heykellyjensen's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know why, but it annoyed me that all of her interviewees were family members -- something you wouldn't know unless you read her short bio on the back. I think she could have done much more in that respect. But the photos and the quick history was interesting.
emmkayt's review against another edition
4.0
Clear and engaging social history (note: some of it quite haunting and gruesome for kids) of life in the anthracite mines of Pennsylvania, based on both primary and secondary sources, well-illustrated. A cut above many children's history books.
micsdirt_nbooks's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Informative book about the Jobs that Kids had in the Coal Mines. A great introduction to the affects of Coal Mining on communities.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
rachelm31f6b's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Gore, and Violence
luann's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed Susan Campbell Bartoletti's [b:Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow|93995|Hitler Youth Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow|Susan Campbell Bartoletti|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171268919s/93995.jpg|2199397] and have always planned to read more of her books. So I was very interested upon reading Gerald Lund's [b:The Undaunted|6601008|The Undaunted|Gerald N. Lund|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1247137435s/6601008.jpg|6774213] to see that he listed her [b:Growing Up in Coal Country|352673|Growing Up in Coal Country|Susan Campbell Bartoletti|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174005092s/352673.jpg|342898] as one of the sources he used in research for his book. I immediately checked to see if it was available at my library and put it on hold. I wanted to read it while the storyline of The Undaunted was still fresh in my mind. I'm glad I did! I think they are two great books to read together. While one is historical fiction and the other is nonfiction, they both give you a great sense of the life of the coal miners during that time in history, and particularly the young children who grew up working in the mines. Bartoletti includes the harsh working conditions, but also the freedom that such a job could afford a family. She shares an amazing amount of detail in a relatively short book. I especially liked the first-hand stories and quotes she obtained through interviews - some with her own relatives who had grown up in the coal country of northeastern Pennsylvania. She also includes many amazing photographs that tell the story just as much as her words.
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