Monday, September 5, 2016

It's Monday! What are you reading?


Happy Labor Day!

This past week, I read On Our Way to Oyster Bay:  Mother Jones and Her March for Children's Rights (CitizenKid).  This story was not included in my American history lessons in school; I wish it had been!  Narrated by a fictional eight-year-old mill worker in 1903, it is the story of real-life activist Mary Harris Jones and her fight for the enactment of child labor laws.  "Mother" Jones organized a march from Kensington, Pennsylvania to Oyster Bay, New York to confront President Theodore Roosevelt and personalize the plight of children forced to work due to poverty, often in dangerous situations.

Written by Monica Kulling and illustrated by Felicita Sala, this picture book is perfect to share with upper elementary through high school--and especially timely for today's Labor Day holiday.  Mother Jones was an activist for many labor-related issues; for more information, visit the following links:

AFL-CIO:  http://www.aflcio.org/About/Our-History/Key-People-in-Labor-History/Mother-Jones-1837-1930

Britannica.com:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mother-Jones-American-labour-leader

Biography.com:  http://www.biography.com/people/mother-jones-9357488


National Women's History Museum:  https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/mary-harris-mother-jones/

I hope you are taking a break from work today; spend some time reading!
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8 comments:

  1. Linda BSeptember 5, 2016 at 8:45 AM

    What a great book for today, Chris. It's on my list, but still not out yet. I'll be sure to find it. Have a lovely Labor Day today, then week ahead, too!

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    1. Chris MargocsSeptember 5, 2016 at 2:54 PM

      Thanks, Linda! I was lucky enough to choose the ARC for review at our librarians' meeting. Will put it on the shelf this week!

      Delete
  2. Cheriee WeichelSeptember 5, 2016 at 11:49 AM

    Thanks for the heads up about this important book Chris. I'm going to add it to my must read titles.

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    1. Chris MargocsSeptember 5, 2016 at 2:54 PM

      CitizenKids from Kids Can Press is a great series. We already have a few of their titles on our shelves!

      Delete
  3. Jane @ www.raincitylibrarian.caSeptember 5, 2016 at 12:55 PM

    What an inspiring story, and a fantastic choice for this weekend! So many inspiring stories and incredible figures are left out of the history textbooks, I'm always thankful that we have writers and illustrators who can bring these forgotten or lesser-known individuals and events back to life.

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    1. Chris MargocsSeptember 5, 2016 at 2:55 PM

      I'm thankful that I have a job that lets me discover stories like this, too!

      Delete
  4. GatheringBooksSeptember 8, 2016 at 1:54 AM

    Looks like a fun read! :)

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    1. Chris MargocsSeptember 9, 2016 at 5:30 AM

      It's a great way to introduce a historical figure to students!

      Delete

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