<p>Nate Tanner is a rich boy whose family owns coal mines near Hazleton, Pennsylvania. He has everything a kid could want or need – except a friend. Then he meets Johnny, an easygoing Polish American boy who works sorting coal in a filthy, dark building called a breaker. Unaware that Nate is the boss’s son, Johnny invites him to play baseball with the breaker boys. As the summer of 1897 progresses, Nate finds himself piling lie on top of lie to keep his identity secret from Johnny, and the friendship secret from his family. In the patch town where the mining families live, Nate confronts disturbing realities; back at home, he learns of his family’s fears about the future. Meanwhile, the miners are joining a labor union to challenge the owners – and the owners are trying to stop a strike. As Nate’s moment of truth draws near, so does a violent confrontation that will alter coal country lives forever. Originally published by Farrar, Straus &amp; Giroux, now in paperback for the first time, "The Breaker Boys" explores both sides of a timeless issue through a nuanced portrayal of both immigrant laborers and the coal-mine owners who employed them.</p>

The Breaker Boys

Children's Books

Hughes, Pat

Literature & Fiction

Backshore Books

The American Revolution is underway, and fiery Jake Mallery wants freedom from tyranny – the tyranny of his strict father, that is. Jake doesn’t care about fighting for liberty. To him, the pursuit of happiness is sailing the high seas, seeking adventure on a privateer. But his father insists that Jake remain at home on the Connecticut coast, tending the family’s ferry and joining the local militia in case the town is attacked. Which, Jake knows, will never happen. He’s destined to a life of boring chores, militia drills, and verbal sparring with Hannah, the insufferable indentured servant of his best friend Tim’s family. But on July 4, 1779, Jake’s world is turned upside down. The British are coming, and they mean to suppress the Patriot rebellion by any means necessary. The brutal Battle of New Haven sets off a series of horrific events that will shatter Jake’s life. And only when he has lost his own freedom does he begin to understand what’s at stake in this war.

Five 4ths of July

<p>Homes burned. Horses stolen. Men murdered. Lives destroyed. This is Missouri’s Civil War, pitting Southern guerrilla fighters against Union forces … and neighbor against neighbor. It’s the summer of 1863, and Matt Howard, 15, wishes he could just farm his dead father’s land in peace. But there’s no way that can happen. His best friend, Jesse James, is planning to join the ruthless guerrilla leader Quantrill – and he wants Matt to fight, too. His mother intends to take her children back home to Pennsylvania – and she wants Matt to go along. As the violence intensifies and events spiral out of control, Matt has no choice but to decide: Join the guerrillas with Jesse, or escape to safety with his family? When published by Farrar, Straus &amp; Giroux in 2003, GUERRILLA SEASON was a Junior Library Guild selection and a Bank Street Best Book. Publishers Weekly called it "a compelling story about courage and sacrifice." While designated a young adult novel, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called GUERRILLA SEASON "a must-read historical novel for readers interested in the Civil War or Jesse James."</p>

Guerrilla Season

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Books by Backshore Books

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Backshore Books publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Breaker Boys

Five 4ths of July

Guerrilla Season