I loved this book, so thank you for the impeccable research and thoughtful writing. The human experiences of the text are what made the book particularly compelling for me. I could not help but marvel at Billy Durant’s perspective on money after the turbulence of a lifetime of gaining and losing fortunes: “Many people value money too highly. After all, money is only loaned to a man; he comes into the world with nothing and he goes out with nothing” (Blumenthal, 2002, p. 146). I found many of the stories sobering. The story of the rural car salesman who sold his car dealership for stocks, experiencing the lure of the riches-without-work mentality of the market. He enjoyed the ride until the stock market crash. His words reveal that not only the wealthy and powerful are lured by greed, but the common man struggles with it as well. The other fascinating part of the book is the informational sidebars. While the primary text tells the human story, the sidebars give an outstanding education about stock market terms and operational aspects. As I absolutely consumed the entire book, I repeatedly read parts aloud to my husband until he finally said he wanted to read the entire book himself. Even though you chronicled the events for young people, even adults should read and enjoy this book. Many thanks! (M. Lynne Mays)
Blumenthal, Karen. SIX DAYS IN OCTOBER: THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002.
I also devoured this book. I knew about the stock market crash from history classes in high school and college, but I really was fascinated with how in depth the book was. I learned the definitions of terms that I had heard in passing, but had no idea what they meant. Thanks for writing such a great book!
ReplyDeletePamela Barrett
Karen,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for writing this book. I remember my grandparents talking about living through the depression and the fall of the stock-market. My mother was born in 1929 and my dad in 1924. They all experienced this horrible event first hand. After hearing about this all my life I really didn't want to read anything at all about the depression! Just so happens this book was on the reading list and I thought it must be the time. Wow, an awesome book. I think it should be on the required reading list for all middle/high school students to enlighten them on "just how good they have it" now! Again, Thank you...as I read through the chapters, I had a tear in my eye thinking about my grandparents and parents. I know now why my mother keeps every plastic butter dish, plastic wear, styrofoam cups and much,much more saying that she "just might need it someday."
What a Read!
Kathy Yale
The way you organized this book into chapters beginning with each date accompanied by headline-like titles for each of the six days made it even more of a page-turner for me. I also enjoyed the mixture of photographs, cartoons from the period, magazine articles, and actual documents you included in Six Days in October. These not only added visual interest, but also gave me such a feeling of understanding and empathy for those involved. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLisa Kreutziger
I too loved the organization of this book! I loved that the information was logically arranged by the dates. I also liked the bits of information and definitions that expanded my knowledge of stocks, the stock exchange, and bonds for example. I found the list of sources at the end to be helpful. I think the way that the sources are organized by sections allows young readers to easily continue their research on any particular part in the book.
ReplyDeleteI think this book is such a relevant read for anyone, not only to learn about our history and how such a major event changed America, but also understand the comparisons that people are making of our current economic troubles and that of 1929. Through the stories and the pictures, I could feel how it was to experience this tough time. The one that made the biggest connection to me was the anonymous story of the owner of the car dealership (pp. 52 – 56). When the stock market was prosperous, the owner could easily make money with little down. It reminds me of the real estate crash a few years ago. When the real estate market was booming, investors could make money off of houses with little down. Similarly, practically anyone could own a home with little to zero down-payment. The banks were loaning anyone money, since they thought they would make their money either way. If the customer repaid the loan, the banks made money. If the customers defaulted on the loans, the banks could still make money by selling the houses, since the value of houses was rising so quickly. The two situations had so many similarities to me and I enjoyed learning more about this important time in American history. Thanks for such a meaningful and well written book.
Christina Cassell