Dear Canada: Not a Nickel to Spare: The Great Depression Diary of Sally Cohen, Toronto, Ontario, 1932: Perry Nodelman

Coping with being poor during the Depression is hard enough, but Sally also has to contend with anti-Jewish sentiment when she ventures outside her familiar neighbourhood near Toronto's Kensington Market. Her cousin Benny is always getting into scrapes or dragging Sally into his hare-brained schemes. But it's also Benny who tries to open Sally's eyes to the wider world, telling her about Hitler's rise in Europe and urging her to stand up for herself when she comes across anti-Semitism. A historical note gives readers the background of the Depression, which hit Canada harder than most other countries. It also describes the way Jews were treated in Canada. Today's readers might be surprised to know that there were people in Toronto who prided themselves on being part of The Swastika Club. A map, photographs and documents provide a visual context for the story. Coping with being poor during the Depression is hard enough, but Sally also has to deal with the anti-Jewish feelings in her community when she ventures outside her familiar Jewish neighbourhood. And her cousin Benny is always getting into scrapes Sally has to try to get him out of. Sally must find the strength and learn to cope with the world around her. Twelve-year-old Sally Cohen writes a diary to record the Depression period in Toronto in 1932 and the impact it has on her family