Flesh & Blood so Cheap: The Triangle Fire and its Legacy by Albert Marrin / Historical Picture Book

Bibliographic Information: Marrin, A. (2011). Flesh and blood so cheap: The Triangle fire and its legacy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Plot Description: From the publisher: "On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City burst into flames. The factory was crowded. The doors were locked to ensure workers stay inside.  One hundred forty-six people—mostly women—perished; it was one of the most lethal workplace fires in American history until September 11, 2001. But the story of the fire is not the story of one accidental moment in time. It is a story of immigration and hard work to make it in a new country, as Italians and Jews and others traveled to America to find a better life. It is the story of poor working conditions and greedy bosses, as garment workers discovered the endless sacrifices required to make ends meet. It is the story of unimaginable, but avoidable, disaster. And it the story of the unquenchable pride and activism of fearless immigrants and women who stood up to business, got America on their side, and finally changed working conditions for our entire nation, initiating radical new laws we take for granted today."

Quantitative Reading Level: Lexile Level: 1000L

Qualitative Reading Analysis: Readers should have a basic knowledge of US history in order to place the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in context, and this book would be of special for those studying the history of working conditions, protests, and unions. The narrow margined text blocks are interspersed with several black and white photos from the 1905-1915 era, with a specific focus on the days leading up to and following the tragic fire. The book consists of thick, over-sized pages, conducive to browsing, and eye-catching side panels with further information on shirtwaist advertisements, news clippings from the day of the tragedy, popular song lyrics, maps, and blue prints. These illustrations take up a large amount of space on each page, and contribute to a vivid sense of history and how the event triggered waves of protests and legislative change. The extra wide margins and bold chapter and section headings are easy on the eye and invite the reader into the book. The cover itself is quite striking, with bright orange, red, and black colors used with flames overlaid upon an original photograph of factory girls. The book is complemented by a full Table of Contents, index, references notes, and bibliography. While the publisher's target audience is for 4th graders and up, younger and older readers would be easily drawn in via the varied text and the startling photographs à la Jacob Riis.

Content Area: Social Science, U.S. History

Content Area Standard: CCSS History-Social Science Content Standards for Grades 6-8:
 Chronological and Spatial Thinking
1. Students explain how major events are related to one another in time.

2. Students construct various time lines of key events, people, and periods of the historical era they are studying.

3. Students use a variety of maps and documents to identify physical and cultural features of neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries and to explain the historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of empires, and the growth of economic systems.

Research, Evidence, and Point of View
1. Students frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research.

2. Students distinguish fact from opinion in historical narratives and stories.

3. Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from incidental
information, and verifiable from unverifiable information in historical narratives and stories.

4. Students assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw sound conclusions from them.

5. Students detect the different historical points of view on historical events and determine the context in which the historical statements were made (the questions asked, sources used, author’s perspectives).

Curriculum Suggestions: This title would make a solid addition to reading materials in U.S. History classes, especially when introducing students to the history of child labor, working conditions, unions, protests, and immigration. Booklist describes it as "sure to spark discussion," and there is no doubt that the tragic story and vivid photographs would bring history alive and supply plenty of material for discussions and presentations.

Links to Supporting Digital Content: 
PBS 1-hour DVD special American Experience: Triangle Fire
PBS's teacher's resources for studying the Triangle fire 
HBO Documentary's 40-minute film recounts the Triangle fire
The Jewish Women's Archive includes a trove of multimedia resources on the fire 

Awards:
A National Book Award Finalist
A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year
A Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Readers
An Amelia Bloomer List Recommended Book