsbooks.com

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Wishinsky, Frieda

  Halifax explodes! / Frieda Wishinsky ; illustrated by Patricia Ann Lewis-MacDougall.

  (Canadian flyer adventures ; 17)

  ISBN 978-1-926818-97-9 (Bound)

  ISBN 978-1-926818-98-6 (Paperback)

  ISBN 978-1-926973-04-3 (E-book)

  1. Halifax Explosion, Halifax, N.S., 1917--Juvenile fiction. I. Lewis-MacDougall, Patricia Ann II. Title. III. Series: Wishinsky, Frieda. Canadian flyer adventures ; 17.

  PS8595.I834H35 2011 jC813'.54 C2011-905276-8

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2011935671

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  How It All Began

  Chapter 1: Surprise

  Chapter 2: What was That?

  Chapter 3: Poppy

  Chapter 4: I Know You!

  Chapter 5: The Photo

  Chapter 6: Is She Here?

  Chapter 7: Carolyn's Tree

  Chapter 8: Waiting for Tim

  Chapter 9: Down a Dark Lane

  Chapter 10: Where's the Sled?

  More About... Emily’s Top Ten Facts

  Matt’s Top Ten Facts

  So You Want to Know...

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Praise for the Series

  About the Publisher

  Teacher Resources

  Canadian Flyer Adventure Series

  How It All Began

  Emily and Matt couldn’t believe their luck. They discovered an old dresser full of strange objects in the tower of Emily’s house. They also found a note from Emily’s Great-Aunt Miranda: “The sled is yours. Fly it to wonderful adventures.”

  They found a sled right behind the dresser! When they sat on it, shimmery gold words appeared:

  Rub the leaf

  Three times fast.

  Soon you’ll fly

  To the past.

  The sled rose over Emily’s house. It flew over their town of Glenwood. It sailed out of a cloud and into the past. Their adventures on the flying sled had begun! Where will the sled take them next? Read on to find out.

  CHAPTER 1:

  Surprise

  Ping. Ping. Ping.

  Ice pellets bounced off Emily’s living room windows.

  “I hate icy days,” said Emily. “You can’t make snow people. You can’t play outside. You can’t do anything good.”

  “You can do something good inside,” said her friend Matt. He pointed to the floor above them.

  “Of course!” said Emily, bouncing out of her chair. “Why didn’t I think of that? We can go on a sled adventure.”

  “So, what are we waiting for?” said Matt.

  Emily and Matt raced out of the room and up the back stairs to the tower room.

  “Why don’t we make this one a surprise adventure?” suggested Matt. “One person can pick the drawer.”

  Emily’s eyes lit up. “And the other person can pull something out of it with eyes closed!”

  Matt smiled. “I like that idea, but that means we could go anywhere at any time in history. It could be…”

  “Dangerous?” said Emily.

  “Yes.”

  “Or fun?”

  “Yes.”

  “Or both,” said Emily.

  Matt nodded. “So…let’s do it! I’ll pick the drawer.”

  “And I’ll pull out the surprise adventure.”

  “I pick drawer…number four!” Matt pulled open the bottom drawer.

  Emily bent down. She closed her eyes and fumbled inside the drawer.

  “Here it comes,” she said. “One. Two. Three. Out!”

  She yanked out a thin, flat object.

  “It’s a photograph,” said Matt as Emily opened her eyes.

  The friends stared at the photograph of a smiling girl of ten dressed in a winter coat, boots, a scarf, and a hat. On her lap sat a small spotted dog.

  “That dog is cute,” said Emily, “but there’s no label telling us who the girl is, or where they are, or what year it is. There’s always a label.”

  “Maybe there’s something on the back of the picture,” said Matt.

  Emily turned the photograph over. “You’re right! It says:

  Dear Tim,

  This picture is part of your birthday present. Can you guess the rest?

  Love, Carolyn and Poppy

  Dec. 6, 1917, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

  “Let’s go! I love surprises and I love cute dogs. I wish I could pet him right now!” said Emily.

  “He looks like a friendly dog, but I bet there’s more to this adventure than a surprise present and a dog. The sled always sends us somewhere where something awesome is happening.”

  “You’re right. But what’s awesome about Halifax in 1917?” asked Emily.

  Matt rubbed his fingers across his forehead. “Let me think. The end of World War I was near 1917. Maybe this has something to do with the war.”

  “Did the war take place in Halifax?”

  “No. In Europe, but something must have been going on in Halifax. Something important. I’m sure of it,” said Matt.

  “There’s only one way to find out,” said Emily as she pulled the sled out from behind the dresser.

  CHAPTER 2:

  What was That?

  Emily and Matt hopped on the sled.

  “I have my sketchbook. Do you have your digital recorder?” asked Emily.

  “Of course!” said Matt as the shimmery gold words appeared on the front of the sled.

  Rub the leaf

  Three times fast.

  Soon you’ll fly

  To the past.

  Emily rubbed the leaf and immediately fog enveloped the sled. Soon they were flying above Emily’s house and above Glenwood, and heading toward a fluffy white cloud.

  They zoomed out of the cloud and looked down.

  As they did, they heard a loud blast.

  The sled shook. “Yikes!”
screamed the friends, grabbing the sides of the sled.

  “What was that?” asked Emily.

  Matt swallowed hard. “I don’t know, but I can smell smoke. I was sure we were going to fall off the sled.”

  “Look! I see the smoke. Something terrible has happened down there—but what?”

  “I don’t know, but we’re heading right toward it. This is scary. I wish we could turn the sled around.”

  Emily gulped. “Yeah! Go somewhere else, sled. Please!”

  But the sled just kept going down.

  “Oh no! Look at the city. It looks like a bomb hit it. Houses are crushed. Buildings are on fire. And there’s a huge wave rolling in from the ocean. It’s hitting everything. This is horrible,” said Emily, shivering.

  “Maybe it is the war. Maybe it did come to Halifax,” said Matt. “But why would there be a wave?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is that the sled is turning!” said Emily. “Where are we going to land?”

  For a minute the friends said nothing. They held on tightly to the sides of the sled as it flew lower and lower.

  “We’re heading for that hill,” said Emily, pointing. “Phew! It doesn’t look like it’s been hit. Maybe we’ll be safe.”

  Matt shuddered. “But what will we see when we get to Halifax? What’s happened to the city? What happened to Carolyn, Tim, and Poppy? What kind of adventure is this, anyway?”

  The sled thumped down onto the ground. Emily and Matt hopped off the sled and looked around. People were hurrying up the hill. There was no sign of a girl who looked like Carolyn.

  “Brrr—it’s cold,” said Emily. “At least we’re dressed for winter.”

  Emily was wearing a long red coat, high boots with buttons, a scarf, and a small hat. Matt was wearing a green jacket, a cap, and boots.

  “Look. Over there!” Emily pointed to a spot not far from where they were standing.

  A small spotted black and white dog was wandering around. His leash was dangling and his fur was dirty.

  “Do you think that could be Poppy?” said Emily.

  “Come on,” said Matt. “Let’s call him by that name and see.”

  Matt pulled the sled behind him as the friends dashed over to the little dog.

  As they neared him, he began to bark.

  “It’s okay, Poppy,” said Matt as they drew closer. “We won’t hurt you.”

  But the dog kept barking.

  “Maybe it’s not Poppy, or maybe the blast just scared him,” said Emily. She reached out toward the small dog and touched his back gently. “It’s okay. We’re friends,” she said. “You’re safe now.”

  CHAPTER 3:

  Poppy

  The little dog stopped barking and licked Emily’s hand.

  “It is Poppy!” said Emily. “Look! His name is on his collar.”

  “He likes you,” said Matt. “You’re good with dogs.”

  Emily smiled. “I’ve been asking for a dog for my birthday forever. I’d love a dog like Poppy. But where’s Carolyn and where’s Tim?”

  The friends looked around the hill. More people were rushing up.

  “It’s so smoky. It’s hard to breathe up here. Imagine what it must be like down there,” said Matt.

  Emily shuddered. “I don’t want to think about it. Let’s look for Carolyn. Maybe Poppy can lead us to her. Maybe we can help her. Maybe that’s why the sled brought us here.”

  “But where should we start? We have to find out what happened in the city first. Let’s ask that woman in the blue coat over there.” Matt pointed to a woman near them who was peering out toward the city. Her face, hair, and coat were covered in soot. “She looks familiar.”

  Emily nodded. “She does—but how would we have met her before? She probably just looks like someone we know.”

  Emily held Poppy’s leash, and the friends hurried over to the woman.

  “Could you tell us what happened?” Emily asked.

  “I don’t know,” said the woman. “All I know is that there was an enormous blast near the harbour. Some people think the Germans have invaded Halifax, but we don’t know for sure.”

  “Is your family okay?” asked Matt.

  “Luckily we live far from the harbour in the south end of town. Our windows were shattered. There’s dust, glass, and soot everywhere, but my family is fine. I took them to a safe spot far from the harbour. But I had to come here and find out what happened. So many people have been injured…or worse.”

  The woman put her hands over her face and began to sob. Then she cleared her throat and pulled a handkerchief out of the pocket of her coat. She wiped her eyes. “You must excuse me. This has been a terrifying day. You children must be frightened, too. Is your family safe?”

  “Yes. We’re all safe,” said Matt.

  “How did you find Carolyn’s little dog?” asked the woman. She bent over and petted the small animal.

  “You know Carolyn and Poppy?” asked Matt.

  “Carolyn lives next door to me,” said the woman.

  “Poppy was wandering around here on his own. We didn’t see anyone with him,” said Matt.

  “Oh dear. I hope nothing has happened to that poor child. I’ve known her since she was a baby. The windows at her house were shattered, but I didn’t think anyone inside was hurt.” Tears filled the woman’s eyes again. She quickly wiped them away.

  “Look,” said Emily, “more people are running up the hill.”

  “Everyone believes that Citadel Hill is the safest place in the city,” said the woman. “And there are rumours of another blast. Maybe worse than the first one.”

  Emily gulped. She stared at Matt. His face had turned white at the mention of another explosion.

  What was going to happen next?

  Chapter 4:

  I Know You!

  “You know, you two look very familiar,” said the woman. “Are you from around here?”

  “No,” said Emily.

  “Then you’re visiting. I hope your family is far away from Halifax,” said the woman.

  “Very far,” said Matt.

  “Good,” said the woman as even more people hurried up Citadel Hill. “Someone has to know what happened. I can’t believe that this is the second disaster I’m living through. How did I manage to survive the Titanic and this terrible day, too?”

  “Oh my goodness,” Emily blurted out. She looked at Matt and he nodded. Now they knew why the woman looked familiar. They’d met her on the Titanic. She’d shown them her wedding dress just before the Titanic hit the iceberg. And when it hit, they’d told her to rush to a lifeboat. But luckily she didn’t remember where she’d seen them. If she had, it would have been hard to explain what they were doing in Halifax and why they didn’t look a day older than when she’d met them in 1912—five years ago!

  “In all the confusion, I forgot to introduce myself,” said the woman. “My name is Mrs. Hilda Slayter Lacon. What are your names, children?”

  Emily took a deep breath. “I’m Emily and this is Matt.”

  “Emily and Matt,” repeated Mrs. Lacon. “I met two children with those names on the Titanic. It’s strange, but you look so much like them.” Mrs. Lacon shook her head. “My memory must be playing tricks on me. With all that’s happened, I’m not thinking straight. How could you be the same two children?”

  “That would be...” said Emily.

  “Impossible,” said Mrs. Lacon. “But for a minute I could have sworn you were the children I met on that terrible night at sea. I’m sure you heard about the Titanic.”

  “Yes,” said Matt.

  “It’s a miracle I was able to get on a lifeboat that night, and now it’s a miracle that the blast happened far from my home. But we must find out what’s going on. We must see what we can do to help. I only know one thing for sure. Nothing wi
ll ever be the same in Halifax after this day.”

  “Mrs. Lacon?”

  Mrs. Lacon spun around. A tall young soldier approached them. His brown hair was white with soot and his uniform was dirty and torn.

  “Tim!” she cried, hugging the solider. “I’m so glad that you’re all right. These two children, Emily and Matt, found Poppy. But they haven’t found your sister. Is she with you?”

  “No. I’m looking for Carolyn. She was walking Poppy before school, but she never made it to school. Our family is frantic.”

  “Oh, my poor boy. You must find her. Do you know what happened in the city? Have the Germans invaded Halifax?”

  “The Germans haven’t invaded. It was a terrible accident. My buddy from the army saw everything. He ran to our house to see if we were all right. He said that two ships—the Imo and the Mont-Blanc—collided in the harbour. No one knew that the Mont-Blanc carried explosives. Now the harbour and many neighbourhoods have been destroyed.” Tim shuddered. “I have to find my sister.”

  “We’ll help you,” said Matt.

  “I bet Poppy can help, too,” added Emily.

  “I must return to my family,” said Mrs. Lacon. “Please let me know as soon as you can if dear Carolyn is safe. And take care of yourselves, too. These are dangerous times.”

  CHAPTER 5:

  The Photo

  “I’ve brought this to help me find Carolyn,” said Tim, pulling a photo out of his pocket.

  It was the same photo that Emily had pulled out of the dresser!

  “Today is my birthday,” said Tim. “Carolyn had the photo made for me. She wrote on the back that she had another present for me, too. It was supposed to be a surprise. This whole day has been a surprise—a terrible one.”

  Tim bit his lip and rubbed his eyes. Emily and Matt knew he was trying not to cry.

  “We’ll find her. I know it,” said Emily. She patted Tim on the back.

  “Let’s go,” said Tim. “I know Carolyn’s dog walking route. Someone must have seen her this morning.”