The Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers' Rights in the West Virginia Coalfields

Ages 10 to 14

For fans of Steve Sheinkin, a riveting true story of the West Virginia coal miners who galvanized the labor movement in America.

In May 1920, in a small town in West Virginia, a dozen coal miners took a stand. They were sick of the low pay in the mines. The unsafe conditions. The brutal treatment of workers. The scrip they were paid—instead of cash—that could be used only at the company store.

They had tried to unionize, but the mine owners dug in. As tensions finally boiled over, a gunfight erupted—and began a yearlong standoff.

The miners tried protests; they tried strikes; the owners retaliated with spying, bribery and threats. It would all culminate in the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in US history.

In this gripping book, get to know the spirited people who fought for the rights of coal miners, and discover how the West Virginia Mine Wars paved the way for vital protections for workers of all kinds.

About the Author

Steve Watkins is an award-winning author of more than ten books for young readers, including the 2009 Golden Kite Award winner for fiction, Down Sand Mountain. He has also written several books for grown-ups including a short story collection that won a Pushcart Prize. He is also a journalist and former professor of journalism at the University of Mary Washington, a world-renowned yoga instructor, and a father to four daughters. He and his family live in Fredericksburg, VA. stevewatkinsbooks.com