Module 11 - Children of the Great Depression

Freedman, R. (2005). Children of the Great Depression.  New York: Clarion Books.

Summary:

Children of the Great Depression is an informational text describing the lives of children during the 1930s and early 1940s, a time of severe economic hardship in the United States.  The author includes children whose lives were impacted by various degrees during the Great Depression.   The way in which families attempted to deal with the crisis is told through interviews and letters.  Several excerpts are included from letters children wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt.  The change in schooling is described, and also the fact that many children left school to go to work.  The effect of the Dust Bowl on families in that region is described, and the attempt of those families to find work elsewhere is described.  Another chapter of the book describes the lives of boxcar kids, children who survived by traveling in groups and hopping trains.  Throughout the book, the lives of black children are compared to those of white children, highlighting the segregation that was common in the country at that time.  The book also includes some bright moments during the depression, such as games and movies popular during that time period.  The book concludes with an explanation of how World War II brought closure to the Great Depression.

My Impression:

The photographs in the book tell as much about the time period as the text.  Vivid photos of poverty stay with the reader for a long time.  The text is easy to read.  Exploring the Great Depression through the effects it had on the children of the time makes it relatable to students today.  The author does not shy away from the horrors of racism and discrimination that occurred during that time period.  I think this is a very important book for children to have access to, especially as we begin to lose those that lived through this period of time.  I would recommend it for upper elementary and above.

Library Usage: 

This is great book to use for a writing prompt by using the photographs in the book.  Students can choose a child in a photograph, and using the text and clues from the picture, write a first person narrative describing an event in that child’s life.

This is also a wonderful book to use with fiction books dealing with the Great Depression.  The chapter titled “Go Home, Okies,” would be an excellent resource to use if a class is reading Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. 

Review:

In this magnificent volume, superb photographs by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, Russell Lee, Arthur Rothstein, Ben Shahn and others help to tell the story of the Great Depression. Every spread includes either a full-page photograph or severalIn this magnificent volume, superb photographs by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, Russell Lee, Arthur Rothstein, Ben Shahn and others help to tell the story of the Great Depression. Every spread includes either a full-page photograph or several smaller shots. Great use is made of letters, diaries and memoirs to tell the story so beautifully complemented by the photographs. Freedman is a master of the photo-essay, and this is one of his best. More wide-ranging than most histories of the era, this tells, in clear and simple prose, the story of dust storms, soup kitchens, Hoovervilles, kids at work, kids on trains, popular culture and the beginning of WWII. Chapter notes are thorough, and the selected bibliography includes some of the best resources for young readers. An excellent companion to other fine photo-essays on the period, such as Elizabeth Partridge's Restless Spirit (1998) and This Land Was Made for You and Me (2002). (picture sources, index) (Nonfiction. 9+)

Children of the Great Depression. (2005). Kirkus Reviews, 73(23), 1274.