In Coal Country

by Judith Hendershot

Illus. in full color. "Through the eyes of the little girl who is narrating, we see memories of her childhood in coal country. The immediate ingredients in her life--family, school, friends, and holidays--are described lovingly. The power of the book, however, lies in the deep, dark counterpoint that underlies the light melody of the childhood reminiscence. Though the text is spare, the dark, eloquent pictures speak volumes."--(starred) Horn Book.  

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens

355 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 1992

Reviews

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud to 1st graders and bring some real coal so that they can see what it is like. Unlike most of the rocks they know, it is relatively soft and a little oily. It makes their fingers black so it is important to make sure they can wash their hands before touching anything else. Students can learn that even though the coal miner's life was hard, the children of coal miners didn't realize there was anything unusual about their childhood and they did a lot of the same things modern affluent children do.

[Amy Edwards]

I enjoyed reading this to my children. It wasn't that long ago that I read Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam, thinking I was going to read a story about boys and rockets, but discovering instead that the bit about boys and rockets was woven into a memoir about growing up in West Virginia coal country. This life is foreign to me and my children, since we hail from the Great Plains, and so I was especially glad for this picture book.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The prose of this book would make it a nice addition to the secondary classroom and the writer's workshop. Reads like a memoir in celebration of the hard work of fathers and mothers and growing up in coal country. Ohio teachers may really like this one for their younger readers!

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband works in the coal mines so this was a wonderful read aloud for my daughters! A charming and picturesque look at the coal industry before modern times. A homey-feeling story and a history lesson all in one!

[Rebecca Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and rare book from someone who lived the life of the child of a coal miner. Mrs. Hendershot does not idealize her childhood but she emphasizes the happy times realistically. Beautiful illustrations by Thomas B Allen. highly recommended!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up along Company Row, this is the story of the life of a coal miner’s family.

Includes basic mining terminology and nifty illustrations.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fits into railroad and big business unit. I love the use of color in this book. Text is lengthier, but I really like the portrayal of coal mining town life.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom loved this book since it described similarities to her life growing up in the coal camps of Wyoming.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, very evocative. I felt as if I was there.