The Breaker Boys

Reach for this book when your child starts noticing the gap between the haves and the have-nots, or when they are struggling with the pressure to fit into a social class that feels dishonest. It is an ideal choice for middle schoolers navigating the tension between family expectations and their own moral compass. The story follows Nate, the son of a wealthy coal mine owner in 1905, who hides his identity to play baseball with the breaker boys: the poor, hardworking children who sort coal in his father's mines. Through Nate's eyes, readers explore the harsh realities of child labor, the injustice of economic disparity, and the bravery required to stand up for one's friends against one's own family interests. It is a poignant look at social justice that uses the lens of historical fiction to make complex ethical dilemmas accessible. Parents will appreciate how it encourages empathy and asks what it truly means to be a person of character in an unfair world.