Judith Hendershot’s In Coal Country has a matter-of-fact style that reads like nonfiction. There’s no plot, just memories of the land, the work, the play, and the family life in a coal camp in the 1930s. Hendershot shares little emotion, so Thomas B. Allen’s illustrations cannot reveal them. Mostly, the people in each scene come in second to the landscape and the coal operation.
I wanted this book to show childhood in a mining town from the perspective of youthful innocence and joy. It does not. Instead, the book presents scenarios with little warm nostalgia. As I searched for background knowledge, my hope faded. Consequently, there are two lessons for this book. Lesson 1 addresses only the explicit text. Lesson 2 challenges mature readers to ask questions about the life behind the text and face some harsh reality. Lesson 2 includes many links for background knowledge. This book is packed with opportunities for research and conversation.
My Study English lesson for this book is here.
