Bitty is a canary whose courage more than makes up for his diminutive size. Of course, as a miner bird who detects deadly gas leaks in a West Virginia coal mine during the Depression, he is used to facing danger. Tired of perilous working conditions, he escapes and hops a coal train to the state capital to seek help in improving the plights of miners and their canaries. In the tradition of E.B. White, George Selden, and Beverly Cleary's Ralph S. Mouse, Madelyn Rosenberg has written a singular novel full of unforgettable characters.
"Illuminating this complex world through the eyes of the canaries that are employed to protect workers is a charming and inventive concept. Happily, Bitty and his mates are often sweet and funny, as their lives inevitably intertwine with the human miners. . . . Endearing and original"—Kirkus Reviews
"Rosenberg's richly imagined canaries show profound understanding of the world in showing how to honor sacrifices by trying to reform the conditions that engendered the sacrifice. It would work well with a unit on Woody Guthrie, labor unions, or other social history topics."—VOYA
"Bitty is a sweet character who will appeal to both boys and girls, and his story is adventurous enough to keep readers' interest."—Library Media Connection A NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book A VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers Selection An SSLI Honor Book
Madelyn Rosenberg is a journalist and picture book author. Kirkus Reviews called THE SCHMUTZY FAMILY "delightful and unpretentious." This is her first novel for children. She lives in Virginia.
Bitty is a canary whose courage more than makes up for his diminutive size. Of course, as a miner bird who detects deadly gas leaks in a West Virginia coal mine during the Depression, he is used to facing danger. Tired of perilous working conditions, he escapes and hops a coal train to the state capital to seek help in improving the plights of miners and their canaries. In the tradition of E.B. White, George Selden, and Beverly Cleary's Ralph S. Mouse, Madelyn Rosenberg has written a singular novel full of unforgettable characters.
Reviews
"Illuminating this complex world through the eyes of the canaries that are employed to protect workers is a charming and inventive concept. Happily, Bitty and his mates are often sweet and funny, as their lives inevitably intertwine with the human miners. . . . Endearing and original"—Kirkus Reviews
"Rosenberg's richly imagined canaries show profound understanding of the world in showing how to honor sacrifices by trying to reform the conditions that engendered the sacrifice. It would work well with a unit on Woody Guthrie, labor unions, or other social history topics."—VOYA
"Bitty is a sweet character who will appeal to both boys and girls, and his story is adventurous enough to keep readers' interest."—Library Media Connection A NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book A VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers Selection An SSLI Honor Book
Author
Madelyn Rosenberg is a journalist and picture book author. Kirkus Reviews called THE SCHMUTZY FAMILY "delightful and unpretentious." This is her first novel for children. She lives in Virginia.
