Thimbles

For older, socially aware middle school children this is a delightful read. Cathy loses her holiday abroad when her father is suspended from work for inciting union action. She goes instead to her doting grandparents. They attempt to shield her from problems at home by involving her in the sorting of a trunk of ancient family belongings. In amongst the clothes and pictures Cathy finds a collection of antique thimbles. With two of them she is taken back almost two centuries to share the experiences of two very different children at the massacre of Peterloo. Through Kate and Sophie, Cathy comes to terms with her own present day dilemma and learns to accept her father's stand. A story which conveys a great sense of the struggles and tensions of social history. It is simply told however, an easy read but one that provokes important questions that bright readers will wish to pursue.