Rosaan uneducated, violent mob? Suppose Mamma and Anna are jailed or, worse, killed? What will happen to Rosa and little Ricci? When Rosa is sent ...
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reviews
May 29, 2010
Shomeret
rated it: 
This is a lovely story that deals with the Lawrence Massachusetts mill workers' strike in 1912 that is associated with the song "Bread and Roses". I've always found the song very stirring--especially as sung by Judy Collins.
I was surprised to find a novel written from the perspective of two children about this event. I found the viewpoints of Jake and Rosa very believable.
It's a book that isn't just about the strike. It's about the role of education, ethnic More...
I was surprised to find a novel written from the perspective of two children about this event. I found the viewpoints of Jake and Rosa very believable.
It's a book that isn't just about the strike. It's about the role of education, ethnic More...
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Jul 28, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
I felt like this was Paterson’s second attempt at writing about the Industrial Revolution. Her first book, Lyddie, was dry and never seemed to end. I found that even though I’ve never read the book, I didn’t want to waste the time and energy hating it. With so many other Paterson books to choose from, I couldn’t bring myself to try to contend with Lyddie and her troubles. Then there is Rosa, a first generation American who must navigate the trials of adolescence while worrying about her fami
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Jun 04, 2011
Linda
rated it:
In 1912, the mill workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts went on a strike that lasted over two months and was marked by a great deal of police brutality, at women and children as well as at men. I have read about this strike before, and was eager to read Paterson’s new children’s novel on the same subject. Immigrants from many nations lived in squalid conditions and worked long hours in the mills; in order to earn enough money to feed their families, many workers had their children working in
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Mar 05, 2011
528_Margaret
rated it:
I listened to the ipod version of this book narrated by Lara Raver.
The book is about the mill worker's strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1912. Rosa worries about her mother and sister who are part of the strike. Her teacher is telling her that the strikers are anarchists which makes her feelings worse. She meets a boy named Jake who works to make money for his father's alcohol addiction. They form a strained bond.
After the strike has been going on for a few week More...
The book is about the mill worker's strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1912. Rosa worries about her mother and sister who are part of the strike. Her teacher is telling her that the strikers are anarchists which makes her feelings worse. She meets a boy named Jake who works to make money for his father's alcohol addiction. They form a strained bond.
After the strike has been going on for a few week More...
Jul 11, 2009
Pat
rated it:
Carefully crafted tale about two children caught up in the Lawrence, MA mill workers' strike of 1912, based on fact. The girl is Rosa, from a struggling Italian immigrant family. The other is Jake, a native-born who has learned to steal and lie to survive. The children are sent to Barre, VT to stay with sympathetic families during the turbulent strike, where each one learns a life lesson about themselves.
I loved the two characters and how they represented two victims of the worker More...
I loved the two characters and how they represented two victims of the worker More...
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Apr 20, 2009
Alyssa
rated it: 
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of Publication: 2006
Genre: Historical Drama
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Theme: courage
Curricula Use: you could use this to teach about the occurances in 1912.
Social Issue: Diversity, Italian, American
Text and pictures: This is a chapter book. THere are no pictures. The only picture is on the front cover. The cover is very alluring. The cover has color and it grabs your attention.
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Summary: More...
Oct 10, 2007
Sally
rated it:
This is a great book. It takes place during the strikes in wool mills in Massachusetts. The main character is a young Italian immagrant named Rosa, who lives with her mother, sister, and little brother. Her mother sends her to Burre, Vermont on a train with other children, to live with a foster family during the strike.
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Apr 16, 2009
Christine
rated it:
Required Reading: Amazing book!
For my IP&T class: This is an awesome book! I would use it in the classroom during history to suplement readings on the mill strikes that happened during this time. The book is great because these events of the time are seen through the eyes of two young children, both from very different backgrounds. I believe it would give the kids a better idea of what happened during the mill strikes,& how difficult it was to live.It is my hope that this book woul More...
For my IP&T class: This is an awesome book! I would use it in the classroom during history to suplement readings on the mill strikes that happened during this time. The book is great because these events of the time are seen through the eyes of two young children, both from very different backgrounds. I believe it would give the kids a better idea of what happened during the mill strikes,& how difficult it was to live.It is my hope that this book woul More...
Nov 23, 2011
Annette
rated it:
Having Italian anscetors who immigrated during the period of this book, I imagine their life was very similar to Jakes and Rosa's. My great-grandmother, a first generation strong Italian-American young girl was put to work in a New York sweat-shop to help support her family before she had the opportunity to finish elementary school. I applaud Katherine Peterson for writing a tale depicting these brave Americans who struggled to survive and provide us with the rights that we have today. 1912 was
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Jan 27, 2010
Audra
rated it:
Many people who know union history have heard of the Bread and Roses strike, and may be aware of the urban legend stating that the name is derived from a photo where a woman in Lawrence, MA is holding a picket sign that says "We want bread, yes, and roses too..."
This book tells the fictional story of the family, and mainly the children, of the woman holding that sign. Paterson weaves accurate history into this fictional account by documenting the strike, those that were fr More...
This book tells the fictional story of the family, and mainly the children, of the woman holding that sign. Paterson weaves accurate history into this fictional account by documenting the strike, those that were fr More...
Nov 15, 2010
NewFranklin
rated it:
I loved this book because it had suspence mystery and a touch of saddness all mixed into one. Another reason I loved this book is because of the way the author dicribed how people felt back during the great strik. I also loved it because rosa trusted many people that many others didn't care about. There are lots of cool discribings, saddness that made me want to cry and much more you can find it all out if you read this book.
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Apr 04, 2011
Siena
rated it:
I thought this was a really wonderful book that I enjoyed reading a lot, however there were a few details that stopped me from giving it five stars.
I felt like the main character, Rosa, was a weak character. She cried a lot and when she wasn't crying she was moaning over the strike and how she was scared for her mother and sister. It would've been better if there was a little moaning and crying (to show that the main character had some compassion) but not as much as it did.
The way t More...
I felt like the main character, Rosa, was a weak character. She cried a lot and when she wasn't crying she was moaning over the strike and how she was scared for her mother and sister. It would've been better if there was a little moaning and crying (to show that the main character had some compassion) but not as much as it did.
The way t More...
Jun 16, 2010
Tara
rated it:
This was a very good YA historical novel. It tells about the Lawrence Strike of 1912. Factories cut the work week back two hours, depriving already hungry and cold families of a couple of badly needed loaves of bread.
We see both sides of the fence so to speak. Rosa is against the strike even tho her mother and sister are a part of it. Her teacher is partly to blame for Rosa's doubts. Also, Rosa is worried that her mother will get hurt or worse, murdered because the strike does More...
We see both sides of the fence so to speak. Rosa is against the strike even tho her mother and sister are a part of it. Her teacher is partly to blame for Rosa's doubts. Also, Rosa is worried that her mother will get hurt or worse, murdered because the strike does More...
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Sep 17, 2011
Ingrid
rated it:
Rosa and Jake are two children growing up in Lawrence, Ma during the bread and roses mill strikes. Rosa's immigrant family works in the mills and is barely surviving. Jake's mother is dead and his father, an alcoholic beats him regularly. Jake has to lie and steal to survive. Jake and Rosa wind up living in Barre, Vt during the strike. Rosa misses her family terribly, but for Jake it is a chance at a new life. Rosa and Jake are great characters and Patterson really makes this story come alive. Y
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Mar 17, 2009
Melody
rated it:
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of Publication: 2006
Genre: Historical Drama
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Theme:
Curricula Use: teach children about the Strike of 1912.
teach children how to deal with difficulty in life
Social Issue: Italian-American culture, Diversity, Religion
Text & Pictures: This is a chapter book so the only picture is the cover. The text allows for the reader to make a More...
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of Publication: 2006
Genre: Historical Drama
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Theme:
Curricula Use: teach children about the Strike of 1912.
teach children how to deal with difficulty in life
Social Issue: Italian-American culture, Diversity, Religion
Text & Pictures: This is a chapter book so the only picture is the cover. The text allows for the reader to make a More...
Nov 20, 2011
Jessie
rated it:
Paterson compellingly presents the story of the Lawrence mill strike of 1912 through the point of view of two affected children, Rosa and Jake. Adding the second protagonist provides more perspective on living conditions and tension between classes as well as ethnicities, and there is a turning point in the story where the main protagonist becomes the secondary protagonist and vice versa. Although Jake appears early on throughout the novel, Rosa’s inner turmoil over the strike propels the firs
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Mar 02, 2011
Pat
rated it: 
The bosses didn't break the Bread and Roses strike because thousands of immigrant women kept the strike strong. Workers in New York, Philly, and Barre VT took the strikers' children temporarily to kept them safe so that concern for the children's well-being didn't weaken the strikers' resolve. When nurses in Vermont tried to unionize in the 1990s, the bosses told us we would never succeed because we live in a state that is very conservative toward collective bargaining. Katherine Paterson's he
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Apr 01, 2009
Lori
rated it:
Genre- Chapter Book
Reading Level- 4-6
Topic and Theme- Cultural diversity, historical significance, perseverance, immigration
Curricula Use- Independent or guided reading
Literary elements: Conflict developed through circumstances and relationships between character, characters developed through dialogue and personal relationships
Social- Historically significant; tells the story of a factory strike led by immigrant workers
Summa More...
Reading Level- 4-6
Topic and Theme- Cultural diversity, historical significance, perseverance, immigration
Curricula Use- Independent or guided reading
Literary elements: Conflict developed through circumstances and relationships between character, characters developed through dialogue and personal relationships
Social- Historically significant; tells the story of a factory strike led by immigrant workers
Summa More...
Mar 18, 2010
Kellyann
rated it:
While the writing was a bit simplistic, Paterson relly brought the strikers and families of the 1912 mill-strike in Lawrence, Mass. to life, as well as the immigrant culture of Barre, Vermont, where some of the strikers' children were sent to get them out of danger and keep them fed. The Wobblies' support of their Lawrence brethren was breathtaking - other struggling families sent what was for them a lot of money to Lawrence to pay for soup kitchens at least once a day. For some strikers, this
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Nov 27, 2010
Ruth
rated it:
This is a gritty but sweet story based on a historic labor struggle in New England. Alas, the topic remains timely--sweatshops & heartless corporate profiteering--but Paterson shows how the brave resistance of a union, reinforced by the practical solidarity of union members in other places, can bring real change.
I love Paterson's work, & I'm so glad a novel like this is available for children. This novel doesn't get my highest rating, though, because I found the characters less complex More...
I love Paterson's work, & I'm so glad a novel like this is available for children. This novel doesn't get my highest rating, though, because I found the characters less complex More...
Mar 23, 2010
Elaine
rated it: 
Jake at 13, use to work in the mills but now there is a strike going on. His father who doesn't work, takes Jake's money to buy booze and beats Jake. Jake is fed up with the beatings and lives where he can. Most of the time, on the streets but also at the shoe girl's house and sometimes in one of the two local Catholic churches where he takes coins from the money box. He's tried more than once to go back to work but gets stopped by the strikers.
Rosa lives with her mother, siste More...
Rosa lives with her mother, siste More...
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Dec 16, 2008
Gigi
rated it:
I enjoyed this historical fiction for young readers, recommended by my daughter, who chose to write about it for a school assignment. Interestingly, she focused on the Italian-American and Roman Catholic background of one of the main characters, rather than on the book's recounting of the early 20th century Labor movement.
(N.B., I was frustrated by a tantalizing typo within the final paragraphs of this hardcover edition: a 3-line paragraph was included twice, and about the same number of l More...
(N.B., I was frustrated by a tantalizing typo within the final paragraphs of this hardcover edition: a 3-line paragraph was included twice, and about the same number of l More...
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Oct 06, 2007
sweetsweetclem
rated it:
Bread and Roses, Too is about a girl named Rosa and a boy Jake, two different people who met once in an alley where Jake slept. They live in a place where many people are going on strike because of the little pay they recieve at the Mills.
Rosa is a good school girl without a father, who knows better, but is caught up in the strikes. Her mother and sister go along with the crowds of people striking. Jake, a boy who lives on the street, works at the mills, and gets beaten by his alcoh More...
Rosa is a good school girl without a father, who knows better, but is caught up in the strikes. Her mother and sister go along with the crowds of people striking. Jake, a boy who lives on the street, works at the mills, and gets beaten by his alcoh More...
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Sep 20, 2010
Catherine
rated it:
the title of this book alone is very powerful. the mill workers are not just demanding bare necessities they want to be treated well, they want to be able to experience the beauty of life. The strike is becoming harder and harder for Rosa and her family to continue on. will Rosa and her family starve, or will they be able to make through the hard times?
i would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction. i loved and felt a close connection to Rosa and her family.
i would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction. i loved and felt a close connection to Rosa and her family.
Mar 21, 2011
Diana
rated it:
As young-adult books go, this was pretty interesting. I grew up around the Lawrence, MA area and have to say that I never knew about the Bread and Roses strikes. We were taught there were strikes, but nothing so specific. It was nice to read about familiar areas, and got me interested to know more. For a young adult this would be a good starting point to peak their interest in how children just like them not only worked in the mills, but were deeply affected by the strikes.
Apr 29, 2009
Amy
rated it:
The labor reference in the title caught my eye and Katherine Paterson is such a good author, so I snagged it as we were picking out new picture books at the library. It was a nice book, if a bit predictable. Not to much on the labor movement written for kids, so it makes a valuable contribution. Would be good to read along with Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor by Russell Freedman which is full of actual period photos.
Sep 01, 2009
Brandi
rated it:
Newish book from the author of "Bridge to Terabithia" about a factory laborers strike in the early 20th century, a part of American History I don't know much about. It was interesting to learn of some of the things that were going on during that period of time while following the story of two kids who happen to become friends. The book reminded me a lot of "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"--one of my all time faves. It wasn't as good as ATGIB, but still good.
Jul 09, 2011
Judith
rated it:
Based on real events surrounding the 1912 strike in the mills of Lawrence, Massachusetts. The characters of Rosa, whose sister and immigrant mother are striking, and Jake, homeless and unschooled and struggling to survive, provide the vehicle for Paterson to depict the ethnic rivalries, the unfair labor practices, the worker's struggles and the difficult lives of the women and children. An enlightening and moving story.
Feb 04, 2009
Marisa
rated it:
Before I read this book I didn't even know such a strike had taken place in such close proximity to my home. I hadn't known so much a deprivation,loss, and well... Cruelty, had been put upon so many people, and that a strike (big enough to have children taken out of there meager homes and put into a strangers house) ever occurred. I learned so much about that time period from that book
Jul 30, 2009
Marcia
rated it:
Katherine Paterson has written some of my favorite stories-Gilly Hopkins, Terabithia, Lyddie, but her most recent books have fallen flat with me. This was a good and interesting story, just not compelling. I've been to Barre, VT and the granite works, so that part was vivid for me, but historical fiction can be a tough genre. You need to capture an event accurately, but also create characters that will resonate with contemporary children. I don't think this one does.
