1919

November 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-This readable journey through the year 1919 begins with an attention-grabbing and rather strange episode in U.S. history, the Great Molasses Flood. Each subsequent chapter follows a different large-scale event in 1919 that greatly affected the United States: Prohibition, women's suffrage, the red scare, labor strikes, and the Red Summer. At the end of each section, a "One Hundred Years Later" segment takes the historical social issue previously covered and shows how it affects contemporary society, with relatable examples included. Time lines throughout the volume demonstrate for readers how progress isn't always linear and how change can happen slowly, if at all. Filled with full-color pictures and extremely descriptive captions, students are transported in time to a period of turmoil and victory. VERDICT Well researched and presented in an attractive manner, Sandler's text delivers a solid look at a pivotal year.-Stephanie Wilkes, Good Hope Middle School, West Monroe, LA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2018
The year 1919 was a significant one in 20th-century American history.Sandler draws on a wide range of resources to present some of the most compelling news stories of a banner year. In Boston, a huge tank of molasses exploded, sending a lethal flood of syrup across an area largely occupied by impoverished immigrants. Both soldiers just returned from the Great War and those who'd patriotically served on the homefront discovered that there'd be few jobs for them--most of those at wages insufficient to support families--leading to numerous strikes. Reacting to intolerable repression, black Americans struck back at white abuses in a series of violent racial conflicts (described as "riots") that rocked both urban and rural communities. The U.S. attorney general pushed back against a perceived "Red Scare" of communist agitators, leading to mass imprisonments and deportations that reflected more a growing sense of anti-immigrant prejudice than any actual danger. Women were campaigning to achieve voting rights, and Prohibition was instituted. Each chapter attempts to relate that section's issue to modern problems, in one case tenuously drawing a connection between labor unrest and climate change. Sandler's prose is vigorous, impassioned, and carefully contextualized. If some of his choices seem odd (he fully reports the Molasses Flood, a regional story, while the massive international influenza epidemic of the era receives scant coverage), it's nevertheless a fascinating story, augmented by numerous attractive archival images.An entertaining and instructive look at a tumultuous year. (further reading, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 11-16)

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November 1, 2018
Grades 6-9 What happened in 1919? This book features significant events in that surprisingly turbulent year. Boston's deadly Great Molasses Flood destroyed many lives and structures, but it prompted cities to enforce stricter building codes. Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote. White activists unleashed the Red Summer of race riots and lynchings across the country. Triggered by fear of Communists, the Red Scare fostered distrust of immigrants and abuses of power. A series of union-led strikes met with brutal resistance. And Prohibition began. This large-format book provides background information on each topic, explains what happened, and illustrates the clear, cogent text with many well-chosen archival photos. The chapters conclude with a reflective One Hundred Years Later sections, linking historical topics with today's world. While many draw pertinent parallels, a few sections stretch the concept rather far, presenting current issues such as climate change. The two-page articles on subjects such as the Harlem Renaissance, Billy Sunday, and opposition to women's suffrage offer succinct, useful sidelights on the period. An intriguing look back at America in 1919.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)