Book Club Blog

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1. Social Studies Resource -
Life of a Soldier After the Civil War: What’s in a name? – exploring the challenges faced by Irish and African American war veterans using case studies created from pension records.

2. Social Studies Resource -
Brain Pop – video describing basic facts of the Civil War

1. Art Resource-
A House Divided: Photography in the Civil War – analyzing photography lesson plan

2. Art Resource -
Civil War Reader’s Theater – students will take part in reading a play about the Civil War aloud, practicing fluency and gaining content knowledge about the Civil War.

Important Characters -
Katie O'Farrell - Katie O'Farrell was hired to be a live-in made for a wealthy family in New York City in 1863. Since Katie's mother died of an illness, Katie had to help support her father and siblings with money for food and rent. Katie becomes friends with Jimmy as they both rescue and take care of a stray dog. Katie was very protective of her family and does whatever she can to protect them, even if it means sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. This includes protecting her Brain, her brother from going to the war.

Jimmy - Jimmy was an African American man living in New York City. His mother was a slave but escaped and brought Jimmy and herself up from Virginia using the Underground Railway. She was hired by Mr. Lowell, a man who taught at Columbia College and who had helped them during their escape. Mr. Lowell even taught Jimmy how to read. Jimmy, worked as a groonsman for the Grenville's stables. Jimmy was hurt awhile back when a horse kicked him in his leg, but that did not stop him from working with horses.

Mrs. Alberts - Mrs. Alberts was a big and powerful woman. She was the cook for the Lacey household. She strongly dislikes Katie because the Lacey's hired Katie as the maid instead of her neice. Mrs. Alberts constantly yelled at Katie for doing something wrong. She always bossed Katie around all day long as well. Mrs. Alberts tried to find ways of getting Katie fired or trying to get her to quit.

Summary of Historical Context -
Katie O' Farrell, 14 works as a live-in maid for the Lacey family in 1863. Since immigrating to New York City from Ireland, Katie must work hard to keep her job in order to help support her family. Katie has a hard time following order from Mrs. Alberts. After Katie saves a strag dog, she must find a way to keep it a secret with the help of Jimmy. Jimmy works as a groom for a neighbor's stable. During this time, Katie is treated harshly for being Irish, Catholic, and poor as New York City drafts young men into the Civil War.

Element of Social Justice -
Respect for Others
Throughout the text, one social justice element that stood out was respect for others. Katie was constantly ridiculed for being Irish, Catholic, and poor by the family she worked for and other staff members. Katie's feelings were often hurt because of who she is and and where she comes from, but that did not stop her from being a hard worker and devoted family member. Katie demonstrates a better understanding about respect when it comes to Jimmy. In the beginning Katie feared him because of the color of his skin, but overtime she became friends with him as they both care for the stray dog. Katie even protects him from angry mobs who try to kill him by hiding him in the Lacey's basement. Katie was given an opportunity to see how wrong it is to treat people because of their race and culture.

NJCCS -
Art
1.3.2.C.1 Potray characters when given specifics about circumstances, plot, and thematic intent, demonstrating logical story sequence and informed character choices.
Social Studies
6.1.4.A.15 Explain how and why it is important that people from diverse cultures collaborate to find solution to community, state, national, and global challenges.
6.1.4.D.13 Describe how culture is expressed through and influenced by the behavior of people.
Activity
The teacher will engage students in a discussion about kindness and how they feel when someone compliments them or how they feel when they do something thoughtful for someone else or if someone does a thoughtful deed for them. The teacher will ask students to role play different exchanges of compliments or good deeds such as saying that they like another person’s smile, holding the door open for others, or getting something off a shelf that a person can’t reach. As a written assignment, students can write a short essay about the best thing that ever happened to them or ways of doing good deeds or complimenting another person. The teacher will ask students to brainstorm ‘feeling’ words and have students describe how they felt about what happened or how they or the other person would feel.

Letter to a character - Click here to view a letter to Katie!

Critique -
Isabelle Holland’s portrayal of the Civil War is different from what many history textbooks and children’s novels present. The cultural wars between the Irish, the blacks, and the English add another layer of conflict to this vast war between the North and the South. Holland’s writing from a young Irish girl’s perspective highlights this under-represented culture’s experience during the war. This novel helps young people learn gain a more well-rounded understanding of the many groups of people that had roles in the Civil War and how it was fought. Specifically, in Behind the Linesstudents learn from a “case study” about one particular Irish family and how they experience discrimination and the New York City Draft Riots during the Civil War. Following this family’s specific experiences helps young people understand how people from different ages from young children to older grandmothers lived during this time in history and gives students a chance to put themselves in the characters’ shoes.