The Breaker Boys by Pat Hughes
WAW 2006 Book Nominee (Gr. 6-8)
December 29, 2006
Nate Tanner doesn't get along with his family, he doesn't have
any friends, and he keeps getting into fights. After getting kicked
out of boarding school, Nate returns to his family home in
Pennsylvania. Even though his family's business is coal mining,
Nate is forbidden to play with the immigrant children who work
sorting coal all day in the dark building called a "breaker," or to
hang out in the Polish-American neighborhood called "the patch." So
where do you think he ends up? The patch, of course! At least there
he has friends. But he can't tell his friends who he really is, and
he can't tell his family where he is spending his time or once
again, he will be in big trouble.
In the context of this historical fiction set in 1897, readers will
learn about the formation and influence of unions in conflicts that
arise between laborers and company owners. A true incident called
the "Lattimer Massacre" of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, proves a crucial
turning point in the lives of the story's characters.
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