Booklist Review

Gr. 6^-12. This latest addition to the History Firsthand series takes readers on an enthralling journey through several facets of one of America's toughest periods. Twenty-two first-person accounts about life during the Depression contribute a vivid, often dismal landscape of the economic, political, and social struggles of the day. An essay establishing background introduces each of the five sections into which the accounts are organized: Wall Street, unemployment, struggles to survive, the homeless, and FDR's New Deal. The contributions in the eclectic mix come from individuals such as Eleanor Roosevelt, actress June Havoc, and hobo Box-Car Bertha, with each person's perspective taking readers directly into the experience through details and eyeopening observations. Headnotes for each contribution lead readers into the information. Throughout, occasional black-and-white photos support the text, and a chronology is appended. --Roger Leslie