Counting on Grace, Written by Elizabeth Winthrop

Counting on Grace

Written by Elizabeth Winthrop

Awards:

Massachusetts Book Award Nominee for Children's/Young Adult Literature (2007)

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2008)

Grades: 3-7

It is 1910 in Pownal, Vermont, and Grace is 12 years old. She and her best friend Arthur are pulled from school and forced to work in the factory with their mothers. She does not want to be in the factory she wants to be in school learning. Her teacher comes on Sunday to teach her and Arthur. Grace is also costing her family money because of her mistakes. The loom is made for a right handed person and she is left handed. Grace and Arthur write an letter to the Child Labor Board in secret about the factory hiring underage workers. The board sends the famous Lewis Hine undercover to the factory. He takes pictures of the conditions in the factory. One is of Grace. The pictures and investigation will change the spirited girls life. Arthur gets injured on purpose. He has two fingers removed from his hand but, he gets to go back to school. The teacher is fired at the end of the book. Grace is the teacher's substitute until a new one can be found.