To Be Young in America: Growing up with the Country, 1776-1940 [Hardcover]

Sheila Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2005

n this captivating look back at the last two centuries, readers are treated to an oftenneglected perspective of American history. A child's eye-view of what life was really like for young Americans. Spanning the late 18th to the early 20th centuries and covering everything from frontier and immigrant life and child labor to school and leisure activities-like riding shafting belts on cotton looms and creating ice skates from pieces of wood-this book documents childrens' hardships as well as their happier times. Elegantly designed with the flavor of a turn-of-the-century photo album, sidebars, and personal narratives, To Be Young in America is a virtual time capsule that can be shared by parents and children today and cherished by generations to come.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–Cole has done an exceptional job of showing readers what life was like for children in times past. Using topics such as home, life in an orphanage, sickness and health, work, school, crime, and war, she shows how each one affected young people over the course of American history. For each of these subject areas, she highlights the experiences of one real child, drawing on historical diaries and other documents that give readers an opportunity to learn about life through that individual's own voice. This is a fascinating book, and also a beautiful one. From the brown endpapers to beautifully designed chapter openings, the layout will draw readers into this history of American childhood. The use of sepia as well as black-and-white photographs contributes to a historical feel, and the layout has the look of an old photo album. Sidebars in shades of brown draw the eye to personal accounts and interesting facts, which, together with the many photographs, enrich the main narrative. The list of citations and sources shows the extensive research that has gone into the book, and readers will feel the author's passion for her topic. A rich resource for bringing history alive.–Jane G. Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. In historical fiction, stories featuring children bring the past alive for young readers. Cole performs the same trick here with historical nonfiction, presenting a slice of American social history from the particular vantage point of children. Chapters are organized around themes such as family, school, work, and play, and the usual concerns of history books--wars, race and class conflicts, and economic and health crises--are addressed primarily through context. Although the sepia-toned color palette may not instantly grab readers, there is inherent vibrancy in the book's blend of narrative and primary-source quotes and images. Children even younger than the book's target audience will find that the haunting archival photos, such as one memorial portrait of an infant's corpse, speak volumes. Some incautious assertions aside (one passage states that "slaves taught their children to obey unquestioningly any command given to them . . . by loudly ordering them around"), this is a work of impressive density and scope. A bibliography more than 100 titles strong attests to Cole's command of her material. Pair this with Phillip Hoose's We Were There, Too! (2001). Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; First Edition edition (July 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316151963
• ISBN-13: 978-0316151962
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,281,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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