On Our Way to Oyster Bay: Mother Jones and Her March for Children's Rights

Gr 1–3—Mary Harris "Mother" Jones worked relentlessly as an advocate and organizer for workers' rights. Mother Jones sought to highlight the plight of working children by organizing a march from Philadelphia to New York City and then to President Theodore Roosevelt's summer home in Oyster Bay, Long Island. This work recounts the experiences of two young fictional child workers, Aidan and Gussie, during that march. Camping out in the woods, riding a train, and visiting Coney Island, Aidan and Gussie learn lessons in generosity and activism as they meet thousands of supportive people along the way. Finally arriving at Oyster Bay, with her few ragtag crusaders, Mother Jones was turned away and never met with the president. However, the march raised national awareness, and within a few years the first child labor laws were passed. As an introduction to the idea of activism and the concept of the individual's ability to make a difference, this is a suitable work for students. Color illustrations highlight the march from Aiden and Gussie's viewpoint but show almost exclusively white children and adults. Information is included about Mother Jones and her crusade as well as facts about current problems of child labor throughout the world, with a few suggestions for possible actions that may be undertaken by readers.