Children of the Settlement Houses

Arnold, Caroline. Children of the Settlement Houses. (Picture the American Past). Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1998.

While this book does offer an overview of settlement houses, why they sprang up, and the activities children would have done at them, it was more of a dry narrative than something that was personal and touching. By taking a slightly different approach to the book and incorporating a more personal approach, the author could have incorporated all that and made it a reading experience that would linger with her readers. There are not, however, a lot of books that address the topic, so it is still a useful book to use with children whose urban immigrant ancestor might have enjoyed some of the activities at these homes. The book is illustrated by black and white photographs depicting persons who were a part of these homes.  3 stars.

This is part of my Friday series on children's books and genealogy.