When 2 Million Children Became Unemployed

Can’t get your kids to clean their room or take out the trash without grumbles galore? Maybe a session with this book will whip them into shape. Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor is a biography of Hines disguised as a 20th century photo documentary of how two million American children, some as young as three, where spending their long, dreary, hazardous days. It’s in fact brimming with his amazing photos of kids in coal mines, canneries, cotton fields and factories. I guarantee your child will be fascinated!

When we first purused this book, my daughter was about seven and still asking for me to peel her boiled shrimp. Then we saw the photo on page 42 of little four-year-old Mary who shucked two pots of oysters a day! Well, I was quick to point out, “Shannon, if little Mary could shuck all those oysters, you are certainly capable of peeling a few shrimp!” And she did.

It is a little eerie seeing eleven-year-old boys tend a blazing hot furnace with no adult supervision, so it may be crazy for me to say, but I can’t help but sense some pride in the faces of some of these capable children. Could twelve hour days have been scaled back to five hour weeks in lieu of cutting work out of children’s lives all together? Clobber me if you will, I'm just wondering. My son is 14 this summer and had high hopes of making money working at a marina near our house, but because of the child labor laws, he can’t be considered for employment until he is 16. My boy grew up around boats and helped bring a boat from the Bahamas to Florida in rough seas when one of the two adults on board was laid up with a bad back. He's earned his boating license, has several hours of flying time and scuba dives. He is quite capable of fueling a vessel, tying a line and helping passengers get their supplies on and off boats...but now he has to wait two more years in order to be paid for it.

On another note, we have a fig tree in our yard. It produced vast quantities of figs this year. My eleven-year-old daughter and her friends scrambled for every opportunity they could get to pick the fruit...because they loved doing it. I’ve heard that Georgia farmers were having a hard time finding fruit pickers this year because the state has scared illegal immigrants away. Why aren’t high school and college kids stepping in to fill the void? I remember my father’s tales of picking apples in upstate New York when he was a kid looking for a buck.

Well, I think Kids at Work will be a great conversation starter at your house too. The book sums it up this way:  “Hine’s images of working children stirred America’s conscience and helped change the nation’s laws. With his box camera and his sympathetic eye, he made a dramatic difference in people’s lives. In a real sense, the face of America never looked the same again.”

Ages 6 and up
◊◊◊◊◊

Activity: For goodness sakes, learn how to peel your own shrimp:

Great Heights Week: Goliath....and David

While thinking of tall things for this week’s theme, “Great Heights,” the idea of doing a Goliath post came to me. I checked this David and Goliath out from the library because I just love the cover illustration! And on the inside too the illustrations are as big as life....really good. But when Shannon and I read it last night I didn’t enjoy the writing so much.  I mean “old rams skipped and danced in their grave fashion”? It was also annoying how lines were repeated and disturbing how the author included details of David cutting off Goliath’s head at the end. Yuck. Is there a plus side? Well, it is gratifying that the book reeks with the feel and look of life back then. And the fact that there was a conflict at the time of King Saul between the Israelites and the Philistines is certainly substantiated. But best of all, underscored is the lesson that you can conquer any problem if you think smart. 


Ages 6-9
◊◊◊

Activity: Here’s a David and Goliath coloring page.

Feeling a little guilty about not having a better David and Goliath offering, I looked around for some online sources and I may have struck gold for the older kids. During the 7th century a Byzantine artist created a series of plates telling the story of David. Today, most of those plates are on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Online Books Page I found a link to a free learning-activity offered by the museum that encourages young people to look more closely at the Museum’s spectacular set of Byzantine silver objects, known as the David Plates. It provides an in-depth exploration of the plates, including their subject—the biblical story of David and Goliath—and essential background information about the culture in which they were made. Also included are maps, teaching strategies, and activities for students. Wouldn’t it be neat to do this activity before a visit to the museum?

Down on Their Luck

Finding Daddy: A Story of the Great Depression is the story of one family’s desperation during a dismal time in our nation’s history. When times were good, the father and daughter enjoyed making music together. But when the father looses his job he sells his violin, they move to a shanty, food gets scarce and the mother takes in laundry. When the struggling father is told by a neighbor how useless he is, he feels ashamed and deserts his loved ones. The daughter finds him and a way to help the family’s finances. She encourages him to make music with her again, this time for an audience and for tips. Filled with evocative illustrations, it includes a photographic time line, as well as the words to a popular song from that era, Happy Days Are Here Again.

What a great lesson for children.

Ages 9-12
◊◊◊◊◊

Activity: Memorize the words to “Happy Days Are Here Again” Here are the lyrics:

And here you can hear it.

Leonardo da Vinci

This painting, Young Girl with Ermine, and the most famous painting ever, the Mona Lisa, are two of only ten paintings that Leonardo da Vinci was known to have finished. I took Art History in college but I don’t recall learning that, along with so much more I found in the 100 pages of Who Was Leonardo da Vinci? This book is an artist’s delight with it’s tales of making brushes, painting techniques, and determining subject matter.

Leonardo was born out of wedlock to a well-to-do young man and a peasant girl, neither of which cared to raise him. It’s hard to believe that someone from these awkward and lonely beginnings wound up immortalizing himself through his creative mind and outstanding abilities. To put the timing of his life into perspective, he was finishing his masterpiece The Last Supper the same year Christopher Columbus was making his third voyage to the New World. Besides having a gift for capturing a mood with a paintbrush he was also an adept inventor, musician, engineer and scientist. The book details many of his clever ideas, loosely replicating his work in a casual pen and ink style that made me long to see the real thing. I do feel this book is a great children’s introduction to this 15th century genius.

Also included are sidebars on the making of parchment and paper, art apprenticeships, the Renaissance, astronomy, Raphael, Michelangelo, and drawing techniques.

Ages 9-12
◊◊◊◊

Activity: Can you imagine if the Mona Lisa was painted today? What would she be wearing? What would be in the background? Print out this Mona Lisa template and with markers, create your own modern day masterpiece.

ORPHAN WEEK - Cave Painter

TITLE: The Boy of the Painted Cave

AUTHOR: Justin F. Denzell

WHO IS THE ORPHAN? Tao, in this historical fiction, is a boy living in present day France about 16,000 years ago.

HOW WAS HE ORPHANED? His mother became sick and died when Tao was a baby. He doesn't know his father, although he is aware that his father left him out to die of exposure because he has a deformed foot.

WHAT WAS ORPHAN LIFE LIKE FOR HIM? He was rescued by Kala, an old woman in his tribe, who looks out for him and tries to overlook his tendency to draw. Drawing is T-A-B-O-O. No one is allowed to draw except for the shaman, called the Chosen One. Tao has a hard time fitting in with his band of hunters and gatherers and commits two more big no-nos. He befriends a wolf and enters the forbidden slough. An outcast is what he eventually becomes.

WHAT WAS HIS TURNING POINT? Meeting the shaman, who recognizes his talent and teaches him painting techniques.

HOW DOES HIS LIFE TURN-OUT? He replaces the old shaman and becomes the new Chosen One responsible for cave painting. Oh, and finds out who is father is.

Descriptive and entertaining, this story puts you in the “shoes” of a cave boy.

Ages 9-12
◊◊◊◊◊

Activity: Create your own cave painting. Here's how.

Presidents’ Day

Presidents' Day is a charming book to share with little ones. It is an introduction to the presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt) in the guise of a school play. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it inspires children to put on their own presidential production. Introduces the election process and provides a little information on each of these four men.

Ages 4-8
◊◊◊◊

For this age group I also highly recommend the books George Washington and the General's Dog, Abe’s Fish: A Boyhood Tale of Abraham Lincoln and Abe Lincoln's Hat. This last title contains little known facts about our 16th president, including how he stored letters inside his hat! And speaking of his hat, have fun with these activity ideas:

Activity: Make a hat like George Washington’s using this template or a stovepipe hat like Lincoln’s.

My presidential prodigies

A Stitch in Time

Here are two satisfying stories with more than a few things in common. They are both about children and their mothers carrying on with their lives at war’s end. They each contain lessons about creating something when your resources are slim to none. Sewing is the dominate theme in each book. And each story ends with a reward: supplies for a new school in one case and a much needed coat in the other.

The promise implied in the title, The Promise Quilt, was made to Addie by her father before he joined General Lee’s army. That promise was that he would take Addie to school. He never returns from the war, but his red shirt is sent to the family from a woman at the Northern hospital where he died. Mama gives the sentimental shirt to Addie. They continue on, doing what they need to survive. When Addie brings up going to school, her Mama reminds her that the soldiers burnt the school down.

“But Papa promised!” Addie cries. Mama tries to find a way to make school a reality for Addie. A neighbor offers his shed as a makeshift shoolhouse but they need money for supplies. When Mama writes the woman at the Northern hospital, she replies with the suggestion that Mama make a quilt, send it to her, she will auction it off and put the money towards books. When Mama is almost finished with the quilt she realizes that she doesn’t have enough material for the border. Do you see where this is going? Addie offers her father’s shirt. Everything falls into place, Addie goes to school, and in a way, Papa kept his promise.

Candice F. Ransom does an excellent job of giving a child’s perspective of the Civil War and it’s after effect. It's a lovely, bittersweet selection.

Ages 6-9
◊◊◊◊◊

This book is a lesson in resourcefulness and in the processes involved in making a coat. A New Coat for Anna takes place in Europe after World War II. Anna has outgrown her coat, but new coats and money are scarce. Anna's mother trades possessions with people who can provide the material or service she needs to get Anna a coat. After their year long project is finished, Anna and her mother celebrate Christmas Eve by inviting over the farmer, spinner, weaver and tailor. And, of course, Anna visits the sheep the next day to show them her coat made from their wool.

Your children may never look at their clothes in the same way again. This is a very clever and appealing book.

Ages 6-9
◊◊◊◊◊

Activity: Can you help make a coat by putting the necessary procedures in the correct order?

Growing Up with Mao

The author of Mao's Last Dancer, Li Cunxin, and I were born the same year, 1961, which gave me an immediate feeling of connection to him. But I soon learned that our birth year is about all we have in common. While I grew up cruising the neighborhood on my new Schwinn, his family of nine shared one used bike that cost them two months salary. While I was getting seconds of roast beef, his family was quibbling over who was going to eat the occasional pencil eraser sized meat on their table (along the lines of “no you eat it, I ate it last time.”) While I was learning to read Dick and Jane and being entertained by Walt Disney on Sunday nights, Cunxin was doing his mandatory reading of The Little Red Book and playing a nightly word finding game with his brothers using the newsprint wallpaper in their two room shack.

With this book Li Cunxin brought me right into his Chinese peasant life during the cultural revolution with a writing style that was a pleasure to read. But, you may be wondering, why “Last Dancer?” The author was chosen at the age of eleven to attend ballet school in Beijing. Though he didn't start out that way, he became a standout dancer. He changed in other ways too, especially after being sent to America for a few weeks to dance with the Houston Ballet. Although he grew up a devout communist he began to question the propaganda he had been fed his whole life about the west and America in particular.

This is a fascinating look at one man's struggle to reconcile two polarizing ideologies. Although I had no particular interest in ballet, I still enjoyed this book immensely, and have gained a better appreciation for this art form. This autobiography is incredibly insightful. I would recommend it to any adult.

Right after I finished Mao's Last Dancer I found a picture book by another Chinaman of the same era. Mao and Me is a collection of the childhood memories of the talented Chen Jiang Hong, who also illustrated this memoir. The art filled pages contain recollections children can relate to: favorite foods (dumplings), a pet cat, trips to the park, starting school, learning to ride a bike and playing with friends. But there are many uncomfortable and even frightening memories as well: having to burn family photos, food rationing, having his father sent away to reeducation camp and seeing fellow citizens publicly humiliated. In fact, reading about the fate of his lovely neighbor, Mrs. Liu, got to me like no other account in any children's book, or any book for that matter. I was shocked at my reaction. I yelped and cried and trembled all at once. It was a feeling of horror.

I wondered how a child would handle this story, so today I shared it with my ten year old. She was sad about the sad parts, but she wasn't overwrought. Even though I had been hesitant to introduce her to the scary realities of Mao's policies, it gave us a solid platform on which to discuss the ideological leanings of the world's leaders, both past and present.

I would sum this all up by saying that this is a cautionary tale for every culture and generation. Share it.

Ages: 9-12
◊◊◊◊

Activity: Let’s act like Mao. Make your own Little Red Book using these two pages. Put your picture and name on the cover and fill it up with your own thoughts, quotes and opinions. And then if you really want to be like Mao, print up about six billion copies, make it mandatory for every citizen to study it, destroy everything that does not jive with your philosophy and send anyone who disagrees with anything you wrote to reeducation camps.

Snow Inspirational

Today I wanted to give those of you in the blizzard zone some inspiration for things to build with all that snow. I've been busily googling for ideas, and here's what I've come with....

Snow Gypsy




















Snow Pirate (“Shiver Me Timbers” — too funny!)






















Snow Cowboy
















Johnny Cash?






















Abraham Lincoln













Early Arnold Schwarzenegger?














Viking Ship























Sphinx

And for those who think they are ready for the next level, check out all the amazing past entries at Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival and the Harbin International Snow Carving Contest which is held in China.













Dinosaurs























Ancient Egyptians

Activity: Create your own historical snowman or a snow carving using these tips from the Sapporo Snow Festival. Share a photo of your creation by e-mailing it to me at historyforchildren@gmail.com. Now grab your gloves and go have some fun!

Curious George vs Adolph Hitler

What do Henry Kissinger, Peter Max and Curious George have in common? They were all German Jews who escaped the Nazi's clutches by fleeing to the United States. Well, on second thought, I don't think Curious George was really affiliated with any religion, but his creator, H. A. Rey, was born into a Jewish family in Hamburg in 1906. And in The Journey That Saved Curious George : The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey you'll learn how the Reys and their unpublished manuscript got the heck out of Europe just as the Germans were rolling into Paris.

The book is in a scrapbook format with actual photos, notes, and Rey's drawings commingled with Allen Drummond's nice pen and ink illustrations. Personally, Shannon and I think that the author, Louise Borden, gives a little too much back story. She reports on the couples German childhoods, their years in Brazil with pet monkeys (which is important to know!), and then their life in Paris and other parts of France. All of this was a little excruciating for Shannon. Then comes where I think the book should have started (after just a blip about their background). In order to escape the advancing German army, the Reys, along with about five million other people, decided to flee Paris and head south. It was the largest motorized evacuation in history and there was no room for the Reys on anything motorized. So they went bicycle shopping. The only bike left for sale was tandem and Margret wasn't going for it. So Hans (H. A.) bought parts to make two bikes that he cobbled together himself. On these, the Reys, and the manuscript that would be Curious George, pedaled to Portugal where they caught a train for the coast where they caught a ship for the western hemisphere. The Reys wound up in New York City and Curious George, published in 1941, wound up selling over twenty-seven million copies.

And I can't help but wonder what creations did not escape.

Ages 9-12
◊◊◊

Activity: What was Hitler screaming into the phone in August of 1944? Solve this word puzzle to translate.

Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses...

...yearning to breathe free,

the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me:

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

—Emma Lazarus, 1883

The story of the Statue of Liberty is the story of a patriotic dreamer, a capable artist, an ingenious engineer, a talented poet and hundreds and thousands of French and American contributors. You will meet them all in Lady Liberty: A Biography.

The author, Doreen Rappaport, begins by telling of her own grandfather's (a Latvian immigrant) shipboard arrival into New York Harbor:

"The Lady! the Lady!" awakened him. He raced up to the deck. The ship was pulling into New York, and there was Lady Liberty greeting them all. Arms reached out as if to caress her. People lifted babies so they could see her. Tears ran down my grandfather's face. People around him were crying, too. And then a wave of cheering and hugging swept over the ship.

But how did she come to be? The answer is learned with introductions to the cast of characters responsible for creating this symbolic statue. Right down to young Florence of New Jersey who donated her two pet roosters to help pay for the pedestal! This is a well researched, organized, attractive book.

Ages 8-12

◊◊◊◊

Activity: Build and paint a Statue of Liberty Kit or give this Statue of Liberty word search a try.