A young girl grows up in the sooty shadow of the coal mines of West Virginia When the whistle blows, Christina knows her father is coming home. Every day he emerges from the pit with his skin caked in coal dust. He's 50 now and he's been working in the mines since he was 12 years old. It's dangerous, backbreaking labor, but he does it because he loves his family. As far as Christina is concerned, there is no job in the world more honorable than digging coal. Danger is always close at hand in the mines. There are cave-ins, explosions, and diseases. But no matter what happens, Christina and her family always stick together. This meticulously researched look at life in a coal camp shows that no matter how dark the pit, love will always shine through.

 

This book has been graded for interest at 8-12 years.

There are 184 pages in this book. This book was published 2015 by Open Road Media Teen & Tween .

In addition to illustrating the first four Betsy-Tacy books, Lois Lenski (1893-1974) was the 1946 Newberry Medal winning author of Strawberry Girl. In addition to illustrating the first four Betsy-Tacy books, Lois Lenski (1893-1974) was the 1946 Newberry Medal winning author of Strawberry Girl.