Kids on Strike!

by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Book Overview

By the early 1900s, nearly two million children were working in the United States. From the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the cotton mills of New England, children worked long hours every day under stunningly inhumane conditions. After years and years of oppression, children began to organize and make demands for better wages, fairer housing costs, and safer working environments.
Some strikes led by young people were successful; some were not...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618369236
• ISBN13: 9780618369232
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.5" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 10 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 7

Customer Reviews

Very useful for research

This book had a lot of good info for a high school research paper about the newsies and the strike in NYC.

The Hobo Philosopher

I have been researching the American Labor movement for years now. This book was very good. The point of view was new and fresh; great for teenagers and great for adults. Although these kids were treated much like their counterparts in the adult world, the impact is even greater when viewed from the kids' perspective. It makes everything even more dramatic and better able to capture the basic injustice of it all. Good job! A nice quality and designed book also. Books written by Richard Noble - The Hobo Philosopher: "Hobo-ing America: A Workingman's Tour of the U.S.A.." "A Summer with Charlie" "A Little Something: Poetry and Prose" "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother"

One child's response

My seven-year-old daughter is reading this book now. This morning, she said to me, "Daddy, I'm so glad you got me this book from the library. But there's one thing I don't like: those companies were so mean! And why? Because of money, that's why! But those people aren't any better than other people are. It's just the way the black people used to be treated, it wasn't fair. People should be treated nicely, not just the rich people, that's what I think." So if you want to nurture a sense of social justice (and maybe a little social rebellion) in your child, this seems to be a good book. I can't wait to read it when she's done.

Labor History Lives!

Kids on Strike is an excellent introduction to U.S. labor history. The book is well-researched and enhanced by the addition of a chapter-by-chapter bibliography. Bartoletti uses her journalism background to weave an eloquent and powerful narrative. Even adults will learn something new. I, for instance, was completely unaware of how a teen-age girl led a widespread (and successful) rent strike in New York City in 1907. A great addition to school libraries.