Award-winning author and illustrator S. D. Nelson reveals the grim
realities of child labor in the coal mining industry in this unique
picture book
Conall is only twelve years old, but he's already worked in the coal
mines of Pennsylvania for several years. He spends his days deep
underground with his faithful mule, Angel, carting loads of coal from
the coal seams to the main shaft. There, elevators take the coal up to
the surface. One day a tunnel collapses, and his brother and other
miners are trapped on the wrong side! Will Conall and Angel be able to
save them?
In this historical fiction, through the use of both archival images and
his original artwork, acclaimed author and illustrator S. D. Nelson
gives voice to the child laborers of our nation's past and to children
today who face poverty, grueling labor, and dangerous work conditions.
Backmatter includes a brief history of the Industrial Revolution, Robber
Barons, and child labor laws.