Town is by the Sea
Author Joanne Swartz
Illustrator Sydney Smith
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Story
A day in the life of a young boy who lives by the sea. Whilst he watches the sea from the shore, his dad works in the mines, deep beneath the waves. A haunting story which explores what is means to be part of a community.
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Why we chose it
With its beautiful evocative illustrations and simple text, Town is by the Sea captures a place and a moment in time. Although set in Canada it reflects the life of any mining town in the 1950s when sons still followed their fathers underground. In the north east of England Easington Colliery ran for four miles under the North Sea.
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What a young reviewer said
Written absolutely brilliantly. I love stories about everyday life – I wanted to be swinging on the swing by the sea - but I do think it’s unfair that the boy can’t be what he wants to be when he’s older. (William, age 9)
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First published
2017, Groundwood Books Ltd, Toronto, Canada