Full of Beans on Book Talk Thursday

So, I've taken a break from Book Talk Thursday. The truth is, I started reading the elementary books and found that many of them had a very similar theme, which I will write about in one post. But the book I am going to discuss today did not follow that same theme in any way.
The Great Depression in Key West comes to life in this fun book by Jennifer L. Holm. You don't want to miss the fun in Full of Beans!

{Affiliate links are scattered throughout this post to help fund future book purchases.}

Imagine you are in Key West. During the Great Depression! The book Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm does just that. She shows us what this favorite vacation spot once was and how it became a tourist destination through the eyes of a young boy.

Summer 1934 proved to be a tough time for Beans and his family. His father has gone off to New York to find a job, while he, his mother, and brothers stay behind in Key West to make ends meet. It's the same for everyone as jobs are scarce, and so are commodities.

Beans is always finding ways to make a little money, but nothing really works out. Then the New Dealers come in to try and save Key West. They scare the residents, especially the children with their fancy clothes and new ways.

Beans meets Johnny Cakes, who pays him well to do a job that could hurt Beans and everyone in the town. The lies begin for everyone.

The story is told through the eyes of a young boy who loves marbles and the movies. He loves his family and takes care of them while his father is away. He works hard to help his family survive on what little they have. And he does it all with his wagon in tow! It really shows what life was like for so many families during the Great Depression.

And what a great way to tell history! I found myself staying up super late to find out all I could about Key West and how it came to be a tourist destination. Jennifer Holm even tells about it at the end of Full of Beans with pictures. Students and adults will find it interesting to see how the Great Depression shaped our history like never before.

The laugh out loud funny book will take everyone back in time to a place and time so many of us don't know. Full of Beans is not only the name in the book, but it leads to what the phrase means. How will Beans and his family work to make life better in Key West?

The Great Depression in Key West comes to life in this fun book by Jennifer L. Holm. You don't want to miss the fun in Full of Beans!

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