Life Tragedy

Skate Tate has a good life. She has close friends, a loving family, and her beloved Great Uncle Mort. However, Skate has to figure out the new world of Biddle Middle, where eighth graders rule, old friendships start to change, and a sixth-grader has to struggle to make a place for herself. Then other, more painful changes arise for the Tates. This story of how this close knit family responds to tragedy will move and delight listeners everywhere.

In the Civil War, the government hired women and girls - some as young as nine - to make millions of rounds of ammunition. They worked 72-hour weeks with little training. Poor immigrant girls and widows paid the price for carelessness at three major arsenals. Many of these workers were killed, blown up, and burned beyond recognition. Gunpowder Girls is a story of child labor and immigrant hopes and the cruel, endless demands of an all-consuming war. A Junior Library Guild selection.