Rosie the riveter

 

Colman. P. (1995). Rosie the riveter: Women working on the Home Front in World War II. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc.

Interest Level: Grades 5-8

Reading Level: 8+

Rosie the Riveter begins with a brief overview of World War II and how America came to take part in the War as seen through the eyes of Dot Chastney, a third grader at the time. Dot had a personal connection to what was going on in Europe because her neighbor, Annie Ashworth was taking the trip of her lifetime there and Dot's family was concerned for her safety. From that personal female perspective on the war we are introduced to the role that women were encouraged to take while men were away fighting the war. The government created a large scale propaganda campaign and "Rosie the Riveter," the title of an upbeat song of the time, quickly became the catchphrase to represent all women workers. During this time period women held jobs of all kinds in all industries, from shipyards to steel mills, from foundries to farms, and as engineers, physicists, chemists and more. Black women were also encouraged to work, but were segregated from white women workers. Finally, the book covers the propaganda campaign that was began as the war ended and men returned home, which encouraged women to return to being housewives where they belonged.

This is a brief look at the ways that American women contributed to the success of the Wartime activities and yet were discriminated against in the workplace once soldiers began to return home, a discrimination which continued for decades to come. Real accounts of women on the job, accompanied by many photos, make this an interesting read. I was surprised to find out that the image I've always associated with Rosie the Riveter was in fact created in the 1970s. The initial image, painted by Norman Rockwell, can be seen on the cover of the book. This is a good read for those interested in American History as well as those interested in women's rights.