Jane Addams’s life and work over decades of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries made a difference both in the lives of countless people in the Chicago area, where she lived and worked, and to the philosophy and profession of social work. From a prosperous family, she was aware that not everyone had the advantages she enjoyed. In The House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams, author Tanya Lee Stone weaves together details from Jane’s young life with the trajectory of her education and travels and eventually her dedication to the establishment in 1889 of Hull House, known as America’s first settlement house. Hull House, modeled on a settlement house in London that Jane had visited, grew rapidly in its outreach to diverse neighborhoods, particularly to immigrant families hampered by language and lack of work opportunities. Combining a broad and empathetic understanding of social realities with an appreciation and respect for the value of arts and culture to people from all walks of life, Addams encouraged research and study of neighborhood conditions as well as hands-on engagement in everyday life. Illustrations by Kathryn Brown capture well the time period and the sense of Jane’s character and activities; an author’s note provides additional details of Addams’s remarkable accomplishments. For one, she was the first woman in our country to receive the Nobel Prize. This picture book biography is a fine introduction to a principled life of activism and social democracy.
Ages 6–9.
Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net
Ages 6–9.
Related activities and interviews may be found at: TeachingBooks.net
