In 1939, one of Canada’s most beloved novelists Frederick Philip Grove wrote a children’s book for his son Leonard. The book, The Adventure of Leonard Broadus, was virtually unheard of in Canada.
Grove has written Canadian classics, including Settlers of the Marsh, In Search of Myself, and Over Prairie Trails.
In December 2015, Rock Mills Press published the book and it has received great interest across Canada.
“Grove wrote this book in 1939 and his publishers didn’t do a great job with marketing it. They sold it to a church magazine, who edited it to suit their style. I don’t think Grove was pleased with their edits and the changes that they made,” said Jen Rubio, publisher at Rock Mills Press.
Jen believes that if the book had been properly edited and marketed, it would have been a Canadian children’s classic. She herself first read the book at 11-years-old.
“My mom Mary discovered the book in the 1980’s. She contacted Grove’s son Leonard and he lent her his carbon copy,” she said.
Mary Rubio wrote her Ph.D thesis on The Adventure of Leonard Broadus.Rubio’s mother, Mary Rubio, is a retired professor at the University of Guelph. She wrote her Ph.D thesis on this very book, and studied it extensively in the 1980s. She is now retired and still living in Guelph. Mary Rubio is also known for her academic research in Canadian Literature, specifically Children’s Literature.
Jen's mother introduced the book to her at a young age. “I loved the book as a child. It’s a great adventure story. So I decided to dig around my mom’s basement and I found a copy of the book,” said Rubio.
Jen Rubio’s own daughter read it at the same age she first did and also loved it.
“The book was set in depression-era Ontario during the Royal visit. It’s a raft adventure that gets really exciting and kind of scary,” she said. “I don’t know of any other books that describe this time in our history, especially any children’s literature.”
Once Jen Rubio found the copy of the nearly forgotten book, she spent some time tracking down the Grove family. Both Frederick Philip Grove and his son are now deceased, but Leonard’s children were all eager to see the book newly printed.
The book has been gaining traction across Canada. “Children’s Literature collections, archives, and public libraries all over Canada are showing interest in this unknown young adult novel,” said Rubio.
The Adventure of Leonard Broadus will soon be available at the Bookshelf and the Guelph Public Library.
