Kids on Strike!

Kids on Strike! chronicles the role of young workers in American labor movements during the Industrial Revolution. The book focuses on strikes and protests led by children and teenagers who worked in factories, mills, mines, and other industrial settings from the 1800s to early 1900s. The text presents real accounts of youth organizers and participants in major labor actions, including the Lowell Mill strikes and newsboys' strikes. Through photographs, first-hand testimonies, and historical records, readers learn about the working conditions that sparked these protests and the methods young people used to demand change. This work of narrative nonfiction examines the intersection of child labor, immigration, education, and economic justice in American history. It demonstrates how young people helped shape labor laws and workplace reforms that continue to impact society today.

Readers note this book effectively presents the child labor movement from the perspective of young workers, making history accessible to middle-grade students. Teachers and librarians report it works well for classroom discussions about workers' rights and social reform. Reviewers appreciate: - Personal stories and firsthand accounts from child laborers - Historic photographs that document working conditions - Clear explanations of complex labor issues for young readers Common criticisms: - Some sections drag with excessive detail - Structure can feel scattered when jumping between different strikes - A few readers found the tone occasionally too academic Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (432 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (21 ratings) "The photographs alone tell powerful stories," wrote one teacher reviewer on Goodreads. A student reviewer noted: "It taught me about an important part of history but never felt like a textbook." The book won the ALA Notable Children's Book award and IRA Children's Book Award.

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix This historical novel follows three immigrant girls who experience the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory strike and fire, depicting labor conditions and activism in New York's garment industry.

Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson Two children become caught up in the 1912 Lawrence Mill Strike in Massachusetts, illuminating the struggles of immigrant workers and their families.

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson The true story chronicles how Black children and teens in Birmingham, Alabama participated in protest marches and endured jail to fight for civil rights.

Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children by Jonah Winter This picture book recounts labor activist Mother Jones's 1903 march with child workers from Philadelphia to New York to protest child labor conditions.

Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop A 12-year-old mill worker in 1910 Vermont encounters photographer Lewis Hine, who documented child labor conditions in American factories.

🗣️ Author Susan Campbell Bartoletti was inspired to write this book after teaching eighth-grade English for 18 years and seeing her students' reactions to reading about child labor. 👥 The book features stories of strikes led by young workers as young as eight years old, including newsies, coal miners, textile workers, and factory employees. 📝 Kids on Strike! won the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults when it was published in 1999. 📸 Many of the photographs in the book were taken by Lewis Hine, who worked as an investigative photographer for the National Child Labor Committee and helped expose child labor conditions. 🏭 The book covers labor movements from 1836 to 1912, during which time an estimated 1.7 million children under the age of 15 were employed in American factories, mines, and mills.