The 41st book in The American Adventure Series, this book is set in Minneapolis, MN in 1929-1930. Historical topics such as the stock market crash of '29 and the outbreak of tuberculosis, or TB, are covered in this book. The issues are introduced and handled in a manner that realistically portrays the affect on average American families without being too intense or scary for young listeners. Some of the character lessons covered in this book include how to respond when someone acts as though they are better than others, how fear can cause us to use avoidance tactics, and how talking to others about our concerns in an honest and humble way is helpful. Truthfully, there are many more lessons to be gleaned from these books, but these are a few of the main themes I noted. |
This book touches on the fear of losing a loved one. A relative tests positive for TB and is sent to a sanatorium to heal. The young girl has heard that sanatoriums are where TB patients are sent to die, so she is reluctant to talk about the matter, write to the patient who has gone away, and secretly fears the entire process. Eventually, she opens up and asks a relative, who is a trusted source of medical information, about sanatoriums and her fears are lightened. No parts of this book were too intense for my young listeners, but it is always a good idea to read ahead if you are planning to present the book to particularly sensitive children. For someone who may have lost a close relative to illness, for example, this book may trigger many emotions.
These are excellent historical-fiction books and we'll be sad when we've finished the series. I highly recommend them as my kids are more apt to learn about history when it's made to seem real and lifelike to them. Also, the subject matter is chronological and it helps my children to see how earlier events in our nation's history have shaped the nation as new challenges arrived.