Down the Rabbit Hole by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Down the Rabbit Hole by Susan Campbell Bartoletti is one of the books she has written as part of the Dear America series. This one is set in Chicago in 1871 at the time of the Great Fire when fictional characters Pringle Rose and her brother Gideon have become orphans and moved to Chicago seeking refuge from their brutal aunt. Unfortunately, although Chicago has grown rapidly, the buildings and also the roads are built of wood. I like the Scholastic Books because they show us life at the time of a major event.

A Coal Miner's Bride by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

A Coal Miner's Bride is from the Dear America series by Scholastic. This one is by Susan Campell Bartoletti. Each of the books is written in diary form and gives us a glimpse into the life of the young girl.

Anetka Kaminska lived in Sadowka, Poland during Russian rule in the late 1800s. Her mother had died and both she and her brother were living with their grandmother while their father immigrated to America in search of work. He finally sends for his family, but shocks Anetka when he tells her, in a letter, he has found her a husband and as part of the "bargain" the man sends them boat tickets to travel to America. What she finds is a harsh life in a loveless marriage where coal miners were expected to purchase goods only from the "company store." Often they were not paid in money at all but with scrip that could be used to "purchase" from the store.

I like these books because you hear the thoughts and worries of a young girl at a specific time period and it's a great way for readers to learn about the history.