Summer of the Tree Army: A Civilian Conservation Corps Story (Tales of Young Americans)
Nine-year-old Charlie Brightelot likes to explore the woods around his northern Michigan home. One June afternoon in 1933, he spots a new row of cabins deep in the forest. His father says Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps has moved in but mocks “shipping fellows with no jobs up here from the city” to “sit around.” Charlie sees the crew plant new trees in burnt-out areas and later befriends one of the rail thin teen-age workers who got lost. In August, a fire threatens Charlie’s home, but the men of the CCC clear brush, carve out fire breaks, and help check the blaze.
National Book Award Winner Whelan’s spare but effective prose and dialogue touch on several issues—prejudice against the poor, benefits of government work programs, and friendship between strangers. Fagan’s full-page stylized color art suggests posters of the 1930s. Author notes at the end provide a fuller explanation of “Roosevelt’s Tree Army.” This absorbing work will encourage family conversations about life in America nearly a century ago. Recommended for ages 6-10.
