The Great Depression

In The Great Depression: Experience the 1930s From the Dust Bowl to the New Deal, readers ages 12 to 15 investigate the causes, duration, and outcome of the Great Depression, the period of time when more than 20 percent of Americans were unemployed. They discover how people coped, what new inventions came about, and how the economics of the country affected the arts, sciences, and politics of the times. The decade saw the inauguration of many social programs that Americans still benefit from today. The combination of President Roosevelt’s New Deal and the dawning of World War II gave enough economic stimulus to boost the United States out of its slump and into a new era of recovery.

In The Great Depression, students explore what it meant to live during this time. Projects such as designing a 1930s outfit and creating a journal from the point of view of a kid whose family is on the road help infuse the content with realism and practicality. In-depth investigations of primary sources from the period allow readers to engage in further, independent study of the times. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of current reference works, and Internet resources.

Marcia Amidon Lusted has written over 80 books for young readers, many on historical subjects. As an assistant editor for Cobblestone Publishing and its award-winning history magazines, she has written widely on many different historical eras. Her books for Nomad Press include The Roaring Twenties: Discover the Era of Prohibition, Flappers, and Jazz and Civic Unrest: Investigate the Struggle for Social Change. Marcia lives in Hancock, New Hampshire.

Tom Casteel is an illustrator and cartoonist with a master's degree from the Center for Cartoon Studies. Tom has illustrated several books for Nomad Press, including Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces; Cities: Discover How They Work; and Explorers of the New World: Discover the Golden Age of Exploration with 22 Projects. Tom lives in South Bend, Indiana.