Lanny B. Boutin Freelance Author

John Diefenbaker:
The Outsider who Refused to Quit
was recently awarded a spot on Edmonton Public School's 2007 Notables List

Review in CM Magazine, The Journal of Canadian Material for Young people,Volume XII Number 18 May 12, 2006

Information on school visits or workshops is available on my Workshop page.

John Diefenbaker: The outsider who refused to quit

by Lanny Boutin
Illus. by Gabriel Morrissette

Jackfruit Press
21.6 cm x 28 cm (8.5" x 11") Glossy
Ages 9 to 14

John Diefenbaker, our 13th Prime Minister, did things his way! As a westerner, he was an outsider, but this fiery unrestrained politician drive and ambition propelled him to the top. But would passion be enough to run a county?

John Diefenbaker: The outsider who refused to quit, is a real and often humorous look at Dief, Canada's much revered cantankerous old Chief, and the country he loved. A story of determination. Of a man who refused to back down. A statesman and humanitarian who embraced those who society dismissed. He saw us as "One Canada!" a country where all were equal.

Excepted from John Diefenbaker: The outsider who refused to quit

"Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you? What if you were the top dog, the head honcho - the prime minister of Canada - and it seemed like every single person in the country wanted you to move to outer space? Wouldn't be much fun, would it? Well, that's exactly the situation John George Diefenbaker found himself in, back in 1962.

Too bold an ambition?

He was only following his dream - a dream that he'd had since he was eight or nine, when he declared to his mom that someday he would be prime minister. She tried to let him down gently. She felt it was too bold an ambition for a poor Saskatchewan farm boy. But John just would not be put off - he knew one day he would lead Canada."

"I was in high school when Dief came to power and I can hear his very distinctive voice when I read your book. Good job."

- Irene Gordon author of
Grey Owl: The Curious Life of Archie Belaney and Marie-Anne Lagimodière: The Incredible Story of Louis Riel's Grandmother.

"…Enduring -50° Prairie winters, overcoming countless defeats, and fighting for what you believe… Want to take a rocking ride though Canadian history? Read this book."

- Jerome Brown Journalist.