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My Story: Girls
Mill Girl
In spring 1842 Eliza is shocked when she is sent to work in the Manchester cotton mills - the noisy, suffocating mills. The work is backbreaking and dangerous - and when she sees her friends' lives wrecked by poverty, sickness and unrest, Eliza realizes she must fight to escape the fate of a mill girl...
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 20, 2016
I've never been a huge history buff and I somehow find it a little tedious to read as factual books even if it's pretty interesting stuff...As it happens working in education always opens my eyes to new books coming out or series that children love,etc. I'd been told about 'My Story' series before and how they make a retelling fun for primary aged children while still keeping things factorial and historically accurate.
With the 'My Story' series you don't have to read anything in order because all the stories have no continuation which is excellent so I can pick which ever one that takes my fancy....And the first one that looked interesting to me was Mill Girl.
This book features Eliza a cotton mill worker...She makes diary entries of what life is like during the period she worked in one (the same one as her father)...She was far more interested in being an academic and even that a brief dream of becoming a teacher herself but as soon as she turned 13 her world was turned upside down...Her family needed more income and her mother couldn't get a job and her younger sister was too little.
Her teacher gives her a gift of a diary and that's where she opens up about her day to day life because she doesn't have any true friends, something that makes her quite upset. While working in the Mill is anything but grand, she does manage to make two female friends which seem to be a little 'out there' which leads her into trouble with her mother..In this day and age her friends 'out there' attitude would be laughed and ignored as it was just children being children but we've got to remember this book is set in the Victorian days.
While writing in her diary she'll make comments about how her mother is warmer to her younger sister which makes her feel a bit jilted. Eliza is basically all thumbs when it comes to sowing while her sister seems to excel at it. Her mother may be playing favourites but she is also heartbroken with the death of her son who used to work in the Mills like Eliza and her father.
This book highlights things we kinda just take for granted in today's age- one being able to afford education which her family couldn't. It also highlights the fact how poorly people were treated and it was very rare if much care/warmth was shown towards the employed...It briefly touches on 'herbal' type remedies but it doesn't really delve very far into that except it brings her grandfather and Eliza closer together.
The book also opens your eyes to the Industrial revolution during the 1800's in the United Kingdom. In the very back of the book you'll be given more historical facts so it helps paint a bigger picture of who the Chartists and there constant attempts of Political Reform.
While I obviously enjoyed the story a great deal the ending was a little 'too good' to be true...Still, it's not a completely unrealistic ending either.
With the 'My Story' series you don't have to read anything in order because all the stories have no continuation which is excellent so I can pick which ever one that takes my fancy....And the first one that looked interesting to me was Mill Girl.
This book features Eliza a cotton mill worker...She makes diary entries of what life is like during the period she worked in one (the same one as her father)...She was far more interested in being an academic and even that a brief dream of becoming a teacher herself but as soon as she turned 13 her world was turned upside down...Her family needed more income and her mother couldn't get a job and her younger sister was too little.
Her teacher gives her a gift of a diary and that's where she opens up about her day to day life because she doesn't have any true friends, something that makes her quite upset. While working in the Mill is anything but grand, she does manage to make two female friends which seem to be a little 'out there' which leads her into trouble with her mother..In this day and age her friends 'out there' attitude would be laughed and ignored as it was just children being children but we've got to remember this book is set in the Victorian days.
While writing in her diary she'll make comments about how her mother is warmer to her younger sister which makes her feel a bit jilted. Eliza is basically all thumbs when it comes to sowing while her sister seems to excel at it. Her mother may be playing favourites but she is also heartbroken with the death of her son who used to work in the Mills like Eliza and her father.
This book highlights things we kinda just take for granted in today's age- one being able to afford education which her family couldn't. It also highlights the fact how poorly people were treated and it was very rare if much care/warmth was shown towards the employed...It briefly touches on 'herbal' type remedies but it doesn't really delve very far into that except it brings her grandfather and Eliza closer together.
The book also opens your eyes to the Industrial revolution during the 1800's in the United Kingdom. In the very back of the book you'll be given more historical facts so it helps paint a bigger picture of who the Chartists and there constant attempts of Political Reform.
While I obviously enjoyed the story a great deal the ending was a little 'too good' to be true...Still, it's not a completely unrealistic ending either.
January 19, 2016
Thirteen year old Eliza has to leave school because her family cannot afford it anymore, her younger sister is thrilled, but Eliza is crushed. This is pretty much how the book starts, and what a depressing way to start. It brings forward all the things that we take for granted, when back in 1842, Manchester, they couldn't afford a sixpence for classes and education.
Eliza's father works in the mill, and her brother used to work there as well before suffering a fatal accident which broke her mother's heart and made her vow to never allow any of her children to work there ever again. This is such a huge relief to poor Eliza, who hates the idea of ever having to work there. However, this isn't meant to be a happy story, and soon, when things get really bad that the parents have no choice but to send their daughter in to work at the mill, Eliza is shocked and devastated and cannot believe the conditions she's expected to work in. Working at the mill is dangerous and unhealthy, even the water is contaminated, not to mention that they are paid a pittance for the long hours spent working.
However, the people soon have enough and thus begins a time of rioting and strikes for better pay and better conditions. Eliza transports us back into these times and the struggle people faced of earning a decent living, while giving us a glimpse of the Luddites and their fight.
Well written book, very enlightening and inspiring.
Eliza's father works in the mill, and her brother used to work there as well before suffering a fatal accident which broke her mother's heart and made her vow to never allow any of her children to work there ever again. This is such a huge relief to poor Eliza, who hates the idea of ever having to work there. However, this isn't meant to be a happy story, and soon, when things get really bad that the parents have no choice but to send their daughter in to work at the mill, Eliza is shocked and devastated and cannot believe the conditions she's expected to work in. Working at the mill is dangerous and unhealthy, even the water is contaminated, not to mention that they are paid a pittance for the long hours spent working.
However, the people soon have enough and thus begins a time of rioting and strikes for better pay and better conditions. Eliza transports us back into these times and the struggle people faced of earning a decent living, while giving us a glimpse of the Luddites and their fight.
Well written book, very enlightening and inspiring.
June 6, 2017
3.5 stars
My Story: Mill Girl ended up being much better than I thought it would be. This was a book I randomly picked up because the size of it was rather small book (I also ended up finishing it in one sitting), it's historical and it looked interesting. I'm so glad I read it!
My Story: Mill Girl ended up being much better than I thought it would be. This was a book I randomly picked up because the size of it was rather small book (I also ended up finishing it in one sitting), it's historical and it looked interesting. I'm so glad I read it!
February 2, 2012
Mill Girl by Sue Reid is the diary of thirteen year old Eliza, from the My Story range for Key Stage Two. Eliza lives in Manchester during Victorian times. She enjoys school and is described by her teacher as the 'best scholar', giving Eliza the ambition to one day become a teacher. Eliza's father works in the Cotton Mill, something she hopes she will never have to do. When her parents can no longer afford the school tuition fee, she has to leave school and complete house hold chores instead. One evening Eliza's parents sit her down to break the news that she will be joining her father in the Cotton Mill. Eliza's diary produces key information about how the life in the Cotton Mills was for a child and their families, how they were treated by the Masters and the poor wages they were paid. It allows children to dive into the History of Manchester and the Industrial Revolution, including the attempts for Political Reforms by the Chartists.
During my Alternative Placement in Manchester the Year 5 class are using Eliza's diary to understand the History of the City they live in. They have been learning about the Victorian's in History and also visited the Victorian Times Museum. In literacy the class are writing a brochure for tourists visiting Manchester, in which they speak of the Cotton Mills in the History and Museums sections as a number of Cotton Mills are now Museums.
During my Alternative Placement in Manchester the Year 5 class are using Eliza's diary to understand the History of the City they live in. They have been learning about the Victorian's in History and also visited the Victorian Times Museum. In literacy the class are writing a brochure for tourists visiting Manchester, in which they speak of the Cotton Mills in the History and Museums sections as a number of Cotton Mills are now Museums.
November 10, 2008
Nice to learn a little history of Manchester's cotton mills, even if it is through a fictional diary of a young girl. In fact, this is how I usually prefer to learn history. I'm more likely to remember it now that I can associate it with a short story in my head.
September 26, 2019
This is a good book. It is a good way to read fiction but also learn about the past. I felt sorry for the girl, Eliza. This is because she had to leave school to work long hours at the mill. It must also have been hard for her as she had lost her brother. I liked the ending because she left Manchester and got to go and live in the country side. Although she still had to work at a mill, she was treated a lot better in the mill in the countryside than the one in Manchester.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2023
A nice little short story x
September 18, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this and liked how Eliza's expressed and told her feelings and days were. My most favourite characters in this book are Eliza's family, Jack's family and Mrs Legg.
And I've found the relationship/friendships between Eliza and Jack, also, Jack and William were really cute. It is sad, though, that William wasn't there and Jack is too far away.
And I've found the relationship/friendships between Eliza and Jack, also, Jack and William were really cute. It is sad, though, that William wasn't there and Jack is too far away.
October 25, 2007
When I was 12, I adored books written in diary format and anything to do with history. Thus, "Mill Girl" was one of my favourite books and I reread it dozens of times. Strangely, I never read any of the other books in the "My Story" series but this book is in my Keepers box under my bed.
October 24, 2021
Very interesting. It taught me a lot about history.
June 25, 2024
Rating: 3.5 stars
This was the first 'old style' My Story book I'd seen in a while when I bought it, and you can certainly tell when reading it; the older ones generally read so much better! They feel more nuanced and layered, and really bring the 'writer' and her family to life. This is no exception - the author manages to properly evoke the harsh conditions of the cotton mill (while keeping it generic enough to not scare off its target audience) and the difficult circumstances in which the main character finds herself, while also portraying lighter moments and drawing a heartwarming sense of family connection. I also love the books in this series that hint at the diarist's first crush, or the hint of a possible future with a childhood sweetheart, which IMO this book absolutely does! And once again they've gone with the staple older brother that gets written out of the picture in some way... another hallmark of the series that usually indicates you're in for a good one.
However, where this book falls down when compared to others in the series is that it doesn't really get to the heart of a well known historical event. The best books in this series manage to involve the main character in something familiar, e.g. the sinking of the Titanic, the Great Plague etc. and manage to educate as well as entertain. In this case, there is some involvement with the Chartist movement, but it's not really central to the plot and, while a brief explanation is included (as well as the usual historical notes and pictures at the end), it's not exactly something that an average pre-teen is going to understand the importance of without proper context - it's politics after all! The book had a great opportunity to inform younger readers about an important aspect of British history, but in this case it feels like the author gave up on the idea.
That being said, it does tell a necessary tale about the Induatrial Revolution and the cruelties and hardships faced by children forced into work at that time. I can imagine this being a useful teaching aid for the right age group, allowing them to imagine what their own lives would be like if they lived during this period.
Unfortunately there does seem to be a few other half-woven threads running through the story; characters are introduced as if you've met them before when you haven't; others are introduced as if you're going to get to know them and then written out very quickly, and there's a creepy undertone with one character in particular which feels very out of place as there's no real conclusion to it.
Will keep as part of my collection, but there are definitely other ones in the series I prefer!
This was the first 'old style' My Story book I'd seen in a while when I bought it, and you can certainly tell when reading it; the older ones generally read so much better! They feel more nuanced and layered, and really bring the 'writer' and her family to life. This is no exception - the author manages to properly evoke the harsh conditions of the cotton mill (while keeping it generic enough to not scare off its target audience) and the difficult circumstances in which the main character finds herself, while also portraying lighter moments and drawing a heartwarming sense of family connection. I also love the books in this series that hint at the diarist's first crush, or the hint of a possible future with a childhood sweetheart, which IMO this book absolutely does! And once again they've gone with the staple older brother that gets written out of the picture in some way... another hallmark of the series that usually indicates you're in for a good one.
However, where this book falls down when compared to others in the series is that it doesn't really get to the heart of a well known historical event. The best books in this series manage to involve the main character in something familiar, e.g. the sinking of the Titanic, the Great Plague etc. and manage to educate as well as entertain. In this case, there is some involvement with the Chartist movement, but it's not really central to the plot and, while a brief explanation is included (as well as the usual historical notes and pictures at the end), it's not exactly something that an average pre-teen is going to understand the importance of without proper context - it's politics after all! The book had a great opportunity to inform younger readers about an important aspect of British history, but in this case it feels like the author gave up on the idea.
That being said, it does tell a necessary tale about the Induatrial Revolution and the cruelties and hardships faced by children forced into work at that time. I can imagine this being a useful teaching aid for the right age group, allowing them to imagine what their own lives would be like if they lived during this period.
Unfortunately there does seem to be a few other half-woven threads running through the story; characters are introduced as if you've met them before when you haven't; others are introduced as if you're going to get to know them and then written out very quickly, and there's a creepy undertone with one character in particular which feels very out of place as there's no real conclusion to it.
Will keep as part of my collection, but there are definitely other ones in the series I prefer!
March 28, 2020
Eliza, her parents and her sister all live in a small 'court' near the mill her father works in. Her father is out at all hours, when not working, and eliza doesn't know why. What she does know is that her father is not receiving the pay he used to and her mother dotes on her younger sister, but not on her, since the death of her brother.
Eliza longs to become a teacher, but that dream is shattered when her parents inform her that she is going to go work at the mill. The heat, noise, fluff, dirty water, etc is Eliza very idea of hell. But working there does give her some information on what is going on. Her father is out running around attending meetings and such with a group called the Chartists. These are working class people protesting the poor wages and working conditions in the mills around the country.
Eliza witnesses some protests and speeches, as well as the break in at the mill, designed to stop the factory from producing. While I know a good deal about the history around textile factories in the early days in North America, I didn't know too much about the English side of things and how it all led into the eventual charter. So I found some of it pretty interesting.
Eliza longs to become a teacher, but that dream is shattered when her parents inform her that she is going to go work at the mill. The heat, noise, fluff, dirty water, etc is Eliza very idea of hell. But working there does give her some information on what is going on. Her father is out running around attending meetings and such with a group called the Chartists. These are working class people protesting the poor wages and working conditions in the mills around the country.
Eliza witnesses some protests and speeches, as well as the break in at the mill, designed to stop the factory from producing. While I know a good deal about the history around textile factories in the early days in North America, I didn't know too much about the English side of things and how it all led into the eventual charter. So I found some of it pretty interesting.
November 29, 2020
I read this book because it came with a whole bunch of others that I bought as a job lot on eBay. It stood out because it’s part of a Scholastic line that focusses on historical fiction, and it’s also pretty cool because it takes the form of a diary.
We’ve got a young female protagonist living in Victorian Manchester and who works in a Mill, and so you know going in that she’s going to have a pretty tough life. At the same time, the book’s clearly aimed at younger readers and so there’s nothing here that’s so intense that it would stop a parent from reading it to their kids.
But to be honest, the point here is more to educate kids about what it was like back in the day, and I think it does a pretty good job of that. Even though it’s written the way it is, in an episodic format based on diary entries, the author actually manages to do an impressive job of worldbuilding, and so it’s easy to feel as though you can smell the city.
Plus I’m originally from the Midlands, which makes me an honourary northerner. I was always going to like it. A nice find!
We’ve got a young female protagonist living in Victorian Manchester and who works in a Mill, and so you know going in that she’s going to have a pretty tough life. At the same time, the book’s clearly aimed at younger readers and so there’s nothing here that’s so intense that it would stop a parent from reading it to their kids.
But to be honest, the point here is more to educate kids about what it was like back in the day, and I think it does a pretty good job of that. Even though it’s written the way it is, in an episodic format based on diary entries, the author actually manages to do an impressive job of worldbuilding, and so it’s easy to feel as though you can smell the city.
Plus I’m originally from the Midlands, which makes me an honourary northerner. I was always going to like it. A nice find!
May 30, 2018
I'm just not convinced that this was an interesting-enough period of history to write a book about. Other novels in the My Story series have made a point of choosing events and time periods that would capture the interest of children - the sinking of the Titanic, the beheading of Anne Boleyn and the Great Fire of London. Shockingly, I don't think the Industrial Revolution and the mills are interesting reading material for 8 - 14 year old girls.
Add this to the fact that nothing really happens in this book. If you're looking for something exciting - deaths, emotional toil, romance - read something else, because Eliza's journey from school girl to mill girl is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
This is the problem with having so many authors contribute to the My Story series - sometimes, it just doesn't hit the mark.
Add this to the fact that nothing really happens in this book. If you're looking for something exciting - deaths, emotional toil, romance - read something else, because Eliza's journey from school girl to mill girl is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
This is the problem with having so many authors contribute to the My Story series - sometimes, it just doesn't hit the mark.
December 27, 2021
A pleasant upbeat story that was slow in getting started but quickly picked up.
Synopsis
Eliza is forced to leave school as there’s no money. She becomes a mill girl but wants more. Through the strikes, violence and fear of those she loves getting hurt she sees her friend Jack and his family leave for the States. She moves with her family to the countryside and is shown that she might still have a chance to be more than a mill girl. It’s a very fun book for a kid who likes History
Synopsis
Eliza is forced to leave school as there’s no money. She becomes a mill girl but wants more. Through the strikes, violence and fear of those she loves getting hurt she sees her friend Jack and his family leave for the States. She moves with her family to the countryside and is shown that she might still have a chance to be more than a mill girl. It’s a very fun book for a kid who likes History
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2025
I found this to be a very interesting read, not only because of the story but the diary entries structure gained a lot of interest.
This book gave an insight to Eliza’s experiences firsthand, however, I feel like it could have gone in to depth a bit more of her thoughts and feelings.
Definitely an interesting read and plan on reading other ‘My Story” titles.
This book gave an insight to Eliza’s experiences firsthand, however, I feel like it could have gone in to depth a bit more of her thoughts and feelings.
Definitely an interesting read and plan on reading other ‘My Story” titles.
December 27, 2025
This a very moving book.
We read the diary of Eliza Helstead, a young mill girl who lives with her family in the smoke filled, polluted environment of Manchester.
A very sad, but excellent book, which just shows how much time has changed and how much we take for granted.
A must read for historians.
We read the diary of Eliza Helstead, a young mill girl who lives with her family in the smoke filled, polluted environment of Manchester.
A very sad, but excellent book, which just shows how much time has changed and how much we take for granted.
A must read for historians.
August 4, 2017
A really interesting account of a 13 year old's life working in the Manchester cotton mills. Very informative about Victorian life, living conditions and the chartists.
October 22, 2017
Obviously aimed at children, but interesting insight on the Manchester riots, knew about working conditions, but this related it to 'real' people.
May 11, 2018
*2.5 stars
August 7, 2019
I don't know why so many of these were published but I quite liked a lot of them including this one
August 20, 2019
The historical content is what makes this interesting, however the writing as the girl is mawkish and a little clumsy.
Read
August 21, 201932nd book read in 2019
September 3, 2020
A good, simple account of the Industrial Revolution. A good way to teach kids about different people in different points of history.
March 4, 2023
First person account of a historical episode makes it much easier to follow the politics of the time.
August 18, 2023
My story books are so addicting and upsetting
August 31, 2024
Written in diary form. Good historical fiction book on what life was like working in cotton mills.
November 2, 2024
I couldn't imagine working in a mill. Sounds awful and terrible.
November 12, 2024
This was alright, read it on the plane. Think it's aimed at a younger audience but there were still some complex bits to understand imo.
January 31, 2025
It was fine, the storyline was very on and off, I found myself bored more of the time but the parts that were good were very fun to read. I also feel like the ending didn’t close up very well
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews