Chimney Sweeps: Yesterday and Today

by James Cross Giblin, Margot Tomes (Other Contributor)

Traces the history and folklore of the chimney-sweeping profession from the fifteenth century to the present day, emphasizing the plight of the often abused climbing boys of past centuries.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

James Cross Giblin was an American children's author and editor, known for his award-winning works. He won the Golden Kite Award and the Sibert Medal for his contributions to children's literature. Giblin was born in Cleveland and raised in Painesville, Ohio. He graduated from Western Reserve University and earned a master's in playwriting from Columbia University. After a brief acting career, he entered publishing, founding Clarion Books, a children's imprint later acquired by Houghton Mifflin. At Clarion, he edited works by notable authors like Eileen Christelow and Mary Downing Hahn. Giblin’s works include The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler and Good Brother, Bad Brother.

Reviews

[Sarah]

A short little history of the trade of chimney sweeping. Tragically, hundreds of children were injured or killed in England sweeping chimneys.

[Kara]

I was interested in this as a companion for Sweep: A Girl and her Monster. Not sure yet....

[Megan]

This is an excellent companion to the book Sweep. Well written and succinct. Hard to find, though. I borrowed it from the Internet Archive.

[sara]

I wanted to learn a little more about the history of chimney sweeps after reading Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster. It was very interesting.