Kids on Strike!: The True Story of Young Activists and Child Labor in 20th Century America for Children

by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

By the early 1900s, nearly two million children were working in the United States. From the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the cotton mills of New England, children worked long hours every day under stunningly inhumane conditions. After years and years of oppression, children began to organize and make demands for better wages, fairer housing costs, and safer working environments.
Some strikes led by young people were successful; some were not. Some strike stories are shocking, some are heartbreaking, and many are inspiring — but all are a testimony to the strength of mind and spirit of the children who helped build American industry.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Social Justice, Childrens, Juvenile, Labor, Historical

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Susan Campbell Bartoletti is an American writer of children's literature. She was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, but eventually the family ended up in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. Susan started as an English teacher and inspired many students before deciding to pursue writing in earnest. She sold her first short story in 1989. Three years later in 1992 she published her first picture book, Silver at Night. She held a rigid routine, awaking early in the morning in order to write before she left to teach. In 1997 she turned to writing full time. Susan has since returned to inspiring future writers. She teaches writing classes at a number of MA and MFA programs, among them Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, and Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. Additionally she leads workshops offered through the Highlights Foundation.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any labor history is a worthwhile read IMO!

[Victoria Becker]

Kids on Strike is a lexile level 920 which converts to a reading level W. In my 5th grade classroom the target reading level is T, U and V at the end of the year. Some of the children begin the year reading on a W and this would be appropriate for an independent reading book. Others it would be to difficult for and we would read it as a whole group. Kids On Strike can easily make a text to text connection to Esperanza Rising because a major problem in the book is when people go on strike. We talk about what a strike is and what it means to go on strike. It is an informational text.
NYS Standard Students will: Explain the relationships or interactions between two ormore individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical,
scientific, or technical text based on specific information in
the text.

[Haley Poulain · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Kids on Strike!" was one of the more intriguing historical non-fiction texts I've read. Most historical non-fiction texts I've read were dry, dull textbooks. Historical non-fiction texts I find most engaging are books in which the author shares the facts in a storytelling manner. Susan Bartoletti accomplished this in this book, which could have easily turned into a much more dry informational text. Overall, I learned a lot of new information and did not have to force myself through it. I was excited about the stories the whole time.

Using figure 10.1, Guidelines for Evaluating Non-fiction text from McClure, I throughly enjoyed the overall structure of this book. The format of the book is appealing and age appropriate for any students. I appreciated the pictures incorporated with each strike story. It put the working conditions, the children, and the time period in perspective. The captions of the pictures were also helpful, as I wouldn't completely understand the pictures without the factual, short, explanation. I feel the text structure was appropriate for the stories and facts written about in this era. I could read this to kindergarteners and make it accessible and appropriate.

I learned a lot of new information from this text. I knew child labor did occur during this time period in history, but all I had previous exposure to was children selling newspapers or working on their family farm. I did not realize there were so many other jobs children did during this time period. The treatment and working condition of the women in the mills was an event I had never even heard of until starting this class. I was also shocked by the story of the telegram boys, and how their employers nickeled and dimmed them! I can't believe they charged them a weekly fee to have a uniform! They went on strike, but it was not as well organized as other strikes and they saw little success from it. The stories of women and children were very inspiring and humbling as we are so lucky to live in the world in which we live now. Many women worked and saved to become educated as no-one would have paid for them to receive an education during this time period. Now, my father paid for me to go to college, whereas a father paying for a daughter to receive an education was completely unheard of and often considered sinful or extremely inappropriate during the late 1800's and early 1900's.

The historical fiction book, "Counting on Grace", paired so nicely with this book. However, I wish I would have read the non-fiction book first to give me the background knowledge I was missing to throughly understand the characters and their working conditions in "Counting on Grace". This would be such a great mini-unit of study for teaching this time period in history, or simply as a nice compare/contrast read-aloud lesson. Reflection upon the two books, I do not think I would have had an interest in either one without the pairing of the other book. Both books helped fill in the holes the other book had. "Counting on Grace" gives the emotional buy-in to the historical time period, but "Kids on Strike!" contributes the background knowledge and literal content needed to give balance to the character emotion evoked in the other book.

[Leslie Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids on Strike is a collection of biographical snippets related to the evolution of child labor laws. Reading this book from cover to cover was rough. The many scenarios of young labor leaders, their working conditions, their living conditions and the cruelty of the mill and tenement owners bring to light a harsh reality of humanity at its worst. I would recommend this book as a tool to jigsaw important figures from this time period who strongly guided our history of labor laws. I would not recommend it as a cover to cover read for a student. Many of the underlying themes are repeated in each biography such as poor treatment of workers. The use of actual pictures throughout the book is engaging and brings the subject of labor conditions and child labor closer to heart. These were kids with incredible drive and survival skills who still found ways to have fun when they could and persevere post injury. I saw the potential for many historical novels among the words of truth written on these pages. A few of the themes that I would have students discover are the separation of haves and have-nots. How the rich helped or did not help the poor as with the mink brigade. The manner of which children had to fight for the right for a childhood and to be educated and now children must fight for the right to have responsibility and be heard as a valid voice. This book brings to light a dark time in our history of America. An educator preparing to use this book in the classroom would want to carefully read, digest and plan. I am sure that I have only thought of a portion of the sociological/cultural themes this book brings to the surface. I would highly recommend this book for an educator who is ready to dig in and have some amazing depth of thinking and connection-making happen in their classroom.

[John Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking set of stories set in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s – all before workers had any legal rights to organize and some before children had any protections at all – of strikes and conflicts struggling for dignity of work for children. Each story that Bartoletti lifts up shows the power of unity with some winning major victories but many just partial settlements while many ending with defeat – and the firing of the lead organizers or even imprisonment of those fighting for everyone. That’s what makes this book powerful and interesting. It’s truly the history of an often-forgotten segment of the labor movement. It was also appropriate reading this book as Ohio legislators are trying to weaken child labor protections.

The author brings to lift not just the struggle but the lives of 15- to 25-year-old women who worked in the spinning rooms on the east coast in the 1830’s and ‘40’s. Crowded conditions usually in boarding houses, sisterhood created by spending so much time together and coming often from farms, and Sunday worship. They brought the entire structure of city life down on them when they struck to fight wage cuts – newspapers editorializing against their struggle, the banning together of the mill owners, and even the church preaching against their actions. Ring leaders were fired but those who returned in defeat soon started to build for another fight by organizing the Factory Girls’ Association, building it to over 2,500 members within the next two years. When conditions worsened again, the girls struck.

Another story was of the messenger boys in New York City and other coastal cities. They complained about irregular shifts and pay, fees for their uniforms, and unfair treatment by the bosses. They were surprised when the wealthy bosses didn’t relent, instead finding a way to replace the boys. The boys taught those who didn’t honor their strike with violence. Their action led to a compromise on wages and conditions.

A similar strike was held by the mostly boys who sold papers in bigger cities. The newsies had enough by 1899 and took action. It was interesting that the author spoke, again, about the lives and often illegal activities these boys engaged in to make a few bucks like shorting customers on change and jumping on board streetcars without paying to hock their papers before jumping off. But, by striking, they were taking on William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. It’s amazing to think of that power dynamic. The organizers brought together a couple thousand boys to rally against the conditions. Even with a setback that the leaders of the strike sold out, the unity of the boys lead to a fair settlement that was a partial victory after two weeks of refusing their work. The boys – and older millionaires – learned a good lesson.

The coal strikes of 1897, 1900, and 1902 was also covered in a different way than most history books since the emphasis of children’s role in increasing the power of workers was highlighted. While Pennsylvania law restricted boys to those over 12 to work in the mill, the combination of parents lying about their children’s ages and the mine owners looking the other way, many toiling in the mines in harsh conditions were younger than 12. When a strike was called and the miners marched six miles to another mining community, the boys joined in – and were subjected to the violence that met them when they refused to turn back. The boys also struggled with their parents to steal coal from their former employer to allow their families to live. The boys chased scabs and beat them when they caught them. The boys were part of the workforce – and union efforts. And, along with other struggles, the boys were often highlighted in coverage about their struggle. This moved Americans to the side of the workers. President Theodore Roosevelt involved himself for the first time the White House got involved in a labor dispute other than when they called out troops against the workers. Clarence Darrow, the famous attorney representing the mine workers, highlighted testimony from children as young as ten. After testimony, the Anthracite Commission awarded the mine workers with pay increases and eight-hour days for some mines.

The book took a bit of a detour when pages upon pages highlighted Mary Harris Jones, known as Mother Jones. It was interesting but seemed to take that portion off the book in a different way, away from children and onto a major labor leader of the early 1900’s. It would have been more fitting and powerful had the author added the contribution of Mother Jones in a chapter that spoke about community support including other unions and the wealthy women who spoke up for garment workers that were called the Mink Brigade.

Garment workers were, of course, highlighted including their strikes in Chicago in 1897, and New York City and Philadelphia in 1909 and 1910. Again, Bartoletti allowed us to understand the lives of these workers and the complication of the various types of workers who were employed. She speaks about the workers who worked with fine materials for gloves who thought they were above other workers in the factory. It’s a problem that still exists in solidarity whether a hospital, newspaper, or factory with more skilled workers having a more difficult time relating to other workers despite having more in common than different from other, less skilled workers.

Sixteen-year-old Agnes Nestor quickly transformed from garment worker to union leader. The book spoke about how she improved her skills as she led her coworkers during a strike. By the second week of the strike, Eisendrath Glove Company offered a good settlement including wage rates, eliminating machine rental fees, and free machine oil but no union recognition; the girls rejected the offer understanding that union recognition was their key to a brighter future. As they continued to struggle, they had to deal with unfair newspaper coverage and police used against them. Shortly thereafter, due to the girls’ unity, the company agreed to the girls’ demands, including recognizing their union.

Nestor went on to working with the Women’s Trade Union League helping other workers. She traveled to other cities and spoke at rallies and meetings for the eight-hour workday. She visited sweatshops and engaged with those workers. The 600 shops employed mostly immigrant families with plenty of exploitation. Repeatedly shops went on strike but the workers lost since the work could still be done in another stop. Bringing together all the shops and all the workers with leaflets written in Yiddish, Italian, and English changed the power dynamics. Other women, including Clara Lemlich became leaders.

Employers fought back. They also organized – the Association of Waist and Dress Manufacturers of New York. The organization recruited scabs, engaged in activities to make the strikers look bad, brought in thugs to attack striking girls, and set up funds for employers that they would forfeit if they reached settlement. 700 girls were arrested for their solidarity activities. Again, the employers offered settlement but refused to recognize the workers’ union. Smaller shops settled first with a comprehensive agreement that agreed to bargain with the union into the future. Workers went back with some uneven settlements, including a poorer settlement without union recognition at the New York Triangle Shirtwaist factory. The inability of the employer to agree to safety precautions at that factory led to the historic fire on March 25, 1911, and the death of so many workers.

The last struggle covered in this book might have been the most interesting in that it spoke of the support of the First Lady of President William Howard Taft. The First Lady listened to the children speaking about unfair conditions. The conditions of workers were only outpaced by the violence against the workers when the Lawrence Strike took place in 1912. Later, President Taft requested to meet with a delegation of striking children. The determination of the strikers led toa 25% pay raise, a fifty-four-hour workweek with no loss of pay, and a promise no striker would be blacklisted.

The book ends with a description of the National Child Labor Committee, established in 1904 and a timeline of federal child labor laws. Even if one were not interested enough to read this fairly short, quick read, just paging through looking at the pictures would give one a good understanding of where we have come from due to children’s solidarity, unusual community partners, advocacy for child labor laws, and how things change when harsh conditions have the light of justice shinned on them. The pictures of young kids toiling in adult jobs, but also the pictures of kids being kids, smiling and laughing even in bad conditions. Worth a read. Hardly wait to read with my granddaughter, but given she is only three months old, that will be sometime into the future.

[Sisilia Meli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids On Strike!!! This non-fiction chronicle recounts different times where through the hands of a child, history was made and changed back in the early 1900s. Starting from the time where children even from the age of 2 could be considered for work, Kids on Strike illustrates how kids were able to recognize unfair treatment and dangers in their field, and protested and stood up for themselves and other kids that worked in similar work environments as them. Provided in these documents are pictures and articles to make it feel like you're reading a number of different newspapers and magazines that not only captivates the reader's eye by appeal in appearance but it amplifies the content, making it both enjoyable and a great learning tool for whoever comes across "Kids On Strike!".

I loved reading Kids on Strike, it was so interesting to me! There were so many different events that I had never known were changed because a child stood up and fought for what they felt was wrong or needed to be improvised. What was interesting to me was how in a few of the strikes, the children at that time ended up not seeing the blessings or changes that were made but were enjoyed later. I recommend this to everyone not just because it's cool to see a child make such a difference in the world but because such changes made the difference that allows even our modern world function in society today.

[Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Susan Bartoletti has fooled american teens into reading non-fiction by her lightness in tone that mirrors that of a novel. This book even has protagonists that function as dynamic characters. Harriet Hanson, for one, overcomes her fears and self-questioning as she boldly marches first from her group of coworkers into the strike. Philip Marcus shows us life on the streets. These are just the beginning. The names that go with the faces in these books bring the stories to life.

I could not give a higher recommendation for Susan Bartoletti's writing. It's fun, easy to read, informative, and captivating!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the true stories of real children who experienced the industrial age first hand through experience. I felt for these kids and I liked reading their stories. These stories told of child heroes. Heroes to their families and for future generations of American children because of their successes with child labor laws. Many of the stories seem like small successes compared to what they were striking for but the long term results were the success of changing and enforcing child labor laws.
The structure of this book is in a cause effect format. For example the author tells the story of children who worked in the cotton mills and shares how they were exposed to very unfair, dangerous, and unhealthy work conditions that resulted in children striking to work less hours, get better pay, and enforce specific age requirements to hold these jobs. The book is written chronologically telling all about the law changing events of the industrial age as it pertained to children and their rights in a work environment.
The book provides vivid photographs of the children on the job, striking, at home, their cities, and their neighborhoods. It’s so hard to look at the photographs and not imagine their very hard lives. The photos are moving and the author provides realistic illustrations where photographs were not available.
I did pick up this book at look at it right away like a textbook because of its size and shape but also because of my original purpose for reading the book. I needed to read it for a class. This books features the typical table of contents, acknowledgement, Introduction, timeline of labor laws ( not in fun to read format bu years followed by paragraphs), bibliography, sources, and index. So, I picked it up because I had to otherwise I might not have took a second look. The book cover looks like a newspaper headline but it really did not capture my eye until I knew what it was about.
The collective and partial biographies included in this book are my favorite parts of the book. I did read it fairly quickly because I wanted to learn more about these very young and hard working boys and girls. I was informed and enlightened by these stories. I did not know that this happened in America. I did not know that families had to put their children in these situations to survive and I was taken by each and every story. I was emotionally invested in their lives and I wanted them, the children, to win their rights!
I also felt like these stories were a collection of photographic essays because of they way the photos captivated me and took me to that time and place where these events took place. The author included pictures of the towns, job sites, protests, homes, neighborhoods, and she put the children right there in the photographs front and center. She choose the right pictures because they told the stories of these children as much as the words on the page.
Overall I really liked this book but I would not have picked it up to read on my own. It would not have been a book I would choose to read. However, I did like it so much I’ve decided to think more about this genre of reading. I might find more books like this. Books that inform but tell great historical stories, true stories.

[Stephanie Frye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Efferent Response to Text Features of Nonfiction Text
Kids on Strike!

While reading Kids on Strike! I found that it was really relatable to the historical fiction book that I recently read, Counting on Grace. Kids on Strike! took several child labor law scenarios and really put into perspective the situations that children were put into during the early 1800s and 1900s. In the first chapter “Shall We Turn Out” I was able to learn more about the job of a young mill worker and was given more of a visual for what those factories looked like. Bartioletti did a remarkable job defining the situations so that you not only understood on a different level but saw how truly terrible this time period was for children.

Before reading Kids on Strike! I read McClure’s Nonfiction Structure and referenced my notes as I read through each chapter of the book. I did this to really find which text features I felt were most helpful in truly maximizing my understanding of the structure of the book. I felt as though this text included the basic access features that most nonfiction texts have. However, I took the most away from the photographs and captions. They really helped me to visualize and understand what was going on in a different way than when I was reading the historical fiction book. I also felt that it included Secondary Layered Text (something that I haven’t heard of before reading McClure’s Nonfiction Structure). Each chapter highlighted a child’s story which I felt brought in the narrative element into this nonfiction.

Although again, it is not a book that I would pick up off of a shelf I do feel as though I learned not only more about the time period but simply that kids were striking. I appreciated that each chapter shed light on a different group of children and their situations. At times while reading I felt amazed by the strength of children to stand up for what they believed in or wanted but I also (of course) felt sad for them just as I did throughout reading the story Counting on Grace. I specifically remember in the chapter “We Ask You Mr. President” (p. 109) the photo of young boys holding signs saying “We want to go to school”. The caption underneath states, “Striking Kensington mill children wanted to work fifty-five hours each week instead of sixty.” These ten and eleven-year old children were simply asking for five hours so that they could learn. This frustrated me so much for them.

Overall, I think that I would have rather read this text before reading the historical fiction book because I was able to learn more about the time period and that would have made me benefit more from reading Counting on Grace.

[Tak Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids on Strike! by Susan Campbell Bartoletti was enjoyable to read and very interesting as well. The book is not your typical informational text. It added personal story elements of people that lived during those times. The book was easy to follow, and the pictures really helped with the information that was given in the book. The pictures of the "Newsies," and "Breaker Boys" really helped to see how hard the boys worked and how terrible it must have been. Not just the boys, the girls and young ladies worked just as hard as the boys.

Using McClure's Nonfiction Structure (Fig. 10.2), I think this book utilized Chronological and Secondary or Layer Text to display the information. The book is broken into different types of work the kids did from working for a mill, Newsies, and working with coal. The book also had information about the different unions and strikes that formed from the Newsies Strike, Rent Strike, and many others. Within these chapters, the information was in chronological order, how it started to the strikes that stopped production. Also, the Secondary or Layer Text made this book very fun to read. The book added personal stories (Harriet Hanson and the Spinning Room), with great information or facts. This structure made the book enjoyable to read.

I really liked the book and I learned a lot of new information about child labor during the 1900's. I learned what a "doffer" was from reading Counting on Grace, but from this book, I learned the term "doffer" comes from two words "do off." A girl would "do off"(replace) the full ribbon bobbins of yarn with empty ones. The breaker boys spent 11-12 hours a day hunched over picking out non coal material from the real coal. Newsies sold papers and anything that they could get money for. I really enjoyed the pictures that were in the book as well, but some were hard to look at, especially the kids sleeping on the streets of New York.

[Jennifer Gregory · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a lot like the recent book that I just read, Counting on Grace, however I wish I would have read this one first. I loved how it was filled with pictures to describe what the chapter were talking about. This is something that I think Counting on Grace was missing. I found myself stopping at each photo and studying it. The clothes, the lack of shoes in a lot of pictures, and especially the kids sleeping on the streets really got to me. I couldn't imagine my own kids, especially when they were 8, running away and living on the streets. I kept showing my own children some of the pictures and telling them how lucky they are today. I guess I really never new the struggles and how we came to have to labor laws that we do today.
Another thing that struck me was the abuse the workers went through while on the job. Could you imagine working today and being hit by sticks if you weren't going fast enough? I am so thankful that this is not the norm for today.
This is not a book that I would normally pick up on my own, however I did appreciate the way that it taught you about child labor, and they way things used to be, without sounding text-book like.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids on Strike! Follows the stories of several different people (mostly kids, but not always) during the strikes of workers throughout the 1800s and 1900s. The structure of the book itself is well-done-each section starts off with newspaper artwork as it begins the next headline. The sections and photographs give a good overview of the different strikes that occurred in a very realistic way-some strikers won, many did not, and many compromised. Overall, though, there were struggles. It also gives a good if disturbing insight into the awful and unsafe working conditions that kids in particular had to face. I felt that the pictures gave a good foundation to the reality of the cruelty that was endured. It also covers some of the more gruesome events that took place, but does not get overly detailed about it. I thought that this book was an interesting nonfiction read and follows the stories simply enough for younger teens to understand.

[Brianna Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I love this concept of talking about labor rights in the context of children’s labor. It goes to show how even one of the most disenfranchised groups of people can advocate for better conditions through collective action. And I love that this is specifically for kids!! Labor rights aren’t as discussed in US history classes so i appreciate the dedication to discussing this concept. However, it just felt a little bit lackluster that race was only brought up twice throughout the entire book, and the most thorough “discussion” (two paragraphs or so) on how race plays into labor exploitation only appears in the last chapter. Which like!!! The two are incorrigibly intertwined!!! You can’t talk about labor without also talking about race and gender and class!! Also the name drop of Margaret Sanger (reproductive rights activist…and STAUNCH eugenicist) as being a “nurse”…felt weird. Idk, didn’t hate it but also didn’t love it.

[Jamie Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting, especially as I read it into the period of time with the protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. There were a lot of moments that resonated with me.

It is a book that would probably be best for 5th or 6th graders probably

I started reading it after finding out about it while recording a podcast about the movie Newsies and the information about the Newsboys strike was very interesting to compare with the movie.

[ToriAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA Nonfiction Lit circle
This book is about all the different strikes that took place in the late 1800s early 1900s that kids were a part of.
I liked this book, I thought it was really interesting on how it focused on just the kids in the strikes while most only use kids to get readers to feel pity, this book showed their successes. I also liked how they explained what these kids did to organize into unions.
***

[Isaiah Conley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kids on Strike is a book documenting the struggles of children from the 1830s-1930s. Though most of the book was just facts and history, it was poorly laid out. It was just flat out boring. It was aimed towards kid and is a required reading story, but it did not impact most kids who read it because it was not immersive and did not tell the story of those involved in child labor in a way that young people can enjoy it.

[Shella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a lot of detailed information on the various strikes in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I was rather shocked how people were treated. There was quite a bit of violence and this book does not sugarcoat it- nor should it. The text features were average.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about this time in history with my daughter. Eye opening, well written, and filled with amazing historical photographs.

[Dotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

And little children will lead us.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history--see http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2021... for details!

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories about labor disputes involving children in the late 19th century. We read this in our homeschool Dialectic history studies.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young student's exposure to this work is sure to up their gratitude level while developing empathy for children in the developing world who experience many of the same challenges of children in American during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Photographs, though used sparingly compared to other resources for this age group, are effective in giving visual images to the narrative.

The stories are told with engaging forthrightness that avoids gory details to present an impression of the times. Each chapter is capable of standing alone. As a teacher, this is helpful, because I can read/ assign part of the book instead of the entire if I think the material too stressful or overwhelming. Not all reformers mentioned are successful, as many fail to bring about the changes they desire. Others are successful and others 'settle'.

Educators should be aware that this book leans labor and socialistic, businessmen and capitalism only appear as evil oppressors. It is clear that this is not the story of America, this is not the story of business or capitalism, it is the story of the labor movement and a cry for socialistic programs implemented by government. No attention is given to movements by churches and non-profits to care for or improve the situation of laborers, nor to the complicated knots uniting labor with communism and socialism.

This is a bit like reading only one side of a long and difficult marriage. Children will be thoroughly informed of the grievances of one side, but not enlightened to make judgement regarding the situation as a whole. nor enlightened on how these trends play into the America of today. Proper education requires a presentation of the other side of the matter through a balancing resource.

[Megan Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah Bartoletti covers a lot of historical ground in Kids on Strike! Growing up in Coal Country, Bartoletti writes about the roles that children and young adults played in American labor strikes during the 19th and early 20th centuries. She tells the story of 16-year-old Pauline Newman who is a leader of the 1907 New York City rent protests; 11-year-old Harriet Hanson, who joined striking workers in the Massachusetts mills of the 1830s; as well as countless other children who took a stand against the injustice of the conditions in which they worked. Bartoletti has a wide range of resources that go into her book. She used newspaper stories, magazine articles; she personally interviewed people as well as read book accounts of events. At the end of the book Baroletti describes the creation of the National Child Labor Committee and talks about what many of the children went on to do in their life. This book is captivating, and shows that children have made a difference and still have the power to do so.
The history accounts in this book are accurate, it is also organized well into separate stories and memories only to be summed up together in one large theme at the end of the book. The design of the book is sufficient in providing significant historical photographs, with children at work or at protests on most pages. Bartoletti’s stories always have great detail and although her writing style is dense, it is easy to read and the children’s’ stories that she shares come to life. The theme of the power that kids can have would be a great topic to go over in a classroom, as well as teaching students about historical events.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book by the author of Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Much like that book, this was a children's nonfiction book about child labor and children involved in strikes in their respective work environments.

As you may know, at the beginning of the 1900s, many children worked in factories, coal mines, mills, and so on. The working conditions were terrible - fifty-five hour weeks, very little pay, unsanitary workspaces... you get the picture. Some of the kids who worked would organize unions and strike!

I thought it was so interesting that little kids - sometimes ten and eleven years old - would know to organize together to get better treatment. Not all of their strikes were successful, but their hard work really made a difference in the world where we live today. I liked that the author included both girl and boy strike leaders, and at the end she even included a part about slavery. She said that although these little white kids had a really rough life, they did get paid and they could quit if they wanted to. Slave children did not have any choices and could be bought and sold at any time. It's really important for kids to know this.

So, great book! It was full of haunting pictures and very sad statistics and stories. I am going to use this when I teach about Labor Day with my students!

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

***REQUIRED***
In this book, Bartoletti completes extensive research in order to put together the stories of many labor strikes that took place around the beginning of the 20th century. Each chapter describes the course of different strikes (coal miners, mill girls, newsies, etc.) and includes how children were involved in the organization/movement of the various strikes. Unfortunately, this connection feels rather stretched: while the title of the book is "Kids on Strike!" the book actually focuses on the strikes themselves, rather than the kids involved in most cases. Aside from the forced theme, this book seemed about two chapters two long - the strikers' stories became rote and boring. Perhaps it was the subject matter itself, but I have to admit that I was bored by this excellently-researched book.
Despite its flaws, I think this book provides a good example of non-fiction writing when you don't have a great story to work with (unlike Jennifer Armstrong). Bartoletti covers the "Who," "What," "Where," "When," "Why," and "How" of each strike in an almost news paper article fashion (the title page for each chapter is formatted in the style of a newspaper headline). She exhibits straight forward writing along with excellent use of pictures and captions. Despite the lack of fascination I had for the topic she was writing about, I had to hand it to Bartoletti for at least being a good writer and researcher, something that I hope my students to become as well.

[Luann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this would have been better as a series of smaller books with each chapter in this book being one book. In fact, that's how I read it - one chapter at a time, then coming back another day to read another chapter. It never really called out to me in-between readings, either.

It felt like there weren't enough similarities between the chapters to make a single cohesive book. If Bartoletti would have written an introduction to the book giving me the big picture before telling me all the individual stories, I think that would have helped. The final chapter did tie things together nicely, but it took me a long time to get there. An introduction similar to that last chapter would have helped me get started with a better understanding of where the book was going.

I can't imagine very many students picking this up and reading it on their own, although it would work well as a source for a research paper. This definitely isn't a favorite of the Bartoletti books I've read, even though it is well written and researched with some amazing photographs of child workers.

[Aviann · Rating 3 out of 5]

REQUIRED BOOK-BARTOLETTI

Kids on Strike! is a nonfiction narrative of different working children's strikes during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bartoletti chooses to include many different strikes including a textile, coal, newspaper, and housing strike. Probably the most famous included strike is that of the newsboys in 1899. Many people know portions of this strike from the popular musical Newsies. Throughout the book, Bartolettie is not shy about portraying the brutality and injustice many factory owners inflicted on their employees. Many of the circumstances the children endure are insanitary and unfair. Still, these children find a way to fight back against their superiors and lobby for better wage and conditions.

I felt that Bartoletti's narrative was somewhat dry, although informative. Frankly, I wouldn't expect many young adult readers to finish it. However, I do think many of these concepts are important to understand, thus if this were part of a reading curriculum, I would expect teens to read about one or two of the strikes, not all.

[Marlayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids on Strike written by Susan Bartoletti highlights a time in history where children were helping their families survive by working long hours in a variety of different jobs. In the early 1990’s children began to demand better wages and cleaner work areas. Many children organized strikes that promoted better rights within their jobs and the book also includes monumental figures that helped contribute to a better life for child workers.
The writing style of this book promotes readers to research more about this period of time and the historical figures represented in the book. The facts are accurate and sparks interest in the reader. Since this book is directed to readers who are the same age as the characters in the book, the reader can relate and imagine him or herself in that situation. Some downfalls is that it isn’t as interactive and could have the potential to be too intense for some young readers. Some parents may not want to expose their children to such a harsh topic at a young age.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really neat, well-laid out book on the various strikes held by children and teens -- sometimes with adults and sometimes on their own. It covers the newsie strike in 1899, the Lawrence strike and introduces readers to figures such as Mother Jones. This gives an eye-opening account on how awful child workers had it; the book not only tells the story of these children in clean, consise text but has many pictures throughout. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, such as the Lawrence strike and, of course, the tragedy of the Triangle fires. This book serves not only as a lesson on how well we have things now, but as a warning that things could slip back to these times if we are not careful. Readers will see the pitfalls and the problems with overcoming the top brass, the mistakes that were made -- and how some strikes were won.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

REQUIRED CATEGORY

Those who are familiar with the musical "Newsies" will likely enjoy this book, given that it explores that particular real-life story, along with many others of the early days of child labor. It is a very successful incorporation of historical details, made into an easily accessible narrative for young adults. As I have mentioned in previous reviews, young adult non-fiction material is not particularly appealing to me, but Bartloletti is one of the best out there producing this material. The only weakness I'd say the book has is that it seems a bit disjointed at times, exploring various narratives that don't always seem to flow together. But overall it definitely brings one to an awareness of the issues surrounding child labor laws of the earlier days of the nation and worldwide.