The Story of The Great Depression

Cornerstones of Freedom

by R. Conrad Stein

Describes the 1929 stock market crash and the events and effects of the depression that followed, including the New Deal programs intended to restore the economy

Genres: History, Picture Books, American History, Nonfiction

32 pages, Library Binding

First published June 1, 1985

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cornerstones of Freedom books, first published in the 1960s, are very popular among homeschooling families who are looking for brief overviews of important historical events or famous people. They are well-illustrated and only about 32 pages each for a concise, focused read.

I have found them to be a good, easy read. To my knowledge, they are fairly accurate (I’ve found one or two inaccuracies). They are a good series and one that I would recommend.

Ages: 8-12
Reading Level: 4th – 6th grades
Pages: approx. 30-32 each

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother bought me a good stack of these Cornerstones of freedom books when I was a young teenage girl, since I loved reading and history. I have used them many times for history projects over the course of my middle school and high school years. I have read this installment multiple times, and have found it to be a good source of historical knowledge! There is a lot of text in this book to give the reader a general knowledge of the history behind the subject. I do recommend this book, and the others in this series for anyone who loves history, and to teachers!

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative children's/middle grade book about the Great Depression. It gives a lot of great information for those who want to learn more about the event. It has a lot of interesting and helpful pictures as well.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this because it didn't praise FDR's New Deal, nor did it condemn Hoover for his refusal to insert the government's aid to boost the economy. It just tells it how it was, and how the people felt about each president, what the presidents did or didn't do, and how the Depression was finally overcome through the war.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great summary of the 1930s -- touching on the great debate on the reasons behind the Great Depression, the prosperity of the 1920s, the policies of President Hoover, the complicating problems of the Dust Bowl, and how President Roosevelt began to turn it all around before our focus turned to WWII.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the aid of informational books such as this one, imagining what things were like in the 1930's can be a little easier to understand. This informative book about The Great Depression provides pictures as well as short text explaining the causes and how it affected America.

[Jayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy read with good pictures that provides an overview of the Great Depression. It has a better focus on the arts and past times of the day.