About this item
From acclaimed author Michelle Markel and Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet comes this true story of Clara Lemlich, a young Ukrainian immigrant who led the largest strike of women workers in U.S. history. This picture book biography includes a bibliography and an author's note on the garment industry. It follows the plight of immigrants in America in the early 1900s, tackling topics like activism and the U.S. garment industry, with handstitching and fabric incorporated throughout the art. When Clara arrived in America, she couldn't speak English. She didn't know that young women had to go to work, that they traded an education for long hours of labor, that she was expected to grow up fast.But that didn't stop Clara. She went to night school, spent hours studying English, and helped support her family by sewing in a shirtwaist factory.
About the Author
Michelle is the acclaimed author of nonfiction books for young readers, including THE FANTASTIC JUNGLES OF HENRI ROUSSEAU, BRAVE GIRL: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909, and BALDERDASH!: John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children's Books. Most recently she modernized Eleanor Roosevelt's WHEN YOU GROW UP TO VOTE, and written HANUKKAH HAMSTER, a picture book. She lives with her family in Woodland Hills, California.You can find out more about Michelle by visiting her website at www.michellemarkel.com.
