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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
I liked this so much more than I thought I would tbh. I felt like I was immersed in the time period and I appreciate the graphicness of how the working conditions were in the factories. I'm teaching this to my 7th graders so this was a required read.
I really wish I had read this when I was in middle school because I know I would have loved it. Anyone who enjoyed books like [b:Catherine, Called Birdy|24137|Catherine, Called Birdy|Karen Cushman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1167520363s/24137.jpg|25037] and [b:A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859|1638371|A Picture of Freedom The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (Dear America)|Patricia C. McKissack|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358036881s/1638371.jpg|557531] would love Lyddie. The main character Lyddie is a Vermont girl who is struggling to support her family on their farm after her father leaves to find better work. When a bear breaks into their little cabin, Lyddie and her family are separated and sent off to different households. Lyddie ultimately goes to work in a factory in Lowell, Massachusetts in order to pay off debts on the farm incurred by her mother and her two siblings who are too young to work and must rely on relatives. Lyddie's struggle to earn money to pay off the debt owed on the farm and provide for her family clash with a struggle to find herself in a strange new world in a big city entirely foreign to everything she's come to know. Lyddie is the type of strong, intelligent female character I always loved to read about and while the writing is really more suited to juvenile fiction than young adult, the story is inspiring and sweet. The ending was everything I could have hoped for and if you enjoy juvenile historical fiction, I'd definitely recommend it!
I agreed to facilitate a book club for a group of homeschool kids who are reading novels related to the period in history that they are studying. First up was the Industrial Revolution! This book got mediocre reviews from the kids, but I really liked it. Lyddie's not the most lovable character, but her work ethic was so intense you had to be awed by her. I loved that she would tell herself (in her unfailingly modest way) that she could do anything because she once stared down a bear. Even the kids who were lukewarm on the book had to admit the way Lyddie fiercely fights for her family's future was impressive. I also found her relationship with money to be so interesting. She gives all her money away at one point, but later is a hardened skinflint.
In the book group we talked about child labor, labor reform, what it would be like to work at 14-hour day, and what we thought happened to Lyddie's father.
In the book group we talked about child labor, labor reform, what it would be like to work at 14-hour day, and what we thought happened to Lyddie's father.
This book had a weird... writing style? It was slightly stuck in the past, and contained several references I was not familiar with. Other than that it was well written, and realistic. The book didn't seem to have a plot line. It just kind of went on with little problems, but nothing major. Overall my opinions are mixed about this, and that is why the review is so short because the book did't have an ending really it just kind of went on and on.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was for school.
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book is gentle and real, tracing the story of an orphan in 1800’s Vermont during the Industrial Revolution. It deals with tougher topics and is well written. It took me and my students a very long time to read as nothing really happens in the book, or at least at a very slow pace. Unsure whether I will keep it in the curriculum for next year.
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No