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The House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams
This is the story of Jane Addams, the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, who transformed a poor neighborhood in Chicago by opening up her house as a community center.
Ever since she was a little girl, Jane Addams hoped to help people in need. She wanted to live right in the middle of the roughest, poorest communities and create a place where people could go to find food, work, and help. In 1889, she bought a house in a run-down Chicago neighborhood and turned it into a settlement home, adding on playgrounds, kindergartens, and a public bath. By 1907, Hull House included thirteen buildings. And by the early 1920s, more than 9,000 people visited Jane's home each week. An inspiration to all, Jane Addams continues to be a role model to girls and women of all ages.
This title has Common Core connections.
Ever since she was a little girl, Jane Addams hoped to help people in need. She wanted to live right in the middle of the roughest, poorest communities and create a place where people could go to find food, work, and help. In 1889, she bought a house in a run-down Chicago neighborhood and turned it into a settlement home, adding on playgrounds, kindergartens, and a public bath. By 1907, Hull House included thirteen buildings. And by the early 1920s, more than 9,000 people visited Jane's home each week. An inspiration to all, Jane Addams continues to be a role model to girls and women of all ages.
This title has Common Core connections.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2015
11 people are currently reading
916 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Lee Stone
86 books102 followersTanya Lee Stone is an award-winning author of books for kids and teens. Her work, which includes YA fiction (A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl), picture books (Elizabeth Leads the Way and Sandy's Circus), and nonfiction (Almost Astronauts and The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie) has won national awards such as the ALA's Sibert Medal, SCBWI's Golden Kite Award, YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction, Jane Addams Book Award Honor, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, NCTE's Orbus Pictus, and Bank Street's Flora Steiglitz Award. Forthcoming titles include Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?! and The House that Jane Built (Holt 2013) and Courage Has No Color (Candlewick 2013).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
November 26, 2015
I really admire Jane Addams. For a semester in college (in-between majoring in English literature and psychology) I took classes in sociology and studied her in depth. I either learned more from this book, or more likely relearned some of what I learned back then. She was a remarkable woman.
This is an excellent picture book, the picture book portion book fine as a read aloud picture book for 4 to 8 year olds, and the last portion, with photos and much more text, appropriate for independent readers (and also reading aloud) for 8 to 12 year olds.
I enjoyed the illustrations. They really enhanced the text, and I love the style and use of color, and for me the photographs added even more to the account.
This book gives just right amount of information in each section, and left me wanting to read more.
I recommend this book particularly for 8 to 11 year olds, especially those interested in social justice, history, women’s rights, strong women, and anyone who enjoys reading about how one person/a small group of people can make a big difference.
This is an excellent picture book, the picture book portion book fine as a read aloud picture book for 4 to 8 year olds, and the last portion, with photos and much more text, appropriate for independent readers (and also reading aloud) for 8 to 12 year olds.
I enjoyed the illustrations. They really enhanced the text, and I love the style and use of color, and for me the photographs added even more to the account.
This book gives just right amount of information in each section, and left me wanting to read more.
I recommend this book particularly for 8 to 11 year olds, especially those interested in social justice, history, women’s rights, strong women, and anyone who enjoys reading about how one person/a small group of people can make a big difference.
September 22, 2021
The House That Jane Built: A Story about Jane Addams is a children's picture book written by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Kathryn Brown. It details the challenge that Jane Addams took up to build a place for the poor and destitute.
Laura Jane Addams was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage in the United States and advocated for world peace. She co-founded Chicago's Hull House, one of America's most famous settlement houses.
Stone's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In a moving portrayal of empathy and innovation in action, Stone convey both the significance of Addams’s contributions, as well as the physical transformations of those she helped. Brown's illustrations wonderfully render the narrative extremely well and give life to the poor.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Vowing from an early age to improve the lives of the impoverished, Addams established a settlement home, Hull House, in Chicago in 1889, creating a community refuge. The desperation of the poor is evident in their anguished grimaces as they vie for spoiled food, while children’s joy as they play in Chicago's first playground is just as clear, also thanks to Addams.
All in all, The House That Jane Built: A Story about Jane Addams is an inspiring book of Nobel Laureate – Jane Addams.
Laura Jane Addams was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage in the United States and advocated for world peace. She co-founded Chicago's Hull House, one of America's most famous settlement houses.
Stone's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In a moving portrayal of empathy and innovation in action, Stone convey both the significance of Addams’s contributions, as well as the physical transformations of those she helped. Brown's illustrations wonderfully render the narrative extremely well and give life to the poor.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Vowing from an early age to improve the lives of the impoverished, Addams established a settlement home, Hull House, in Chicago in 1889, creating a community refuge. The desperation of the poor is evident in their anguished grimaces as they vie for spoiled food, while children’s joy as they play in Chicago's first playground is just as clear, also thanks to Addams.
All in all, The House That Jane Built: A Story about Jane Addams is an inspiring book of Nobel Laureate – Jane Addams.
April 14, 2016
Jane Addams inspired many children's and YA biographies, in addition to several adult biographies, many of which I have read. She won a Nobel Peace Prize and was once the most famous woman in the U.S., but had kind of faded from view until about fifteen years ago when there has been a surge of work about her that continues to this day. The best work I have read about her is Citizen: Jane Addams and the Struggle for Democracy by Louise Knight and a close second is Jane Addams: A Writer's Life by Katherine Joslin, which I read as research for the writing of my book, Jane Addams in the Classroom. Full disclosure: I got to know those two authors, but I had read their books before I sought them out.
The House That Jane Built is one of the best picture book biographies as a kind of introduction to this amazing woman. The house in question is Hull House, a settlement project she founded with several other women in the 1890's on Halsted Street in Chicago, one of the worst neighborhoods in the country at the time, over-filled with immigrants, and social problems no one had yet faced. She didn't actually build the house; it was a house owned by Charles Hull she was given for the purposes of her work in Chicago. Garbage filled the muddy streets; men, women and children worked 16 hour days for very little pay. People were hungry, stacked in tenement houses. She, a wealthy woman whose father was a businessman, state senator, and friend of Lincoln, devoted her life to living with and working with the poor to develop solutions to the many problems they faced. She wrote many books, too, including her memoir Twenty years at Hull House.
The artwork is lovely, the basic information solid and inspiring for young readers. I liked it quite a bit.
The House That Jane Built is one of the best picture book biographies as a kind of introduction to this amazing woman. The house in question is Hull House, a settlement project she founded with several other women in the 1890's on Halsted Street in Chicago, one of the worst neighborhoods in the country at the time, over-filled with immigrants, and social problems no one had yet faced. She didn't actually build the house; it was a house owned by Charles Hull she was given for the purposes of her work in Chicago. Garbage filled the muddy streets; men, women and children worked 16 hour days for very little pay. People were hungry, stacked in tenement houses. She, a wealthy woman whose father was a businessman, state senator, and friend of Lincoln, devoted her life to living with and working with the poor to develop solutions to the many problems they faced. She wrote many books, too, including her memoir Twenty years at Hull House.
The artwork is lovely, the basic information solid and inspiring for young readers. I liked it quite a bit.
September 5, 2021
Loved this! Such a beautifully done book. It is so sensitively told, conveying the struggles of those in need without being too melancholy or heavy for the target audience. Jane's strong spirit, sense of justice, and big heart shine throughout. I think it's great that the story starts with Jane as a child, seeing the injustices in the world and vowing to help fix them -- and that she didn't forget those childhood vows when she grew-up. I think this helps children feel that what they experience and dream about in their young lives is important and that they can make a difference in the world, even when problems might seem too big in the moment, even if they can't yet do as much as they would like at their young ages. The illustrations are lovely. The back matter is excellent,including further information about Jane (and some photographs) and Sources. Though I'd heard of Jane Addams, of course, I had never really learned much about her and this book makes me want to read more. Highly recommend!
April 13, 2019
What a great story about a wonderfully fascinating and powerful woman.
July 21, 2015
A picture book introduction about the community worker Jane Addams and the work she did to help the needy. Although this is a brief overview of her life and contributions, it does give a sense of why she is important. This will be an invaluable resource for discussing peace and justice issues with young readers.
May 25, 2017
Text: 4 stars
Illustrations: 4 stars
Picture book biography of Jane Addams. Focuses on her work building America's first settlement house. Watercolor illustrations depict the historical time period. An author's note in the back of the book provides more information and some photos of Jane. Bibliography included.
Illustrations: 4 stars
Picture book biography of Jane Addams. Focuses on her work building America's first settlement house. Watercolor illustrations depict the historical time period. An author's note in the back of the book provides more information and some photos of Jane. Bibliography included.
March 16, 2022
The story on Jane Addams can get shared over and over again in our classroom. We like how she shows respect for the people. Jane Addams is a good example of how people can accomplish all things as long as they work hard and always do their best.
March 11, 2016
With its lively text and anecdotes supported by illustrations created with watercolor and pen and ink, this picture book pays tribute to a woman who deserves every bit of attention that ever comes her way. The author relates some of the influences on Jane Addams, the founder of Hull House in Chicago. Addams was not one who spoke of acts of kindness and compassion without actions. Instead, she made sure that those in need could find food, shelter, work, and friendship. Inspired by a settlement house she saw in London, she established a similar place in Chicago. After all, not every resident of the city was wealthy. In addition to the anecdotes describing her contributions and the challenges she faced in the text, the Author's Note reveals even more about this amazing and inspiring woman who put others' needs before her own, and eventually earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, the first American woman to do so. It's hard not to be awed by this incredible role model and the changes she and her friends brought to the lives of many immigrant families. I can't help but wonder what she would do and so when faced with today's challenges and poverty.
June 29, 2017
Before I read this book I didn't know anything about Jane Addams, the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Mimi (daughter, age 10) read it first and gave it 5 stars, and I have to agree! Beautiful illustrations enhance the wonderful history of this kind and determined woman. Now I know all about Hull House, the very first community center in the United States. The author's note at the end of the book is not to be missed. Here I learned that Jane was very outspoken, that her opinions were often very unpopular (votes for women, opposition to WWI), and that the FBI kept a file on her calling her "the most dangerous woman in America"! This is definitely a book worth reading by just about anyone, but don't dare miss it if you're a girl/lady/woman/mother/sister/daughter of any age! 5 stars.
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February 6, 2022text-to-world connection
I chose "The House That Jane Built" with a little bit of stuff from our class this week in mind. I wanted to dive into some real-world, nonfiction-type stories. This one did not disappoint. Not only did this story hold historical value but taught some amazing life lessons on ambition, charity, goodwill, and determination. I love the story of Jane and how she made her ideas come to life on how to help people in the community less fortunate than her. This is a great way to look at working together to make here you live a better place for everyone living in it.
I chose "The House That Jane Built" with a little bit of stuff from our class this week in mind. I wanted to dive into some real-world, nonfiction-type stories. This one did not disappoint. Not only did this story hold historical value but taught some amazing life lessons on ambition, charity, goodwill, and determination. I love the story of Jane and how she made her ideas come to life on how to help people in the community less fortunate than her. This is a great way to look at working together to make here you live a better place for everyone living in it.
February 13, 2017
"The House that Jane Built: a Story About Jane Addams" might be my favorite children’s book of all time. I had chills nearly the entire time I was reading it. The book beautifully describes the development of Jane’s compassion and empathy toward people who are not as fortunate as her, starting with events from her childhood, and then tells what she accomplished as a result of those experiences. Shocking family and friends, she moves into the heart of a very rough Chicago neighborhood. As she takes the time and effort to understand the people there better, she takes more and more steps to help build up their community and better their lives. "The Lemonade Ripple" by Paul Reichert is a powerful fictional story of a young girl noticing a need in her community and doing what she can to help, starting a ripple effect that inspires increasingly larger scale projects from community members of all ages. The fact that the main character is so young and relatable gives kids the message that making a difference in the lives of others is actually manageable, and they, too, could do it. All children are moved at some point to do something for the good of others. Neither Jane nor Caroline allow that spark of passion to die out- they both turn a dream into action and serve to show kids and adults that we can, too. I would use these books with third graders and could do a content crossover to social studies, where we could compile a list of people who have made a meaningful impact on the lives of people in our community or world. I might have the kids each choose a different person and research facts to write and share about them. I might also use these books to introduce a class service project.
June 21, 2018
Content-area crossover -Social Studies
Twin Text: Elizabeth, Queen of the Sea by Lynne Cox
This book is about an elephant seal who swam in the street shallow waters of Avon River where it flowed through the heart of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Most sea elephants lived in salt water but not this one. The people of the town believed she was special. "She was strong and powerful and regal-like Elizabeth, the Queen of England." So they named the elephant seal after her. Naming her Elizabeth, Queen of the Sea. When Elizabeth would move into the street to sunbathe, it became unsafe for her and the people driving so they decided to take her to the ocean with other elephant seals. She did not stay there but returned to the city. After multiple attempts at taking her away but always finding her way back, the city decided to put up street signs to keep her and everyone safe. Christchurch was her home.
My reason for choosing this book as my Twin Text is because it relates "home" "In The House That Jane Built." Jane was born into a rich family where she enjoyed fancy things as a child, but when she saw people less fortunate than her, she decided that she would someday help them. She then moved into an impoverished neighborhood among the poor. She worked hard at helping them. Teaching street kids, employing men and even building the first park. She felt more at home living among them then she did when she was with her rich friends.
The activity I would choose for this is the webbing. I would have the word "home" in the middle and then have the students web off words that relate to it. After enough words written down, we would then discuss the book.
Twin Text: Elizabeth, Queen of the Sea by Lynne Cox
This book is about an elephant seal who swam in the street shallow waters of Avon River where it flowed through the heart of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Most sea elephants lived in salt water but not this one. The people of the town believed she was special. "She was strong and powerful and regal-like Elizabeth, the Queen of England." So they named the elephant seal after her. Naming her Elizabeth, Queen of the Sea. When Elizabeth would move into the street to sunbathe, it became unsafe for her and the people driving so they decided to take her to the ocean with other elephant seals. She did not stay there but returned to the city. After multiple attempts at taking her away but always finding her way back, the city decided to put up street signs to keep her and everyone safe. Christchurch was her home.
My reason for choosing this book as my Twin Text is because it relates "home" "In The House That Jane Built." Jane was born into a rich family where she enjoyed fancy things as a child, but when she saw people less fortunate than her, she decided that she would someday help them. She then moved into an impoverished neighborhood among the poor. She worked hard at helping them. Teaching street kids, employing men and even building the first park. She felt more at home living among them then she did when she was with her rich friends.
The activity I would choose for this is the webbing. I would have the word "home" in the middle and then have the students web off words that relate to it. After enough words written down, we would then discuss the book.
June 29, 2015
The House That Jane built is a Historical Biography of Jane Addams. It is an inspirational story about the life and work of First American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. This book is packed with information and would be an inspiration for any of my students. It is also a great book to point out character traits to aspire to. I also enjoyed how this is a story about a strong female character that did this in times where women were not encouraged to go to college, own property or be as publically active as she was. She is feminist character in this aspect.
I have choose this book for my Resiliency text set because it shows how no matter what struggles came her way Jane Addams found ways to adapt and overcome many hardships to help others. It shows also how a community can come together to build something and grow together. How my students can work together to make a change is something that is important for them to understand and learn. This story shows how change is possible but it takes hard work, patience and not giving up reaching their goals.
I have choose this book for my Resiliency text set because it shows how no matter what struggles came her way Jane Addams found ways to adapt and overcome many hardships to help others. It shows also how a community can come together to build something and grow together. How my students can work together to make a change is something that is important for them to understand and learn. This story shows how change is possible but it takes hard work, patience and not giving up reaching their goals.
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April 7, 2018Text-To-World
Jane Addams is my new hero! This book taught me so much about a woman who's name I had heard of, but knew nothing about. Jane Addams was a well-off woman who created the first 'community center' by acquiring a large home in Chicago and living a radical life of generosity and trust. With this, she was able to create a place where children and families in need could thrive. She, and those who helped her, paved the way for centers such as these that give children a way to learn and a place to play. Not only does this grow their knowledge and happiness, but usually keeps them out of trouble! Jane was a woman who didn't mind 'living simply in order for others to simply live'. As we mentioned in our Social Justice unit last week, sometimes those who are given more have to step up to make the world better for those who don't have the means to do those things themselves. Jane Addams saw a need and figured out a clever way to fix it. She is truly an inspiration, especially to those of us interested in the issue of Social Justice.
Jane Addams is my new hero! This book taught me so much about a woman who's name I had heard of, but knew nothing about. Jane Addams was a well-off woman who created the first 'community center' by acquiring a large home in Chicago and living a radical life of generosity and trust. With this, she was able to create a place where children and families in need could thrive. She, and those who helped her, paved the way for centers such as these that give children a way to learn and a place to play. Not only does this grow their knowledge and happiness, but usually keeps them out of trouble! Jane was a woman who didn't mind 'living simply in order for others to simply live'. As we mentioned in our Social Justice unit last week, sometimes those who are given more have to step up to make the world better for those who don't have the means to do those things themselves. Jane Addams saw a need and figured out a clever way to fix it. She is truly an inspiration, especially to those of us interested in the issue of Social Justice.
February 26, 2019
Jane Addams was a wealthy young woman at loose ends when she witnessed crushing poverty in London and remembered how similar conditions existed back in her home. She visited a settlement house while she was abroad and returned to Chicago full of ideas and energy to recreate something similar for her fellow citizens. When she selected the initial building - Hull House - for her own settlement house, its owner wound up donating it to her after she explained her mission. Jane and others taught classes, served meals, provided bathrooms, and created other services that helped poor people in their community. They expanded into 12 other buildings and gave people the things they needed to help them achieve their dreams. A truly inspiring story of a woman who used her wealth and position and privilege to do so much for so many other people. A lovely introduction to Hull House and Jane Addams for the young, picturebook crowd.
November 4, 2015
I had so many wrong assumptions about this book! For instance, I thought this was about the wife of John Adams (despite the difference in spelling) which just goes to show how amazing I am with history. Luckily, this book kept showing up on lots of NFPB posts and I was intrigued. I'm so glad I picked it up because what Jane Addams did through Hull House (and other things mentioned in the Author's Note) is something I want to help happen in this world. People coming together to build a community- the ones who are able to helping those in need and the ones who may not have as much still finding ways to contribute or having a place to eat or bathe.
April 23, 2018
This was a fantastic book to share with my 7yo (first grade). It was simple and short, but the message was strong: there are things everyone can do to make the world a better place.
I also read this with my 5yo and while it was a good read with beautiful illustrations, the message wasn't quite as clear for her. It was a good reminder for me to pick up some picture books for the older kids still, when we are moving on to longer books, because sparking the conversation is the first step to effect change.
Highly recommended.
I also read this with my 5yo and while it was a good read with beautiful illustrations, the message wasn't quite as clear for her. It was a good reminder for me to pick up some picture books for the older kids still, when we are moving on to longer books, because sparking the conversation is the first step to effect change.
Highly recommended.
December 9, 2018
The story of one woman's idea and path to changing the world.
I had never heard of Jane Addams before, but I'm going to have to look up more about her as this was a cool story that obviously only scratched the surface! Though not a life path that every reader can take, still a neat way to see how somebody had an idea, researched and got more information, built on it and helped change the lives of those in need.
No content issues, though a family death is part of Jane's struggle and a burglary happens, with a positive ending, no injuries or gruesome details.
December 17, 2017
This is a great introduction to Jane Addams and the founding of Hull House. Addams social reforming and activism benefited many people, and this, although focused on just Hull House, reflects that. Of course I wish there could have been more info about those who were also instrumental in Hull House, or on Addams’ Nobel Peace Prize or being a founding member of the NAACP and the ACLU, but there’s only so much room in a picture book. :) The art was not really my style, although it is well done.
July 28, 2018
What a fascinating story about an amazing lady. This is one of those books that makes me want to read more, not just about Jane Addams, but also about the Woman's Peace Party and her tenement houses. The story in this is wonderfully condensed for the audience it's trying to reach and such a tease for anyone wanting more information. I thought the blurb about her in the back was just as excellent as the book.
January 11, 2017
Describes Jane Addams desire to help the poor and her idea to begin Hull House in a bad neighborhood in Chicago. A nice introduction into some of the work that Jane Addams did and contains an informative author's note and list of sources.
June 22, 2015
A great introduction to the life and work of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist and humanitarian.
May 6, 2024
Wanting to read a complete biography that will leave you wanting to helping others in need? The House that Built Me by Tanya Lee Stone is a Jane Addams award winning book that perfectly wrote about the life of Janne Addams and all she did to make an impact on the place she lived. This authentic biography provides a timeline of her life with dates and sources. Jane Addams was an amazing women who decided to put her life aside and help those who needed it most in an area that was looked down upon with high crime and poverty. The illustrator Kathryn Brown used watercolors throughout the novel and in once specific spread, Jane had recently lost her father and she was overlooking the beautifully painted sky from the balcony of her home. This is a turning point for Janne Addams because she knew she had a greater purpose in life. Another spread that will leave the reader speechless is a drawing of Jane Addams providing a safe playground for kids to play at. There are bright colors used and kids swinging in different directions. This is just one small way that Jane helped the community. Overall, the purpose of this book was to inform the reader about Janne Addams and all she accomplished in her lifetime.
January 15, 2022
How have I never heard about Jane Addams?!
October 3, 2023
Well written, beautiful and thoughtful illustrations, and a great subject to learn about.
April 4, 2025
Very inspiring book with concise information on how Jane Addams made a difference to help those in poverty and the community collectively.
July 15, 2015
Jane Addams was a girl born into comfort and wealth, but even as a child she noticed that not everyone lived like that. In a time when most women were not educated, Addams went to Seminary. When traveling with her friends in Europe she saw real poverty and then also saw a unique solution in London that she brought home with her. In Chicago, she started the first settlement house, a huge house that worked to help the poor right in the most destitute part of town. Hull House helped the poor find jobs and offered them resources. Addams also created a public bath which helped convince the city that more public baths were needed. She also found a way to have children play safely by creating the first public playground. Children were often home alone as their parents worked long hours, so she created before and after school programs for them to attend and even had evening classes for older students who had to work during the day. By the 1920s, Hull House as serving 9000 people a week! It had grown to several buildings and was the precursor to community centers.
Jane Addams was a remarkable woman. While this picture book biography looks specifically at Hull House, she also was active in the peace movement and labeled by the FBI as “the most dangerous woman in America.” In 1931, she became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She wrote hundreds of articles and eleven books, she worked for women’s suffrage, and was a founding member of both the ACLU and the NAACP. At the turn of the century she was one of the most famous women in the world. The beauty of her story is that she saw a need and met it with her own tenacity and resources. She asked others to contribute, but did not step back and just fund the efforts, instead keeping on working and living right in that part of Chicago. Her story is a message of hope and a tale of a life well lived in service to others.
Brown’s illustrations depict the neighborhood around Hull House in all of its gritty color. Laundry flies in the breeze, litter fills the alleys, and children are in patched clothes and often barefoot. Through both the illustrations and the text, readers will see the kindness of Jane Addams shining on the page. Her gentleness shows as does her determination to make a difference.
This biography is a glimpse of an incredible woman whose legacy lives on in the United States and will serve as inspiration for those children looking to make a difference in the world around them. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Jane Addams was a remarkable woman. While this picture book biography looks specifically at Hull House, she also was active in the peace movement and labeled by the FBI as “the most dangerous woman in America.” In 1931, she became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She wrote hundreds of articles and eleven books, she worked for women’s suffrage, and was a founding member of both the ACLU and the NAACP. At the turn of the century she was one of the most famous women in the world. The beauty of her story is that she saw a need and met it with her own tenacity and resources. She asked others to contribute, but did not step back and just fund the efforts, instead keeping on working and living right in that part of Chicago. Her story is a message of hope and a tale of a life well lived in service to others.
Brown’s illustrations depict the neighborhood around Hull House in all of its gritty color. Laundry flies in the breeze, litter fills the alleys, and children are in patched clothes and often barefoot. Through both the illustrations and the text, readers will see the kindness of Jane Addams shining on the page. Her gentleness shows as does her determination to make a difference.
This biography is a glimpse of an incredible woman whose legacy lives on in the United States and will serve as inspiration for those children looking to make a difference in the world around them. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
November 9, 2015
Stone, Tanya Lee. The House That Jane Built. Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2015. 40 p. Gr. K-4.
Jane Addams was a remarkable woman. When Jane was just six years old, she noticed that not everyone lived the way she did. At that moment, she vowed that one day she would “live in the midst of horrid little houses and change the world!” Her father did not believe that woman should not receive an education and sent Jane to school. After she graduated at the top of her class, she did not know what to do with her life, so she traveled. In London, she saw the most amazing thing! In Toynbee Hall the rich and poor came together and built a community where everyone lived happily helping each other. Jane knew what she had to do! She moved to Chicago, in the gritty side. She found a house that she rented until she told the owner her plans. The owner gave Jane the house and the journey began. Jane left the door open every night for people to enter. She had a different way of thinking, and soon her one home became thirteen, including a gymnasium, coffeehouse, theatre, music school, community kitchen, and an art gallery. Not to mention the public bathrooms and the first town park she inspired! Jane was an amazing woman who used her own money to start a foundation, who inspired others to be just as giving and who helped Jane expand her dream!
Tanya Lee Stone has written a book that not only inspires young readers, but also captures the real life story of Jane Addams in a way that young children can understand. While young children enjoy reading fictional stories, it is important to introduce non-fiction as well. The House that Jane Built is a great way to introduce biographies to children and allow them to also interact with discussions on peace and justice issues within our society. Children will be able to relate to issues that we occur today in our world and understand that we have always incurred troubles throughout history. However, it is how you pursue these issues that matters most. Students can pick a topic that they feel is a problem within their communities or our country and write ways they would like to help. This could turn into a great classroom project where students contribute or gather items to donate to an organization of their choice. It could be for an animal shelter, it could be for military personnel, or it could be for a local organization that assists with those in need of clothes, shelter, or food.
There are many ways a teacher could use Tanya Lee Stone’s book into their classroom!
Jane Addams was a remarkable woman. When Jane was just six years old, she noticed that not everyone lived the way she did. At that moment, she vowed that one day she would “live in the midst of horrid little houses and change the world!” Her father did not believe that woman should not receive an education and sent Jane to school. After she graduated at the top of her class, she did not know what to do with her life, so she traveled. In London, she saw the most amazing thing! In Toynbee Hall the rich and poor came together and built a community where everyone lived happily helping each other. Jane knew what she had to do! She moved to Chicago, in the gritty side. She found a house that she rented until she told the owner her plans. The owner gave Jane the house and the journey began. Jane left the door open every night for people to enter. She had a different way of thinking, and soon her one home became thirteen, including a gymnasium, coffeehouse, theatre, music school, community kitchen, and an art gallery. Not to mention the public bathrooms and the first town park she inspired! Jane was an amazing woman who used her own money to start a foundation, who inspired others to be just as giving and who helped Jane expand her dream!
Tanya Lee Stone has written a book that not only inspires young readers, but also captures the real life story of Jane Addams in a way that young children can understand. While young children enjoy reading fictional stories, it is important to introduce non-fiction as well. The House that Jane Built is a great way to introduce biographies to children and allow them to also interact with discussions on peace and justice issues within our society. Children will be able to relate to issues that we occur today in our world and understand that we have always incurred troubles throughout history. However, it is how you pursue these issues that matters most. Students can pick a topic that they feel is a problem within their communities or our country and write ways they would like to help. This could turn into a great classroom project where students contribute or gather items to donate to an organization of their choice. It could be for an animal shelter, it could be for military personnel, or it could be for a local organization that assists with those in need of clothes, shelter, or food.
There are many ways a teacher could use Tanya Lee Stone’s book into their classroom!
March 7, 2018
i. A concise summary (4-5 sentences) of the book: This book follows a true story of a woman in Chicago named Jane Addams who was determined to make the world a better place. Learning from her father and appreciating her life as a wealthy woman, her father was able to allow her to read and grow while giving her a strong education. After his passing she takes his teachings and fortune and helps develop a place for underprivileged people in Chicago to come, find work, have a warm meal and room over their head while doing so with kindness and compassion the entire time.
ii.. A sentence about the major theme(s) of the story: Through the simple teachings of a wealthy women she is able to follow her dreams of changing the world through kindness and compassion each and every day.
iii. A star rating: 5
iv. A personal response to the text: I think that this book is a wonderful book and story for children to have in the classroom. When finding a book to use in a classroom setting I always like to think about the book's teachings outside the texts on the page. Through a story like this you are able to take and develop really an entire curriculum of history and knowledge from this. I can totally see this developing in a bridge between literature and history, having the class research her more or other influential women or even Nobel Peace Prize winners and developing a couple weeks of lesson plans from this simple story.
v. Why you recommend this book: So often we get caught up in the storyline of a book and what lessons are being taught or gained from this specific make-believe story. In doing so we forget all of the books and stories that were written that are true. I think that this book is so important and special because not only does it tell the story of a truly remarkable historical women is promotes charity and good-will and one of the first strong, independent female figures in our history books.
ii.. A sentence about the major theme(s) of the story: Through the simple teachings of a wealthy women she is able to follow her dreams of changing the world through kindness and compassion each and every day.
iii. A star rating: 5
iv. A personal response to the text: I think that this book is a wonderful book and story for children to have in the classroom. When finding a book to use in a classroom setting I always like to think about the book's teachings outside the texts on the page. Through a story like this you are able to take and develop really an entire curriculum of history and knowledge from this. I can totally see this developing in a bridge between literature and history, having the class research her more or other influential women or even Nobel Peace Prize winners and developing a couple weeks of lesson plans from this simple story.
v. Why you recommend this book: So often we get caught up in the storyline of a book and what lessons are being taught or gained from this specific make-believe story. In doing so we forget all of the books and stories that were written that are true. I think that this book is so important and special because not only does it tell the story of a truly remarkable historical women is promotes charity and good-will and one of the first strong, independent female figures in our history books.
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