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Trouble at the Mines
Rosie and her family are caught up in the Arnot, Pennsylvania, mining strike of 1899-1900, led by the union organizer Mother Jones.
112 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1987
About the author
Doreen Rappaport
65 books79 followersDoreen Rappaport has written many books of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, specializing in thoroughly researched multicultural history, historical fiction, retellings of folktales and myths, and stories of those she calls the "not-yet-celebrated." Among her recent books is Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received a Caldecott Honor Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for illustration. Doreen Rappaport divides her time between New York City and a rural village in upstate New York.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 24, 2015
The coal mine strike at Arnot, PA, 1899 -- 1900, from the miner's point of view. With the input of Mother Jones, whose approach foreshadowed that of Martin Luther King, who very well may have studied her techniques.
On the strike ... A couple of things stood out to me: (a) The unfairness of the miner's situation, due to the greed and unspeakable indifference of the mine owners; and (b) The short shortsightedness of the miners, themselves.
For all my life I've been close to the factory environment, not the same as mining but similar with its union issues and occasional strife. I can readily see both sides of the issues, and have occupied each side at some point. During strikes, tempers get heated -- sometimes white hot -- things happen, people get hurt, and nothing changes. Even though the union side "makes some gains" and the company side "doesn't give in." Everybody really lands in more or less the same place they were before the strike ever happened, and the same old issues soon drive a repeat performance.
Until the jobs go away. Which is exactly what they have done, in so many cases -- mining, steel making, automotive, to name a few. Leaving the rank and file back in the arena of the destitute.
When the miners, machinists, steel workers, who ever else, were demanding fairness -- a perfectly reasonable thing to do, and something that is well worth fighting for -- why did they not look at the bigger picture? That the issues of tomorrow are right behind the issues of today? Right now, you want a raise in pay and an improvement in safety. Needs to happen; get it done! But not so far in the future, only a very few years, your children will be entering the work force. Why not look ahead to what will be important for them, such as better education? So they have a choice NOT to be a miner, steel worker, machinist, assembler, stevedore, or what ever their dads/moms/older siblings/ uncles/aunts/cousins/neighbors did for a living. If you grow up in a factory family, becoming a machinist may have an appeal ... or maybe someone needs to tell you to get an education so you can do other things. Personally, I think education is very much worth pursuing; if you want to be a miner in the end, that is fine. Just give yourself a choice, first!
On the strike ... A couple of things stood out to me: (a) The unfairness of the miner's situation, due to the greed and unspeakable indifference of the mine owners; and (b) The short shortsightedness of the miners, themselves.
For all my life I've been close to the factory environment, not the same as mining but similar with its union issues and occasional strife. I can readily see both sides of the issues, and have occupied each side at some point. During strikes, tempers get heated -- sometimes white hot -- things happen, people get hurt, and nothing changes. Even though the union side "makes some gains" and the company side "doesn't give in." Everybody really lands in more or less the same place they were before the strike ever happened, and the same old issues soon drive a repeat performance.
Until the jobs go away. Which is exactly what they have done, in so many cases -- mining, steel making, automotive, to name a few. Leaving the rank and file back in the arena of the destitute.
When the miners, machinists, steel workers, who ever else, were demanding fairness -- a perfectly reasonable thing to do, and something that is well worth fighting for -- why did they not look at the bigger picture? That the issues of tomorrow are right behind the issues of today? Right now, you want a raise in pay and an improvement in safety. Needs to happen; get it done! But not so far in the future, only a very few years, your children will be entering the work force. Why not look ahead to what will be important for them, such as better education? So they have a choice NOT to be a miner, steel worker, machinist, assembler, stevedore, or what ever their dads/moms/older siblings/ uncles/aunts/cousins/neighbors did for a living. If you grow up in a factory family, becoming a machinist may have an appeal ... or maybe someone needs to tell you to get an education so you can do other things. Personally, I think education is very much worth pursuing; if you want to be a miner in the end, that is fine. Just give yourself a choice, first!
January 7, 2016
Trouble at the mines by Rappaport, Doreen
Fascinated with mines and how they work, not sure why but I like reading about them.
This one is about the time of 1898 and it starts out with the whistle blowing at the mines. Arnoff, PA the whistle means an accident if not death in the mines.
The father and sons do make it out but conditions are worse than ever. The men have collected together and up in an uproar and have fired many of those involved.
Those who have lost husbands have been evicted also.
As some of the boys have been fired some of the girls must stay with other relatives as there is not much food for everybody.
They do go on strike and the story tells of their further struggles.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Fascinated with mines and how they work, not sure why but I like reading about them.
This one is about the time of 1898 and it starts out with the whistle blowing at the mines. Arnoff, PA the whistle means an accident if not death in the mines.
The father and sons do make it out but conditions are worse than ever. The men have collected together and up in an uproar and have fired many of those involved.
Those who have lost husbands have been evicted also.
As some of the boys have been fired some of the girls must stay with other relatives as there is not much food for everybody.
They do go on strike and the story tells of their further struggles.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews