In middle school, I vaguely remember learning about the rise of the labor movement and various workers’ strikes that popped up throughout the United States during the Great Depression in the early twentieth century. Unfortunately, there was little to no emphasis on the struggles of the workers themselves or the individual rights they were working towards; the lesson about this particular part of history really only lasted one class session before moving onto covering World War II. Looking back [...]

You can tell that Anne Dublin did a lot of work researching this book. The story draws a quite vivid picture of Toronto in 1931, right down to what the local population ate in restaurants (coffee and bagels, since they were cheap) and where they went to eat them. The two young heros in the story, Rose (16) and Sophie (14), really suffer after their father dies and their mother falls ill. Sophie has to leave school to work at a dress factory, and her young life is filled with hunger and cold, sin [...]

Welcome to the war. Although the war was being played out in another country, its effects were being felt everywhere including Canada. The year is 1931 and many females were being forced out of school to help with the family’s finances and/or to help with the war efforts by working. Rose dropped out of school a few years ago when the situation at home demanded that money was needed and schooling would have to wait. Now with their papa deceased and their mama ill, Sophie would also be working a [...]

While many readers may be familiar with the garment workers strikes in United States, most of them will know very little about those same strikes in Toronto in 1931. Rose and her younger sister Sophie must work in a garment factory after their father dies, and while both sisters support the union's efforts for better wages and hours, they have no idea how much suffering the strike will cause. Although they stand on the strike line, Rose is arrested when there is a conflict between strikers and t [...]

Toronto, in the 30's, Sophie, 14, and her older sister, Rose, 16, take work as dressmakers in a factory after their father passes away, and their mother falls ill. As if having to choose work over an education isn't trial enough, the girls are Jewish, which isn't widely accepted, nor is their union's decision to go on strike.A quick read, without the wordiness that might be off-putting for younger readers just dipping their toes into historical fiction, there are plenty of important discussion p [...]

In 1931, during the Great Depression, fourteen year old Sophie Abramson and her sixteen year old sister Rose are garment workers, who join the Toronto Dressmakers’ Strike, supported by their union, to demand for better working conditions, shorter hours and decent wages. It’s the middle of winter and the girls’ family as the other workers on strike are already impoverished and desperate to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. To add to the sisters’ woes, mistrust and re [...]

Please see full review at: 5girlsbookreviews, Twitter @camartinez, and Facebook "5 Girls Book Reviews"REVIEW BY: Angel, age 12 years, 10 monthsMAY CONTAIN SPOILER:This non-fiction book is a great story! It is very sad and nerve racking in some parts. Rose is a 16 year old Jewish girl and her sister Sophie is 14. Since their father died, they both had to get jobs making fancy clothes for low wages with extremely long work hours. When the Jewish union goes on strike for 44 hours to get 15% more on [...]

Fourteen-year-old Sophie and her older sister Rose are the wage earners in their family and must picket during the 1931 Toronto Dressmaker’s Strike.Before reading this novel, I was afraid it might be too instructional, but the descriptive prose and images of Toronto made the setting real rather than textbooky. 44 Hours or Strike! is a simple, well-researched account of the strike that is accessible to middle grade readers. The novel provides opportunities for middle readers’ to understand la [...]

44 Hours or Strike! introduces young readers to the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) dressmakers’ strike in Toronto from February to May, 1931. The teenage daughters of Russian Jewish immigrants, Rose and Sophie both work in the garment factories following the death of their father. A strike is mandated and the girls have very different experiences throughout the ten week strike which will change them forever.Anne Dublin’s easy to read text is punctuated with black and whi [...]

While I agree that this is a largely unexplored topic in middle-grade literature, I feel as if the idea wasn't executed perfectly.This book is extremely well researched but it was the story I found lacking. It lacked a real resolution at the end. The strike ended but I felt as if the character's didn't grow. (view spoiler)[ In Rose's case I feel like she did the opposite as she lost the spirit she had at the beginning.(hide spoiler)] Perhaps that was the point the author was trying to make, that [...]

I nice book for a short period of Canadian history. I found it very well written and insightful for a children's book.One thing I find perplexing of the time is how a race of people can claim to be treated different and separate when they go to great lengths to stay separate.

In 1931, two teenage girls join the newly spreading International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union in Toronto—and join the strike. Review by Drora Arussy for the Jewish Book Council.

I won this book via First Reads Giveaway. I received a paperback copy.