A Feast of the Famine: The Irish Famine in Children's Literature.

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  • Author(s): Bryan, Gregory
  • Source:
    Library Media Connection. Feb2005, Vol. 23 Issue 5, p50-53. 4p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      CHILDREN'S books; GREAT Famine, Ireland, 1845-1852; CHILDREN'S literature; PUBLISHING; POTATO Eaters, The (Book); BRANSON, Karen
    • Subject Terms:
      IRELAND
    • Abstract:
      The article presents information on the Irish Famine and discusses children's books depicting the calamity. The author states that the Great Hunger was one of the greatest human calamities in world history. In 1845, three million of Ireland's eight million people depended on the potato to survive. They ate potatoes with every meal. The misery was compounded by the bitter winter of 1847. The topic of Ireland's Great Potato Famine has recently received considerable attention from children's book publishers. The famine is central to both fiction and nonfiction texts written for children, comprised of picture books and chapter books. The book titled "The Potato Eaters," by Karen Branson is a beautifully written, but heart-wrenching novel, which tells the story of the O'Connor family struggling to stay alive and stay together during the famine.