The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

  Lost by Jacqueline Davies  (Fiction)  2010

Essie is one of the young women working in a Lower Manhattan factory in the early 1900's. She dearly loves her family, especially her little sister, Zelda. When Harriet arrives at work, Essie immediately spots the girl's manners and upper-crust ways. What's Harriet's secret? And, does Essie have a secret of her own?  The interactions provide readers with historical fiction, suspense, and mystery all rolled into one book.

 Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy

                                 by Albert Marrin    (Nonfiction)   2011

On March 25, 1911, a major fire changed the lives of many young immigrant workers forever. Its aftermath also helped change the laws about workplace safety. Until September 11, 2001, it remained one of the most lethal workplace fires in history. Marrin brings together the stories of workers, owners, the public, and the news media of the day in a riveting analysis of this tragedy. His research and attention to detail is unparalled.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

  The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman  2009   (Adult Fiction) 

This reads like a collection of short stories, each about a character involved in an English language newspaper room in Rome. The writing is superb and readers are instantly drawn into the human foibles. It's funny, poignant, and realistic rolled up together. Just keep reading to see what happens and why this was named one of best novels of the year by a whole list of periodicals and papers.

Hitler-era Germany pairing

    In The Garden of Beasts:  Love, Terror, and an American
                                Family in Hitler's Berlin  by Erik Larson  2011 (Adult nonfiction)

      Ashes by Kathryn Lasky   2010  (Grades 6-9 fiction)

Although these two books are meant for different audiences, adult history buffs will appreciate the intricacies of the writing in this pairing. Larson's nonfiction book focuses on 1933 Berlin when Hitler is just coming to power. The narrative describes new U.S. Ambassador William E Dodd and his family as they attempt to learn more about their new assignment. In Lasky's fictional tale, thirteen-year-old Gaby and her family live in 1932 Germany. Her sister is interested in a young Nazi soldier and the family maid wonders if what Hitler says really makes sense. Gaby's a huge reader and what happens to books in the tense times will affect everyone. Same times, different points of view, fascinating reads!