Canary in the Coal Mine

Gr 4–6—Bitty, a canary, tells the story of life in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia during the Depression. Miners carried the birds into the mines to detect the presence of toxic gases long before mechanical devices were invented and made affordable. Bitty lives in the big house, a large aviary in the bedroom of Jamie, a boy who rents out the canaries to the miners each day. The story does a nice job of describing the dangers and safety issues involved in the early mining industry. Bitty takes it upon himself to escape the aviary and travel to the state capital to try and lobby for safer working conditions and freedom for the birds. He meets a variety of animals and people along the way and touches on some historical events such as the construction of the state capitol dome. But historical references are fleeting, and the abundance of extraneous characters bogs down the story line. The mere mention of activist Mother Jones, who died before this story took place, and real names of state legislators and inventors do little to advance the plot. A Depression-era tale with talking animals gives this story a touch of whimsy, though, and Bitty's persistence will eventually reward those who make it to the conclusion.—Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OH