The Bread Winner

The Breadwinner is a story set during the Great Depression. Sarah Puckett is 12 years old and having to make a lot of sacrifices to help her family survive the Great Depression without starving or having to live in the dreaded poorhouse. She has to stand up to bullies, forgo childhood pleasures, work hard, and support her mother emotionally when her father leaves them to look for work elsewhere. Her courage, determination, and hard work ethic endear her to her community, who rally around her and launch her to success. There is far more to learn than how to read, in this well-written work by Arvella Whitmore. Included in the unit are activities that develop vocabulary, understanding of conflicts in the story, and hands on activities like baking bread. My children and I had a wonderful time together over this book.