Farmington, MA in the 1850's

Barker, M.P. (2008) A Difficult Boy.  (Gr. 5-8)

Children in the United States today aren't bound as servants when their parents owe too much money, but indentured servants were an important factor in how this country was colonized and developed.  In this fictional account of 19th century Massachusetts, Ethan's father, a farmer who is better at planting than at managing his finances, sends his 9-year-old son to work off their debts to the family's creditor, a local storeowner and respected business man. The other bound servant, an Irish boy several years older than Ethan, is a victim of the storekeeper's violent discipline. Ethan, who sees beyond the rude stereotypes that the other farm workers have against the Irish, befriends the older boy and slowly pieces together their master's unknown dark side.


This is a fine work of historical fiction with strong characters, a well developed setting, and a plot that reveals ethnic discrimation, struggles with poverty, and small-town social classes of rural Massachusetts more than a century ago.

Giff, Patricia Reilly (2006). Water Street. 164 pages. Grades 4-6.

It is 1875 and 13 year-old Bird Mallon lives with her family on Water Street with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge as it was being built. Her parents came to New York from Ireland and want nothing more for Bird and her siblings than to grow up with more education and opportunities than they had. Bird’s mother is a healer, her sister Annie works in a box factory, and Hughie fights for money.
When new tenants move into their building, Bird hopes that she will have a new girl friend, instead she meets Thomas Neary, a boy, who writes stories and lives with his Pop, who spends most of his time at the bar. The story follows Thomas and Bird's friendship through 8th grade graduation. Throughout this time they share with each other their hopes and dreams. Giff's use of historical material provides an accurate portrayal of the struggle of Irish immigrants in New York. This is a great book that can be used to supplement history lessons on 19th century Irish immigrant life.