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Lyddie
From two-time Newbery award-winning author Katherine Paterson.
When Lyddie and her younger brother are hired out as servants to help pay off their family farm's debts, Lyddie is determined to find a way to reunite her family once again. Hearing about all the money a girl can make working in the textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, she makes her way there, only to find that her dreams of returning home may never come true.
Includes an all-new common core aligned educator's guide.
Rich in historical detail...a superb story of grit, determination, and personal growth. --The Horn Book, starred review
Lyddie is full of life, full of lives, full of reality. --The New York Times Book Review
An ALA Notable Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A Booklist Editor's Choice
American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
School Library Journal Best Book
Parents magazine Best Book
When Lyddie and her younger brother are hired out as servants to help pay off their family farm's debts, Lyddie is determined to find a way to reunite her family once again. Hearing about all the money a girl can make working in the textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, she makes her way there, only to find that her dreams of returning home may never come true.
Includes an all-new common core aligned educator's guide.
Rich in historical detail...a superb story of grit, determination, and personal growth. --The Horn Book, starred review
Lyddie is full of life, full of lives, full of reality. --The New York Times Book Review
An ALA Notable Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A Booklist Editor's Choice
American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
School Library Journal Best Book
Parents magazine Best Book
182 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
295 people are currently reading
3048 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Paterson
164 books2,378 followersKatherine Womeldorf Paterson is an American writer best known for children's novels, including Bridge to Terabithia. For four different books published 1975–1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Awards. She is one of four people to win the two major international awards; for "lasting contribution to children's literature" she won the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing in 1998 and for her career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense" she won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award from the Swedish Arts Council in 2006, the biggest monetary prize in children's literature. Also for her body of work she was awarded the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2007 and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the American Library Association in 2013. She was the second US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, serving 2010 and 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 640 reviews
June 15, 2015
This is the best kind of historical novel: One which paints such a clear picture of a time and place that you can almost imagine being there, yet which also makes you want to learn more about it.
The Triangle Factory I know a fair bit about, because my great-grandmother worked there. But these cloth mills in Lowell, Massachusetts I didn't know much about before reading Lyddie. The women of both places worked -- and often died -- under conditions no American of the current century would tolerate.
The Triangle Factory I know a fair bit about, because my great-grandmother worked there. But these cloth mills in Lowell, Massachusetts I didn't know much about before reading Lyddie. The women of both places worked -- and often died -- under conditions no American of the current century would tolerate.
February 16, 2011
Summary: Impoverished Vermont, farm girl Lyddie Worthen is determined to gain her independence by becoming a factory worker in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1840s.
Oh, my heart ached for Lyddie and the circumstances that made her life. But I know, Lyddie will achieve all that she had planned/intend to do in the last part of the book. :-;
The story gripped me from the start. Despite the obvious physical tension (i.e. bear), the author managed to incorporate humour in this, and at the same time release another conflict/tension (i.e. mother’s illness).
I kept on reading because I want to find out what happens to Lyddie, her family. I longed for them to be whole and live on the farm again. Somehow this also mirrors what I would want in my life or if I was in Lyddie’s shoes. And Lyddie was working so hard, how could she not get a happy ending, ey?
But alas, the farm’s gone, her other sister is dead, her mother in an asylum and died eventually, her brother has found an adoptive, loving family, her new friends returning to their previous homes, the factory life taking its toll on her body.
And suddenly, I felt how Lyddie felt. Empty. Lonely. Alone. What was there to look forward to? To work for? She got no one now. No family.
Our plans and dreams do not always turn out the way we want. When you are young and new to the world, you get all these ideas that surely everything will occur according to plan.
Realizing this, I am suddenly feeling afraid. But Lyddie wasn’t afraid. Or if she was, she did not linger on this. She taught herself to find another reason to live for, to dream on about.
Oh! I am not gonna be a slave!
I am not a slave.
Read Last January 27, 2011
Oh, my heart ached for Lyddie and the circumstances that made her life. But I know, Lyddie will achieve all that she had planned/intend to do in the last part of the book. :-;
The story gripped me from the start. Despite the obvious physical tension (i.e. bear), the author managed to incorporate humour in this, and at the same time release another conflict/tension (i.e. mother’s illness).
I kept on reading because I want to find out what happens to Lyddie, her family. I longed for them to be whole and live on the farm again. Somehow this also mirrors what I would want in my life or if I was in Lyddie’s shoes. And Lyddie was working so hard, how could she not get a happy ending, ey?
But alas, the farm’s gone, her other sister is dead, her mother in an asylum and died eventually, her brother has found an adoptive, loving family, her new friends returning to their previous homes, the factory life taking its toll on her body.
And suddenly, I felt how Lyddie felt. Empty. Lonely. Alone. What was there to look forward to? To work for? She got no one now. No family.
Our plans and dreams do not always turn out the way we want. When you are young and new to the world, you get all these ideas that surely everything will occur according to plan.
Realizing this, I am suddenly feeling afraid. But Lyddie wasn’t afraid. Or if she was, she did not linger on this. She taught herself to find another reason to live for, to dream on about.
Oh! I am not gonna be a slave!
I am not a slave.
Read Last January 27, 2011
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2022
This book contains a good amount of knowledge about factory life and how the mills worked in the early 1800s. From the depictions, I could clearly see the girls working the looms and moving the shuttles.
As for the story, it was incredibly sad and disheartening; and not all of it had to be. The main character leads a very tragic life, some out of her control and some because she chose to keep people out and remain proud. She could have had more joy in her life if she had made some different decisions, so an opportunity for a good discussion if you decide to read the book.
Regarding the ending, I wasn't all that satisfied. It seemed rushed, with a typical, modern outcome.
Ages: 14+
Cleanliness: The word "h*ll" is used as a swear word. Mentions a phrenologist coming to visit the girl's boarding house twice. A teen girl grows up and it's narrated twice that her chest was blossoming and her dress couldn't fit her breasts. There is a young woman that becomes pregnant out of wedlock and you find out he was a married man (hardly detailed, but you are lead to believe she's a good young lady and it's not mentioned that her action was wrong). The overseer at the mill tries to lay hold of two young girls (to molest them) but is averted both times. Christianity and religion is not spoken of favorably throughout the book. There is a slight one-sided romance.
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As for the story, it was incredibly sad and disheartening; and not all of it had to be. The main character leads a very tragic life, some out of her control and some because she chose to keep people out and remain proud. She could have had more joy in her life if she had made some different decisions, so an opportunity for a good discussion if you decide to read the book.
Regarding the ending, I wasn't all that satisfied. It seemed rushed, with a typical, modern outcome.
Ages: 14+
Cleanliness: The word "h*ll" is used as a swear word. Mentions a phrenologist coming to visit the girl's boarding house twice. A teen girl grows up and it's narrated twice that her chest was blossoming and her dress couldn't fit her breasts. There is a young woman that becomes pregnant out of wedlock and you find out he was a married man (hardly detailed, but you are lead to believe she's a good young lady and it's not mentioned that her action was wrong). The overseer at the mill tries to lay hold of two young girls (to molest them) but is averted both times. Christianity and religion is not spoken of favorably throughout the book. There is a slight one-sided romance.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
December 12, 2016
This is a powerful, remarkable, historically accurate and incredibly inspiring story. I wish that more young women read it in this day and age. Lyddie is a character whom you will not soon forget.
April 12, 2010
Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson
"Lyddie" is a book from my childhood, one that I read so many times the binding was falling apart. I still like to reread it from time to time, simply because I enjoy the story of a girl's fight to become independent. "Lyddie" also introduced me to the Lowell mills, a period of history I'd known nothing about before and has since become a subject I wish to learn more about.
Lyddie is an inspiring character; in spite of overwhelming odds, she manages to find a measure of independence, happiness, and education. A farm girl used to hard work, she thrives in the mills of Lowell, able to keep up with the frantic pace of mechanized work. The book is alternatively sad and happy, and readers will feel pity, rage, and joy on Lyddie's behalf.
Besides Lyddie, there are other compelling characters that visit the story briefly. An escaped slave examines the theme of slavery, and a self-possesed mill worker poses the questions of workers rights. I felt that the author did her research well on the various subjects.
While "Lyddie" is, as I said above, a childhood favorite, it's a book that ages well.
4/5.
"Lyddie" is a book from my childhood, one that I read so many times the binding was falling apart. I still like to reread it from time to time, simply because I enjoy the story of a girl's fight to become independent. "Lyddie" also introduced me to the Lowell mills, a period of history I'd known nothing about before and has since become a subject I wish to learn more about.
Lyddie is an inspiring character; in spite of overwhelming odds, she manages to find a measure of independence, happiness, and education. A farm girl used to hard work, she thrives in the mills of Lowell, able to keep up with the frantic pace of mechanized work. The book is alternatively sad and happy, and readers will feel pity, rage, and joy on Lyddie's behalf.
Besides Lyddie, there are other compelling characters that visit the story briefly. An escaped slave examines the theme of slavery, and a self-possesed mill worker poses the questions of workers rights. I felt that the author did her research well on the various subjects.
While "Lyddie" is, as I said above, a childhood favorite, it's a book that ages well.
4/5.
August 10, 2017
Terrible. It was so boring. There was no plot. She went to work, went home, went to work...this is the entire plot. There were a few other events, but they were so random that they were obviously thrown in to prevent boredom, which did not work. We had to read it for school and the entire class hated it. Definitely never reading it again. I hardly ever say this, but I really hated this book.
June 21, 2025
➳ 4 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
omg this took me forever to find but i know i read this book when i was a kid it just feels like a fever dream
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
omg this took me forever to find but i know i read this book when i was a kid it just feels like a fever dream
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
Read
September 14, 2020I bullied a friend into carrying my battered copy to a writing conference to get Katherine Paterson's autograph for me.
Could I ever be able to conceive a story so simple, so unified, so true, so terrible, so funny?
("We can still hop.")
Could I ever be able to conceive a story so simple, so unified, so true, so terrible, so funny?
("We can still hop.")
April 24, 2019
I think all history books are three stars max....
July 28, 2020
This book is absolute trash and should be avoided at all costs. If one is forced to read it in school as I was, I am deeply sorry for you and feel your pain as it was once mine. Just remember that you will one day be rid of this beast. It has been over a year since I have read this book so I have thankfully mostly forgotten what happened in it. Still it has the ability to instill a deep pain in it's readers.
What I do remember is that the writing is so terrible and the pacing is awful. It is like something I would have written in 4th grade. It goes from an entire chapter being devoted to the events of 1 week and then an entire year passes in a sentence with almost no warning. It is extremely confusing and hard to read as you never really no what time the story is set in. I felt no connection to the characters and don't really remember anything about them except that lyddie is a selfish, stingy brat who doesn't even really care about her sister. The writing makes you feel as if you are completely unconnected to the story which is almost a good thing other than the fact that it makes it even harder to read.
Usually I like historical fiction but this was simply historically bad. The only thing I liked about this book is when it ended except I didn't really like that because the characters live good lives. Please, I beg of you do not read this on your own free will, there is something better out there for you so why would you even consider torturing yourself.
What I do remember is that the writing is so terrible and the pacing is awful. It is like something I would have written in 4th grade. It goes from an entire chapter being devoted to the events of 1 week and then an entire year passes in a sentence with almost no warning. It is extremely confusing and hard to read as you never really no what time the story is set in. I felt no connection to the characters and don't really remember anything about them except that lyddie is a selfish, stingy brat who doesn't even really care about her sister. The writing makes you feel as if you are completely unconnected to the story which is almost a good thing other than the fact that it makes it even harder to read.
Usually I like historical fiction but this was simply historically bad. The only thing I liked about this book is when it ended except I didn't really like that because the characters live good lives. Please, I beg of you do not read this on your own free will, there is something better out there for you so why would you even consider torturing yourself.
June 16, 2025
I hoped for a more complete ending but we loved this as a read aloud.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2016
Okay, this might not be a very great review because I am not very good at comprehending what I am read when I read historical fiction. I will still try to share my honest opinion though! :)
For starters, I really liked reading about the main character. She stood up for women's rights, she stood up to a man who would assault women, and overall she was a character who would be a great influence for girls of any age.
I thought that it was really cool to read about factory life in this book. I thought it was so weird how they had to work in a factory for two hours in the morning and then they could have a very quick breakfast and then they would go back to work until the next meal. It is crazy to think that the girls would be payed only 3 dollars an hour. Times really have changed.
In the beginning of the book the main character, Lyddie, was not able to read or write. She would still try to write letters to her family though and they would be filled with spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, etc. As the book progressed her letters became more legible and it was really awesome to see someone having reading and writing impact their lives so much.
For starters, I really liked reading about the main character. She stood up for women's rights, she stood up to a man who would assault women, and overall she was a character who would be a great influence for girls of any age.
I thought that it was really cool to read about factory life in this book. I thought it was so weird how they had to work in a factory for two hours in the morning and then they could have a very quick breakfast and then they would go back to work until the next meal. It is crazy to think that the girls would be payed only 3 dollars an hour. Times really have changed.
In the beginning of the book the main character, Lyddie, was not able to read or write. She would still try to write letters to her family though and they would be filled with spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, etc. As the book progressed her letters became more legible and it was really awesome to see someone having reading and writing impact their lives so much.
October 22, 2009
Katherine Paterson is masterful in creating vividly real characterization in this book. It seems that the reader knows Lyddie personally. Far from being perfect, Lyddie is tough, ambitious, independent and knows how to work. After fighting off a bear, Lyddie is orphaned and then separated from her siblings. The time and place are Lowell textile factories in Massachusetts. In desperation, Lyddie becomes one of the factory girls. Some background education about the textile mills would be helpful in understanding much of the terminology and references made to the equipment and work in the mill. This book is probably best for older, junior high or high school readers. There are references to child molestation and an out of wedlock relationship and pregnancy that could be confusing for young children.
November 9, 2010
At thirteen, Lyddie's life changes when her unstable mother divides the family, leaving with her youngest two children to live with her sister. Lyddie and brother Charlie are left on their own to work and pay off unspecified debts incurred by the family. Lyddie is determined to earn enough money to reunite her family.
I really enjoyed this book, and in particular, Patterson's portrayal of Lyddie's personality/voice/narration made the book engrossing. It's a coming of age story that tracks her path to independence, though not the one she envisioned, through determination and hardship. It is not quite the cliche, feel good plot -- although there is some of that -- the (misleading) back cover implies. The book also describes a (presumably) frank picture of 19th century weaving factory conditions, not overly dark, but darker than I would have expected in a young adult novel.
I really enjoyed this book, and in particular, Patterson's portrayal of Lyddie's personality/voice/narration made the book engrossing. It's a coming of age story that tracks her path to independence, though not the one she envisioned, through determination and hardship. It is not quite the cliche, feel good plot -- although there is some of that -- the (misleading) back cover implies. The book also describes a (presumably) frank picture of 19th century weaving factory conditions, not overly dark, but darker than I would have expected in a young adult novel.
October 14, 2010
Paterson's honest yet tasteful approach to difficult realities such as poverty, death, and licentious behavior are to be admired. She gives the ugly outlines of the problems with just enough details help us understand, yet not so much filth as to remove the focus from Lyddie's courage: "He was bringing his strange little mouth closer and closer to her fiery face....she raised her booted foot and stomped her heel down with all her might." We understand the problem, but are spared the full exposure. Paterson's ability to show, not tell, the story sets a good pace and keeps our attention; description is used economically yet vividly to hold interest without weighing down the action.
Ages 12-17
Clean.
Ages 12-17
Clean.
December 10, 2009
I thought this book in a way was a little posessed. I thought it was posessed because the way the head keeper tried to rape the teenage girls and then when his boss found out he denied it and got Lyddie fired. Other than that though this book was okay. I really loved the deatail. How the author described the conditions they were working in were very well, and what the girls from Ireland were wearing. Lyddie had a very difficult life. From the time her mother went crazy to the time she left the house, she didn't have the best life. Even though she struggled, she perservired and tried her best to provide for her siblings. Lyddie was very brave and for her courage level i give her a 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2017
Childhood book that I just reread, and it withstood the test of time (but nostalgia helped). Now I REALLY need to go to Lowell and am bummed that apparently its museum about the history of the textile industry in the area is now defunct.
Also, Goodreads' algorithms for ranking book reviews mystify me, but this is the fourth review on the list for this book, reviewed by none other than Man Man (superhero): "lyddie sucked, dont bother readin it. so gay.its about working on a loom."
Looms. Apparently "so gay." Good to know.
Also, Goodreads' algorithms for ranking book reviews mystify me, but this is the fourth review on the list for this book, reviewed by none other than Man Man (superhero): "lyddie sucked, dont bother readin it. so gay.its about working on a loom."
Looms. Apparently "so gay." Good to know.
October 15, 2008
I just finshed reading this book for school, and it was pretty good. The only thing I didn't like was how it ended... but that is just me. I think she should have gone ahead and married Luke, and set off to build a good life for themselves, not go to college. In every other aspect, I thought that this book was excellent
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2014
It started out a little boring but as I kept reading, it got better and better. This is not just a story about working on a loom. It is a story about a young woman growing up and trying to find her way in the world.
November 23, 2015
This is a great book shows how a young teenage girl had to learn to become a strong independent women. She was forced to work to provide her family with food and at the same time take care of her siblings. Lyddie is just a marvelous character.
May 28, 2008
this book is worse than my truck tires(they are totally dry rotted)
August 3, 2010
A wonderful read about a girl who fights her way through tough times. No easy answers or pat endings here. Lovely.
November 20, 2011
An excellent historical fiction! A great look at the Industrial Revolution, and one of the few schoolbooks I didn't mind reading.
September 5, 2020
WOULD GIVE 0 STARS IF POSSIBLE. VERY BAD🙄🙄🙄
January 13, 2022
A classic for a reason. Wonderful.
March 2, 2018
Lyddie is by Katherine Paterson.
The only reason I wanted to read this book was because the main character's name is Lydia, although she is referred to as Lyddie all the time in the book except for once. It was also very ironic because Lyddie lives in Vermont, and all of the story takes place in New England -- where I live. I have been to many of the towns and cities mentioned. Therefore I really enjoyed the book for that.
The plot was interesting. I think the book was very short, maybe a little too short, for spanning 3 years of Lyddie's life. However, I think the book would have dragged on too long if it was a full-length novel. The length and pacing wasn't really a problem for me.
Plus, this is a children's book. I would be a little uncomfortable with handing my kids a story that deals with a man who tries to make advances on young girls. Nothing is described or really happens, and the characters are so innocent they don't even really know what is going on, but I would still hesitate to let my 9 or 10-year-old read that.
I saw a lot of people saying the ending wasn't satisfying. I thought it was a sweet, nice ending to the story, and I felt like it did wrap things up. I couldn't see any loose ends.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but Lyddie did annoy me at some points with how ignorant she is (I know she is supposed to be, but this doesn't keep it from being annoying) and the style of writing wasn't really my thing, either.
3.5 stars out of 5.
The only reason I wanted to read this book was because the main character's name is Lydia, although she is referred to as Lyddie all the time in the book except for once. It was also very ironic because Lyddie lives in Vermont, and all of the story takes place in New England -- where I live. I have been to many of the towns and cities mentioned. Therefore I really enjoyed the book for that.
The plot was interesting. I think the book was very short, maybe a little too short, for spanning 3 years of Lyddie's life. However, I think the book would have dragged on too long if it was a full-length novel. The length and pacing wasn't really a problem for me.
Plus, this is a children's book. I would be a little uncomfortable with handing my kids a story that deals with a man who tries to make advances on young girls. Nothing is described or really happens, and the characters are so innocent they don't even really know what is going on, but I would still hesitate to let my 9 or 10-year-old read that.
I saw a lot of people saying the ending wasn't satisfying. I thought it was a sweet, nice ending to the story, and I felt like it did wrap things up. I couldn't see any loose ends.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but Lyddie did annoy me at some points with how ignorant she is (I know she is supposed to be, but this doesn't keep it from being annoying) and the style of writing wasn't really my thing, either.
3.5 stars out of 5.
January 9, 2024
Hey. This needs a sequel. Is there a sequel? Please?
November 29, 2024
Fun, easy, one-day read, a perfect excuse for being half-engaged in questionable family conversations at Thanksgiving. I picked it up because the name made me laugh but apparently my Nana used to teach it to her sixth grade class so I guess it’s a full circle moment.
January 18, 2021
Lyddie was another in a line of middle grades historical fiction that I have read as the Middle School Language Arts teacher at the homeschool co-op I am a part of. I’ve been more impressed by the selections for this year (part of a writing curriculum based on Modern History as opposed to last year’s Medieval History). By Katherine Paterson, I had never heard of it, but I had heard of some of Paterson’s titles:
• Bridge to Terabithia
• Blueberries for the Queen
• A Sense of Wonder
• Consider the Lillies
• Come Sing, Jimmy Jo
• Flip Flip Girl
• Jacob Have I Loved
• Jip
• The Great Gilly Hopkins
• Parzival
• Park’s Quest
• On Nightingales That Weep
• My Brigadista Year
• The Invisible Child
• The Master Puppeteer
• The King’s Equal
• The Sign of Chrysanthemum
• The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks
• Stories of My Life
• The Same Stuff as Stars
• Preacher Boy
• A Sense of Wonder
• The Day of the Pelican
• The Field of the Dogs
Okay, there are actually quite a few more. She wrote a heck of a lot of books and they are very wide in their scope. For children, yes, but everything from picture books to nonfiction, fantasy to historical fiction. Maybe they aren’t even all for kids, since a couple are memoir/writing life books. You can likely find something that would interest you amongst her books, especially if you are a kid or someone teaching kids. (Check out her website HERE.) Having now read two of her books, I can hardly believe the same person wrote both of them. That’s not really a bad thing, I was just surprised that the same lady wrote Lyddie, Jacob Have I Loved, and Bridge to Terabithia. Didn’t see that coming. It is clear that she loves story and cultures and that she does a lot of research and writes difficult subject matter for middle schoolers. Like a Jacqueline Wilson, but time-travelling, American, and less predictable.
I was taken by this book, just enough. For middle grades historical fiction, I thought Lyddie was a real solid read. It’s not going on my all-time favorites list—I just didn’t find anything in it to love—but I would read more of her writing, which is award-winning like this one. Just an FYI: there is some real heavy stuff, including issues of a parent with mental health issues and inability to function, indenturing children, and also a boss who takes advantage of his young, female workers. It doesn’t get real explicit, but it would need to be discussed, partly because it is a little unclear (particularly if you are a contemporary eleven-year-old). In fact, I had to do quite a bit of explaining to teach this book (which is great to go along with a graphic novel of Oliver Twist as well as an Oliver Twist movie version), but an especially sharp reader would find a lot in it. Once again, I found several of my students enjoying a book that I too was enjoying. I do think the student of history would be the most interested here, and that means the more mature.
The story is this: Lyddie is thirteen when a bear crashes into their farm cabin, setting off a series of events that change Lyddie’s life forever. Dad has been MIA for years now, and Mom has never quite recovered. For a little while it’s just Lyddie and her ten-year-old brother on the farm, but then Lyddie’s mom decides they’d be better off hired out to people in town. Lyddie doesn’t last long at the tavern, not when she realizes she’d be making money much faster as a factory girl. That way, she could pay off the farm debts and reunite her family before too much time has passed…
It might be a little difficult for modern kids to relate to this book. I mean, they are mostly very far removed from the hard work, abuse, and social issues of the 1700s, but they can be taught. Like I said, I found all the things to be interesting and I thought the writing was fine, too. Perhaps inspired by the Oliver Twist that showed up in the story, it’s a peek into the life of children during the dawn of the factory age.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
• Bridge to Terabithia
• Blueberries for the Queen
• A Sense of Wonder
• Consider the Lillies
• Come Sing, Jimmy Jo
• Flip Flip Girl
• Jacob Have I Loved
• Jip
• The Great Gilly Hopkins
• Parzival
• Park’s Quest
• On Nightingales That Weep
• My Brigadista Year
• The Invisible Child
• The Master Puppeteer
• The King’s Equal
• The Sign of Chrysanthemum
• The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks
• Stories of My Life
• The Same Stuff as Stars
• Preacher Boy
• A Sense of Wonder
• The Day of the Pelican
• The Field of the Dogs
Okay, there are actually quite a few more. She wrote a heck of a lot of books and they are very wide in their scope. For children, yes, but everything from picture books to nonfiction, fantasy to historical fiction. Maybe they aren’t even all for kids, since a couple are memoir/writing life books. You can likely find something that would interest you amongst her books, especially if you are a kid or someone teaching kids. (Check out her website HERE.) Having now read two of her books, I can hardly believe the same person wrote both of them. That’s not really a bad thing, I was just surprised that the same lady wrote Lyddie, Jacob Have I Loved, and Bridge to Terabithia. Didn’t see that coming. It is clear that she loves story and cultures and that she does a lot of research and writes difficult subject matter for middle schoolers. Like a Jacqueline Wilson, but time-travelling, American, and less predictable.
I was taken by this book, just enough. For middle grades historical fiction, I thought Lyddie was a real solid read. It’s not going on my all-time favorites list—I just didn’t find anything in it to love—but I would read more of her writing, which is award-winning like this one. Just an FYI: there is some real heavy stuff, including issues of a parent with mental health issues and inability to function, indenturing children, and also a boss who takes advantage of his young, female workers. It doesn’t get real explicit, but it would need to be discussed, partly because it is a little unclear (particularly if you are a contemporary eleven-year-old). In fact, I had to do quite a bit of explaining to teach this book (which is great to go along with a graphic novel of Oliver Twist as well as an Oliver Twist movie version), but an especially sharp reader would find a lot in it. Once again, I found several of my students enjoying a book that I too was enjoying. I do think the student of history would be the most interested here, and that means the more mature.
The story is this: Lyddie is thirteen when a bear crashes into their farm cabin, setting off a series of events that change Lyddie’s life forever. Dad has been MIA for years now, and Mom has never quite recovered. For a little while it’s just Lyddie and her ten-year-old brother on the farm, but then Lyddie’s mom decides they’d be better off hired out to people in town. Lyddie doesn’t last long at the tavern, not when she realizes she’d be making money much faster as a factory girl. That way, she could pay off the farm debts and reunite her family before too much time has passed…
It might be a little difficult for modern kids to relate to this book. I mean, they are mostly very far removed from the hard work, abuse, and social issues of the 1700s, but they can be taught. Like I said, I found all the things to be interesting and I thought the writing was fine, too. Perhaps inspired by the Oliver Twist that showed up in the story, it’s a peek into the life of children during the dawn of the factory age.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
February 9, 2012
The factories of Lowell were a great economic and social experiment of sorts in the mid-1800s. Some of the first factories in the U.S. to use the real factory system, the textile mills used single girls and women as workers. This meant the factories could pay them less than they would men, but it also provided an unusual opportunity for these girls--they could earn money honorably, and use it for themselves or their families, and gain some measure of economic independence. It was a fascinating experiment, and one that the world watched carefully.
Katherine Paterson, best known for Bridge to Terabithia, wrote Lyddie as part of a Vermont writers workshop in 1991. This 182-page fictionalized account of a factory girl is a fast read, but an interesting one, with compelling characters. Lyddie Worthen has been abandoned. Born in the Green Mountains of Vermont, her father left the family to go seek his fortune in the West. Their farm has debts that none of them can pay, and she and her brother are hired out. It's 1843, and when her mother flees the farm with the babies, she and Charlie are on their own. He goes to work for a nearby Quaker family, and Lyddie makes the bold decision to go to Lowell and get a job in the factories.
Lyddie is at first terrified. The noise of the machinery during the workday, and the boardinghouse at night, is all different from the farmstead where she had lived her whole life. The girls were more refined than she was, and it's only with the help of some kind strangers that she begins to fit in. Lyddie is a hard worker, and soon becomes the model that others look to when they're training. Even after she's to the point that she's a machine herself, there are still dangers in the factories. The overseer is a jerk, the looms they operate are dangerous, disease spreads quickly in the crowded factories and boardinghouses. There are other dangers as well, like her friend Diana, who wants Lyddie to sign a petition for better working conditions--this could get Lyddie blacklisted, so she'd never be able to work in any factory again.
All of this circles around Lyddie's growth over the space of a few years. She learns to become a "lady," she learns how to read and write, and she works toward reuniting her family. It's a touching arc for the character, and even though at times it feels like the historic parts of the novel are shoehorned in, Lyddie is a compelling enough character that you want to know what happens to her.
Paterson is an excellent author, and her knowledge of the region and the time period make this an intriguing read--especially for those of us who don't know the area or the history as well. Thanks to this novel, which I was asked to read before coming to Lowell, I feel like I know more about the culture of the Lowell Mills, and what it really would have been like to be there as a Factory Girl in 1846.
Katherine Paterson, best known for Bridge to Terabithia, wrote Lyddie as part of a Vermont writers workshop in 1991. This 182-page fictionalized account of a factory girl is a fast read, but an interesting one, with compelling characters. Lyddie Worthen has been abandoned. Born in the Green Mountains of Vermont, her father left the family to go seek his fortune in the West. Their farm has debts that none of them can pay, and she and her brother are hired out. It's 1843, and when her mother flees the farm with the babies, she and Charlie are on their own. He goes to work for a nearby Quaker family, and Lyddie makes the bold decision to go to Lowell and get a job in the factories.
Lyddie is at first terrified. The noise of the machinery during the workday, and the boardinghouse at night, is all different from the farmstead where she had lived her whole life. The girls were more refined than she was, and it's only with the help of some kind strangers that she begins to fit in. Lyddie is a hard worker, and soon becomes the model that others look to when they're training. Even after she's to the point that she's a machine herself, there are still dangers in the factories. The overseer is a jerk, the looms they operate are dangerous, disease spreads quickly in the crowded factories and boardinghouses. There are other dangers as well, like her friend Diana, who wants Lyddie to sign a petition for better working conditions--this could get Lyddie blacklisted, so she'd never be able to work in any factory again.
All of this circles around Lyddie's growth over the space of a few years. She learns to become a "lady," she learns how to read and write, and she works toward reuniting her family. It's a touching arc for the character, and even though at times it feels like the historic parts of the novel are shoehorned in, Lyddie is a compelling enough character that you want to know what happens to her.
Paterson is an excellent author, and her knowledge of the region and the time period make this an intriguing read--especially for those of us who don't know the area or the history as well. Thanks to this novel, which I was asked to read before coming to Lowell, I feel like I know more about the culture of the Lowell Mills, and what it really would have been like to be there as a Factory Girl in 1846.
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