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This may sound familiar to you: the economy goes bad, people
lose their jobs, then they lose their homes. Yes, it
happened a few years ago – and it also happened in the 1930s
during this country’s Great Depression.
Back then, people lost so much but there was much to be
thankful for, too. In this books’ first story, “The Lucky
Star” by Judy Young, illustrated by Chris Ellison,
10-year-old Ruth was sad. Her school had closed because
there was no money to keep it open, and Ruth loved
school. Every night, her mother claimed that the stars each
represented something to feel good about, but Ruth wasn’t
feeling very lucky – until she realized that her mother’s
idea wasn’t half-baked.
Rudy Phillips hated that his father couldn’t find a job. He
saw the despair in Pa’s eyes and he knew how he could help.
In “Rudy Rides the Rails” by Dandi Daley Mackall,
illustrated by Chris Ellison, Rudy told his parents that
he was going to California. It wouldn’t be easy, but at
least there’d be one less mouth to feed at home.
From Akron, Ohio, Rudy jumped on a train headed West. He
found odd jobs in Illinois. He panhandled in Iowa. Pa always
said to take care of self and family first – but wasn’t
there someone who’d take care of a skinny, hungry boy?
And finally, what would you do to make money if you needed
it? In “Junk Man’s Daughter” by Sonia Levitin,
illustrated by Guy Porfirio, Hanna is teased because of
her father’s new job. When they left the Old Country, he
said there’d be streets of gold in America. So what’s the
shame in making a living by seizing opportunity?
You know how it’s easier to fully grasp a story when you put
yourself in it? That’s what happens when children read
American Adventures: Troubled Times, because the main
characters in each of these short stories are kids just like
them.
Poverty, make-do attitudes, isolation, and immigrant
struggles are depicted well in this book and because of
that, I don’t doubt that modern kids will understand the
history and hardships depicted here. It helps that each
author adds historical information following their tales,
and richly-evocative illustrations accompany them.
However, while the focus is on the Great Depression and its
aftermath, there seemed to be more to this book. I couldn’t
help but notice that, though it’s about what happened nearly
80 years ago, the situations compare to what many families
face today.
This is an excellent book for young historians,
biography-lovers, or kids who’ll be in need of something
good to read this summer. Tell your seven-to-10-year-old
about it, and American Adventures: Troubled Times may
be something they’ll ask for. |
