Move Smart, Boy!

by Louise Ravenhill

MOVE SMART, BOY, launched at the Confederation Centre Library in Charlottetown on August 24, 2002, is a well-written, fast-paced historical novel about several "home children" on rural Prince Edward Island between 1911 and 1913. The book's main character is Adam Hollyfield, a "home child" from Birmingham, England, his arrival on Prince Edward Island at the age of ten years - accompanied by his brother and sister, and his difficult first two years on Prince Edward Island. Why were there "home children"? Between the late 1800's and up to World War II Great Britain's economy was in a very grave state. It had lost its industrial edge to Germany and the United States. These countries were becoming highly industrialized, so there was less need for products from British factories. This job loss resulted in many city families in Britain having to go to workhouses. Children were often sent to childrens' homes or orphanages, even though they were often not orphans. Hope for a "better life" for s