In her latest book, Nanaimo childrenB次元官网网址檚 author and illustrator Lindsay Ford tells the story of the time Vancouver Island children stood up to the rising price of candy.
In spring 1947, children in Ladysmith awoke to find that the price of chocolate bars had risen from five cents to eight cents overnight. This led to children picketing outside their general stores and boycotting chocolate in favour of ice cream, which was still five cents. Ford recounts this historical episode in her latest book, Candy Bar War.
B次元官网网址淚 found it very interesting that a group of children got upset about the price hikes on the chocolate bar and then decided to do something about it and have their little protest,B次元官网网址� she said.
Ford said the movement, which started in Ladysmith, quickly spread to Chemainus, where is on display, and Victoria before going Canada-wide.
She said slogans included, B次元官网网址淒onB次元官网网址檛 be a sucker and buy that bar, eight cents for chocolate is taking things too far,B次元官网网址� and, B次元官网网址淛oin our strike if you canB次元官网网址檛 pay for candy, because eight cents a bar just isnB次元官网网址檛 handy.B次元官网网址�
FordB次元官网网址檚 research included meeting with one of the original protesters in Chemainus. In writing the book, Ford said she put herself in the childrenB次元官网网址檚 shoes and imagine what it was like from their perspective.
B次元官网网址淵ou go to sleep one night and everything is all good. YouB次元官网网址檝e got your money saved for the very next day to go get your candy bar, youB次元官网网址檝e saved up your pennies, and then you go in and the General Store Joe is like, B次元官网网址楽orry guys, itB次元官网网址檚 gone up in price,B次元官网网址� and youB次元官网网址檙e aghastB次元官网网址次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hat would I have done?B次元官网网址�
Ford said she didnB次元官网网址檛 know anything about the chocolate price protests until a friend mentioned it to her. She said it suits the kind of books she writes.
B次元官网网址淚 felt it was very fitting to the series that I make which is all about unlikely heroes and children doing something really crazy, like giving up chocolate,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kind of funny. It sounds like a made-up thing.B次元官网网址�
Candy Bar War is available for pre-order at . The book comes out July 1, the same day Ford will present a live online reading at .
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