Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman

Bibliography
Freedman, Russell. 2005. CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618446303

Plot Summary
Russell Freedom tells of the American children of the Great Depression and how they were affected by the economic and social changes. From challenges of unemployment, lack of food and shelter, and the struggles of their parents, readers will finish this book with a true perceptive of the Great Depression. Freedom also includes photographs of the time that aid in the understanding of this time period and what children faced.

Critical Analysis
As many families faced much difficulty during the Great Depression, Freedman shows how the children of this time were affected. From poor and the starving, the Okies, and the boxcar kids, the lives of these children are captured in this historical book. Using information from sources like diaries and newspapers he portrays to readers an outstanding view. Freedman uses quotes from real children all through the book that helps readers see what they felt during those days. Like, “I have done a boy’s work ever since I was five years old,” written by a fourteen-year-old girl. Reading this shows how hard the children of that time worked to help their family stay afloat.

Also, incorporated throughout are pictures by photographers like Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange, which creates a vivid picture of what life was like during that time. Pictures from a sharecropper and his family to children of the dust bowl, these captured photographs gives readers a true glimpse. With the combination of a well written words and interesting black-and-white photographs Freedman generated a must read book.

Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Few authors are as well suited as Freedman to present a clear and understandable outline of this period.”
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “A Photobiography, tackles the Great Depression with the same flair as he does in his previous books.”

Connections
*CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION would be a great addition to use in classes that are studying this time period.
*Similar books
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DUST TO EAT: DROUGHT AND DEPRESSION IS THE 1930S. By Michael L. Cooper. ISBN 0618154493
CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP. By Jerry Stanley. ISBN 0517880946
HITLER YOUTH. By Susan Campbell Bartoletti. ISBN 0439353793