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abgoelz's review against another edition
4.0
One of the only fiction books I have ever found about Haymarket! Could be a very cool way to talk about labor with kids age 8-12. I've read other kids books about labor movements in the USA but this one includes a lot of things that I think others leave out, most importantly the role of the police in squashing labor movements. The main character, Dinah's, father has been blacklisted and jailed for being a labor organizer that has brought many other black workers into unions. The way police reacted to the eight hour day march and other labor events surrounding Haymarket is explained in a way that really demonstrates how police have been the enforcers of capitalism.
Theres also some sneaky discussion about disagreement between labor organizers about whether systems of government should fundamentally change. There's 12 year olds trying to start anarchist economies, there's older workers trying to maintain capitalism while using unions as watchdogs - could be such a cool way to teach kids about nuances in different systems of government and philosophies.
The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because the writing is really not impressive, but whatever. I'll let it slide.
Theres also some sneaky discussion about disagreement between labor organizers about whether systems of government should fundamentally change. There's 12 year olds trying to start anarchist economies, there's older workers trying to maintain capitalism while using unions as watchdogs - could be such a cool way to teach kids about nuances in different systems of government and philosophies.
The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because the writing is really not impressive, but whatever. I'll let it slide.
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