During the Industrial Revolution, many children worked long hours in harsh conditions. Reformers pushed for child labor laws and education, helping ensure safer lives and new opportunities for children. You can find more books about the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era here.
The Traveling Camera
Stunning introduction to Lewis Hine, whose photographs of child laborers helped bring about reform
Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children
Inspiring story of a woman who protested child labor conditions
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909
True story of a girl who advocated for labor reform
The Child Labor Reform Movement: An Interactive History Adventure
Choose-your-own-adventure book set in the child labor reform movement
Kids at Work
Photobiography of Lewis Hine, whose photography galvanized the child labor reform movement
Growing Up in Coal Country
Introduction to life in Pennsylvania coal towns during the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Breaker Boys
Compelling introduction to child miners and how a photograph of them fueled the child labor reform movement