Children of the Great Depression (FREEDMAN, Russell)

MIDDLE-CLASS URBAN YOUTH, migrant farm laborers, boxcar kids, children whose families found themselves struggling for survival—all Depression-era young people faced challenges. Even so, life had its bright spots—like favorite games and radio shows—and many young people remained optimistic about the future.

Drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters, and other firsthand accounts, and richly illustrated with classic archival photographs, this book by one of the most celebrated authors of nonfiction places the Great Depression in context and shows young readers its human face.

“[A] magnificent volume . . . Freedman is a master of the photo-essay, and this is one of his best.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Few authors are as well suited as Freedman to present a clear and understandable outline of this period.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“This stirring photo-essay combines such unforgettable personal details with a clear historical overview of the period and black-and-white photos.” —Booklist, starred review

Front jacket photo: On the road: A migrant farm boy looks out from the back of the car as the family travels through Muskogee County, Oklahoma, in search of work. Back jacket photo: The home of an agricultural day laborer near Vian, Oklahoma.

Both photographs by Russell Lee, June 1939, from the Farm Security Administration Collection,

Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.