Genre 4- (Nonfiction and Biography)- Six Days in October

Six Days In October
By: Karen Blumenthal

BIBLIOGRAPGY

Blumenthal, Karen. (2002). SIX DAYS IN OCTOBER: THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929. New York, NY. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-689-84276-7

PLOT SUMMARY

Veteran Wall Street Journal editor and reporter Karen Blumenthal sets the scene for the five days building up to Black Tuesday, which resulted in the American stock market crash of 1929. Blumenthal also creates the devastating picture of the massive affect the stock market crash had on American citizens and its economy.

CRITICAL ALALYSIS

Blumenthal’s opening statement paints the perfect image of life after World War I, in the new 1920’s era, “where the old ups and downs no longer applied”. Blumenthal described the 1920’s as, “not just singing with the rhythms of jazz, or swinging with the dancing of the Charleston, they roared with the confidence and optimism of prosperity”. “Jobs were plentiful, pay was steady, goods and services were widely available and affordable, and the stock market was believed to be enchanted.” Life was easy for almost everyone. The rich got richer, and the average man saw one way that he, too, could become richer. Wall Street, where the New York Stock Exchange building stands, was where the average Joe had the opportunity to turn his life savings into his family’s fortune. ‘For more than a year, the stock market had been the surest and easiest way in the world for rich people to become richer”. Blumenthal included a ditty in her text that captured the attitude of the citizens of the 1920’s, that was published in the The Saturday Evening Post  

"O hush thee, my babe, granny's bought some more shares,

Daddy's gone to play with the bulls and the bears,

Mother's buying on tips and she simply can't lose,

And baby shall have some expensive new shoes."

Blumenthal presents accurate and knowledgeable information throughout her book, backed up by highly credited sources such as Dow Jones &Company, The New York Times, Museum of American Financial History, New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street Journal, Radio Cooperation of America and the Library of Congress. Blumenthal presents her readers with works cited sources, picture credits to show every effort she has made to trace copyright holders, as well as her acknowledgments for individuals who provided her with information from alternative sources. 

The organization of Blumenthal’s informational text is outstanding. The information flows well in order of events as they happened day-by-day. Blumenthal presents her readers with a hefty number of dates and times of when events happened, keeping them in order, contributing to the flow of information throughout the text. Information presented in Blumenthal’s text begins on October 24, which was Black Thursday, and ends with the aftermath on October 30, never breaking the sequence of events.

A topic such as the stock market can at times be dull and boring for a young or adult reader. Blumenthal does an exceptional job including visual aids which keep her readers interested and connected with the text. Blumenthal includes old newspaper clippings and articles of actual stores during the time of the stock market crash, as well as photos of famous actors such as the Marx Brothers and images of well-off New York investors who had to sell their prized positions out of desperation for an income. Including these images creates a sense of empathy and reality for Blumenthal’s readers. Blumenthal’s text instills a sense of wonder and curiosity about the Stock Market Crash of 1929, which her readers may not have had before reading Six Day in October. Blumenthal’s informational text provides her readers with information about stock market fundamentals, terminology and strategies that are used every day on Wall Street and in the New York Stock Exchange building, which her readers may not hear on an everyday basis.

Blumenthal has presented her readers with an extraordinary example of how informational text can be lively and interesting. Blumenthal’s Six Days in October provides her readers with an incredible literary experience, while includes vast amounts of information about the stock market crash of 1929, which forever changed the economy after October of 1929 and changed the lives of individuals for centuries following the stock market crash.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Publishers Weekly- “This fast-paced, gripping (and all-too-timely) account of the market crash of October 1929 puts a human face on the crisis.”

Booklist- “A Wall Street Journal bureau chief, Blumenthal combines a fascinating overview of the infamous stock market crash in 1929 with a rare and useful primer of financial basics.”

CONNECTIONS

Related Text:

There is a large amount of informational text by various authors for young readers and young adult readers about saving money and how to invest wisely. I have provided a select few for various age groups.

(Young Readers) A Kid's Guide to Stock Market Investing - Tamra Orr - ISBN-13: 978-1584156420

(Young Readers) The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of - David Gardner - ISBN-13: 978-0743229968

(Young Adult) The Young Investor: Projects and Activities for Making Your Money Grow- Katherine R. Bateman- ISBN-13: 978-1569765463  

(Young Adult) Economics, a Free Market Reader- Bettina Bien Greaves- ISBN-13: 978-0942617443

(Young Adult) Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens: The Secrets about Money--that You Don't Learn in School! - Robert T. Kiyosaki- ISBN-13: 978-0762436545

Activity 1: Stock Market Resource for Children

~The Stock Market Game~
http://www.smgww.org/

The SIFMA Foundation's Stock Market Game (SMG) gives students the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an on-line portfolio. They think they're playing a game. You know they're learning economic and financial concepts they'll use for the rest of their lives

Activity 2:

~Stock Market Math~
“Say the words “Pepsi”, “Nike” or “Google” around any fifth grader and the brand’s logo automatically pops into her head. Kids are bombarded by advertising everywhere, but many are unaware of the companies behind the brand names. So get her invested in her favorite company, and teach some statistics skills along the way!”

Full Activity-and printable chart at: http://www.education.com/activity/article/Stock_Market_Math_fifth/  

Activity 3:

~Compare and Contrasting Activity~

Having children and young adults compare and contrasting the economy of the 1920’s time period to the 2000’s time period by researching websites or reading selected informational texts can contribute to the understanding of how the stock market and trading of goods and services affect economic growth.