Teens are also invited to participate in one of the Adult Book Discussions this month. Stop by one of the reference desks upstairs to find out more and pick up your free copy of Grapes of Wrath.
Young Adult authors have written some fantastic depression-era stories for teens. I recommend:
Ten Cents a Dance by Portland author Christine Fletcher.
We meet Ruby who has had a hard time surviving the depression years after her mother could no longer work and she had to quit school to support her family by working at the same meat-packing plant that caused her mother's injuries. Ruby is 16, and she wants to dance, listen to music and have fun just like any other teenager. When she learns about a local taxi dancing club, she senses an opportunity to make more money and have fun at the same time. However, dancing with strange men at a dime a pop ends up being harder work than she thought possible, especially since she must hide her new profession from her family.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression.
Dust by Arthur Slade
Eleven-year-old Robert is the only one who can help when a mysterious stranger arrives, performing tricks and promising to bring rain, at the same time children begin to disappear from a dust bowl farm town in Saskatchewan in the 1930s.
No comments:
Post a Comment