Kacey+Marshall+1920s

1920s Unit Study Bibliography Kacey Marshall Arizona State University

Goldin, Barbara Diamond. (2001). **A Mountain of Blintzes.** Harcourt, Inc. 29 pages. Found at Tempe Public Library. “A Mountain of Blintzes” is a picture book about a Jewish family living during the Great Depression. The two main characters, Sarah and Max, are hard workers. They take in boarders at their house to earn extra money, but they never seem to have enough. Their son reminds them of a holiday coming up, which always includes making blintzes. However, the family cannot afford to buy the ingredients. Sarah decides that Max and she will do extra work with a couple of friends, and they will put their earnings in their coin box every day. While Sarah is working on the laundry one day, she wonders why her children are not home yet. In the illustrations on the next page, you can see them out in the town, asking people for help. Then, when Sarah goes to put her coins in the box at the end of the day, she decides Max’s money will be enough for blintzes, and she pockets her money for other supplies. When Max gets home, he has the same thought, and pockets his money as well. This goes on for the next two weeks, until finally they open the box to find there was no money. Their children think this is funny, and finally admit that they have been earning the ingredients for the blintzes in exchange for work. The book end with them celebrating with a mountain of blintzes. I selected this book because it covers a couple different economic standards. The characters in the story deal with topics like scarcity and making choices, trading goods for services, barter and money exchanges, and savings. Geography is also covered, since the book takes place in the Catskill Mountains. Mathematics could also be tied in by having the students calculate how much money they would have to save to make or buy their favorite treat. Even though this book does mention religion, I would not focus so much on that aspect, but share that different people with different beliefs celebrate certain holidays. Harper, Jo & Harper, Josephine. (2005). **Finding Daddy: A Story of the Great Depression.** Turtle Books. 42 pages. Found at Tempe Public Library. This book is about a school-age girl named Bonnie. She is asked to sing a solo for the school assembly, but she has stage fright. On her way home, she meets up with her pet dog. When she gets home, she plays hide and seek with the neighbor kids until her daddy gets home and plays too. After the game, Bonnie and her daddy go inside to eat a large and filling dinner. Once dinner is done, her daddy pulls out his fiddle and they sing happy tunes together. Soon, things change. Daddy stayed home more often, and they moved from their house into a rundown place, suggesting her dad lost his job. Bonnie tries to cheer up her dad by suggesting he play his fiddle and she sing, he breaks the news that he sold it. One day after school, Bonnie comes home to find her dad is missing. She goes out all over town to find her dad, but with no luck. After a suggestion that he might be down at the port, she heads that way to find he is not there either. She makes her way into a crowded café, and in order to catch people’s attention, she sings. People gave her coins for her beautiful singing and she asks if they have seen her dad, but no one has. Bonnie realizes that her dog had moved toward a man in the back of the room- her daddy. They work together to make money by playing music. This book covers economics, as many of the fiction books I chose do. This book covers opportunity costs and trading goods and services. In the front of the book, there is a picture timeline about the Great Depression, which would cover American History. In the back of the book, there is a glossary of terms about this time period (literacy) and pictures and songs showing the culture of the time period. I selected this book because it brings to light how children in that time period might have grown up, making the story relatable. Tripp, Valerie. (2000). **Meet Kit: An American Girl.** Pleasant Company Publications. 69 pages. Found in my own collection. “Meet Kit” focuses on the life of nine year old Kit Kittredge, who is growing up during the Great Depression. This is the first book in a series of six stories. In this story, readers learn about Kit’s family, her lifestyle, and her hobbies (she loves to write newspaper articles on her typewriter!). We also learn that due to the stock market crash, her father loses his job at his car dealership. Since the Kittredge’s are now at a loss of income, they have to find new ways to make money during this hard time. In the back of the book, there is a section titled, “A Peek Into the Past.” In this section, there are facts about the topics discussed in the book. For this specific story, there is information about the Great Depression, defined vocabulary terms, Black Tuesday, government leaders, and activities people did during this time period. These facts are related back to the Kittredge’s story to help readers connect all the information. There are many curriculum areas covered in this book. Economics, such as understanding scarcity and opportunity costs, are prominent throughout this series. Other social studies areas include family structure, jobs, government, and relocating also show up throughout the book. Even though this story is set in 1934, it is related to the 1920s study due to the topic of the Great Depression. I selected this book because it is an enjoyable chapter book for students in second through fourth grade. As stated before, it also covers many different social studies curriculum areas, and exposes readers to enriching vocabulary. While learning about the 1920s, students can apply their content knowledge to Kit’s story, and can build an understanding and relate to her life. Tripp, Valerie. (2000). **Kit Learns a Lesson: A School Story.** Pleasant Company Publications. 67 pages. Found in my own collection. “Kit Learns a Lesson” is the second installment of the Kit Kittredge series about a nine year old girl living during the Great Depression. Readers learned in the first book that Kit’s father lost his job, so Kit’s family takes in boarders to make income to keep their house. At school, Kit’s class learns about Thanksgiving and the pilgrims and Indians. She brings up the point that the Indians gave the pilgrims food even though they had taken land from them. She could relate because this was like having the boarders in her home. The students also related this to giving food to the less fortunate, so they made a plan to volunteer at a soup kitchen. While there, she finds out her dad has been going there to get meals so the family does not have to spend extra on groceries. She also finds out that her father will be moving to Chicago to find a job. In the “A Peek Into the Past” section, readers learn about school during the 1930s. Schools were also affected by the Depression, because they could not afford repairs or new books and materials. People had to leave their homes in the South and move to places like California so their children could go to school. There is also a discussion about teachers’ salaries and how teachers rallied their students together to collect food and money for charities. This book, like the first in the series, covers a wide range of curriculum areas. As far as social studies, topics include American history, government, geography, and economics. There is also mathematics covered in this story (i.e., fractions and money) as well as vocabulary. I selected this book because it relates to the topic of the unit study (1920s) and students will want to continue to find out what happens to Kit and her family. Tripp, Valerie. (2000). **Kit’s Surprise: A Christmas Story.** Pleasant Company Publications. 73 pages. Found in my own collection. Continuing the story line from book two in the series, Kit overhears her mother talking about possibly losing their house. Christmas is right around the corner, and Kit is not in the jolly spirit due to all the stress her family is dealing with. Along with all the havoc in her own home, Kit finds out that her grumpy, old Great Uncle Hendrick will not help her family out financially, but he needs someone to go to take care of him every day. Kit’s friend Ruthie know how much she is suffering right now, so she gives Kit her old Christmas dress and tickets to see a ballet. However, Kit does not want to come across as needy, so she turns her down. This causes an argument between the two of them. After working for her uncle for some time, she makes enough money for the electric bill. On Christmas Eve, the roads are too slippery to walk home, so she has to stay with her uncle, but Ruthie surprises her by showing up to take her home, and they forgive each other. In the “A Peek Into the Past” section, readers learn about how Christmas was celebrated during the depression. I selected this book for the unit study because students will have had the opportunity to read the first two books in the series, and may want to finish Kit’s story. This book covers many of the curriculum areas as the other two books. American history, government, economics, geography, and mathematics can all be drawn from the story. A discussion about winter holidays could be incorporated as well, looking from a historical view on this specific time period, relating them back to economics and math standards. Tripp, Valerie. (2001). **Happy Birthday, Kit: A Springtime Story.** Pleasant Company Publications. 69 pages. Found in my own collection. Kit’s birthday is coming up, but with all the housekeeping and with her dad still not finding a job, she does not have the time of money to plan a party. Kit’s Aunt Millie shows up just to visit for some time. Aunt Millie brings great ideas to the Kittredge family, like starting a garden, sewing, getting deals at stores, and reusing items. While out on one of her money-making adventures, Kit finds an abandoned dog and takes her home. At the end of the book, Kit gets to have a birthday party, complete with “penny pinching” tips to help save money. In the “A Peek Into the Past Section,” readers learn about families, polio, and FDR’s fireside chats. Along with the same social studies curriculum as the previous books in the series covered, this book adds something new. There are mentions about plants, spring, and recycling, which would all fall under science. Also, Kit’s Aunt Millie quotes Shakespeare throughout the book. Students must have background knowledge of who Shakespeare was in order for these quotes to make sense. The author study would fall under a literacy standard. Tripp, Valerie. (2001). **Kit Saves the Day: A Summer Story.** Pleasant Company Publications. 69 pages. Found in my own collection. It’s now summer and Kit’s brother Charlie has traveled to Montana for work. It’s been a year since her dad lost his job and the family had taken in boarders, and Kit is tired of having to do so many chores around the house. One day, a young hobo shows up in the Kittredge’s yard looking for work in exchange for food. Kit hears about his adventures riding the rails all the way from Texas to Cincinnati, and gets the idea to follow him to the hobo jungle and ride a train. She ends up being caught and sent to jail, but ends up escaping for home. In the “A Peek Into the Past” section, readers learn all about hoboes and the CCC, which is what Charlie worked for. This book focuses mostly on geography and transportation. Readers hear about Glacier Park, Washington, Texas, and many other states. Students can learn how the railroad helped people travel across the country to find work. Seasons and weather are also mentioned, like the snow where Charlie works. Giving students background on things like that will help them better understand the story. I selected this book not only because it was in the Kit Kittredge series, but because it focuses on something different than the rest of the books. Tripp, Valerie. (2001). **Changes for Kit: A Winter Story.** Pleasant Company Publications. 67 pages. Found in my own collection. In winter, Kit’s brother comes home from working in Montana. She receives a winter coat made from old pieces of clothing in her house, and she decides to take her old coat down to the jungle for a hobo girl who may need a jacket, but she finds out they’ve all left the camp. She then goes to the soup kitchen and gives it to a young girl. Kit’s family gets news that her old, grouchy Uncle Hendrick broke his ankle and he must come live with them until he gets better. Kit delivers a letter to a newspaper office, and gets the idea that she’ll write her own letters about her experiences. Her letter ends up in the newspaper, and she ends up making a big influence on young hoboes in the country. The “A Peek Into the Past” section talks about FDR and what he did for America, and about World War Two and Hitler’s reign in Germany. This book is the last in the series, so it is only right to have children read it for the end of the unit study. The book covers curriculum topics similar to the previous books in the series. This one, however, puts more of an emphasis on writing opinion pieces and letters. Students can practice these two types of writing by pretending to write their own letter to the editor about what they think is right. The other big idea it talks about is hope. Hope runs throughout many of our nation’s historical events, and by ending on this book, a transition to a new historical topic could be easily managed. Blocksma, Mary. (1993). **Ticket to the Twenties.** Little, Brown, and Company. 63 pages. Found at Tempe Public Library. This book is written like a “tour guide” style, leading readers through the Twenties one subject at a time. It starts off with items you should pack in your suitcase. It then moves on to topics like clothes, medical advice, money, “jive talk,” food, transportation, chores, and anything and everything about the time period. On some of the pages, there is “A Twenties First” sharing a fact about some first that happened during the decade, like the first zipper being invented in 1926. In the middle of the book, there is a timeline for the decade, sharing both political and cultural events that took place each year. I picked up this book to use for my unit study because it is engaging and child friendly, and loaded with many facts about the topic of study. This book covers a variety of curriculum topics. For social studies, government, economics, American history, world history, and geography are all featured throughout the book. Vocabulary is covered in this book as well, by using terms appropriate to the time period. Mathematics is also covered through discussion about money and how much things cost at the drugstore and the candy store. This would be a great book to refer to during the whole unit study, learning about one bit of the culture at a time. Brown, Harriet. (2002). **Welcome to Kit’s World: Growing Up During America’s Great Depression.** Pleasant Company Publications. 58 pages. Found at Tempe Public Library. This book starts out by talking about the American Girl story of Kit Kittredge, who grew up during the Great Depression. If readers have read the series before, they can apply Kit’s fictional story to the real-life facts about this historical time period. Each page spread covers a different idea discussed in the series, described through maps, timelines, pictures, stories, and letters written by people living through the Depression. At the end of the book, Kit is brought back to life by explaining how she would have lived through World War Two. It is suggested that she might have shared her writing talent with many people by becoming a correspondent for the war. The final paragraph talks about how America finally gained some peace after the war, but this rough time changed the country forever. This book is a great resource for students because it covers a variety of curriculum topics. For social studies, culture, transportation, geography, world and American history, economics, and government are covered. Science is also covered in this book. Topics like seasons, insects, and strange weather, like the Dust Bowl, floods, and grasshoppers are covered. Students could easily look through the book themselves, as there are mostly pictures with captions or small paragraphs explaining the topics. Stein, Conrad R. (1993). **The Great Depression.** Children’s Press, Inc. 31 pages. Found at Tempe Public Library. This book is about the Great Depression with a focus on unemployment. It is laid out like a history book chapter would be. It starts out with a background on the Great Depression- how it happened, how workers got laid off, and how many people could not afford the necessities to survive. It moves on to talk about the “Hoovervilles,” which were run down camps where homeless people lived. The Dust Bowl is mentioned briefly as well. Once Franklin Roosevlet comes into the picture, the New Deal and many other government programs are explained. This book covers many social studies topics, such as American and world history, economics, geography, and government. Science is also covered through the discussion of the Dust Bowl. I selected this book as a teacher resource more than a text for students. It is a very wordy book, with some difficult vocabulary for younger students. However, it would be great to develop teacher content knowledge, as it has a lot of information on the topic of study. Wroble, Lisa A. (1999). **Kids During the Great Depression.** The Rosen Publishing Group. 24 pages. Found at Tempe Public Library. This book is about how the Great Depression affected children and their lifestyle. It is written like a combination between a basal reader and a resource-style book. On many pages, important words to know are bolded, and readers are directed to the glossary in the back of the book. Each page features a new topic, ranging from the market crash to free time activities for children during that time. I selected this book because it is age and reading level appropriate for children around second or third grade. Students may not necessarily choose to read the book for pleasure, but they could use it as a resource for writing their own research paper on the 1920s. This book mostly covers social studies standards. Included in this book is information on stocks, profits, credit, the stock market crash, how families lived, food and soup kitchens, clothing for that time period, government, school, and 1920s culture.
 * Children’s Fiction**
 * Children’s Nonfiction**