Banks, Ann.
First-Person America
. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980. This collection of Federal Writers' Project narratives is an oral history of America during the 1930's, much like Studs Terkel's classics
Hard Times
or
Division Street.
Benson, Jackson J.
The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer
. New York: Viking, 1984. A critically acclaimed and well-researched biography on the life of John Steinbeck, drawing much from Steinbeck's personal letters.
Davis, Keith F.
The Photographs of Dorothea Lange.
Kansas City: Hallmark Cards, 1995. This collection of Lange photographs, with brief explanations of each, includes all the photos mentioned in this unit.
Hard Times, the 30's
. New York: Time-Life Books, 1998. This book provides a complete overview of the 1930's along with text and photography made famous by the publishers of Time-Life Books.
Hughes, R.S.
John Steinbeck: A Study of the Short Fiction.
Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1989. This study of Steinbeck's short stories and short fiction highlights Steinbeck's success as a story-teller and short-story writer.
Lewis, R.W.B. "John Steinbeck: The Fitful Daemon." In
Steinbeck; A Collection of Critical Essays,
edited by Robert Murray Davis, 163-175. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1972. This collection of essays on Steinbeck gives a critical reading of many of the author's classic tales including
Of Mice and Men
.
Marzano, Robert J., Debra J. Pickering and Jane E. Pollock.
Classroom Instruction that Works.
Alexandria: ASCD, 2001. This often cited book is a great addition to any teacher's library with insightful advice, tips and research on classroom instruction.
McElvaine, Robert S.
The Great Depression.
New York: Times Books, 1961. This book on the Great Depression is a good source for insights into many aspects of the era, especially politically oriented aspects such as Hoover's role, FDR and the New Deal.
Parini, Jay.
John Steinbeck
. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1995. This acclaimed biography on Steinbeck is a well-researched easy read on the author.
Steinbeck, John.
The Grapes of Wrath
. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. This timeless classic tracing the migration of the Joads during the 1930s will fit as well with this unit as
Of Mice and Men
.
______.
Of Mice and Men
. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. This classic Steinbeck tale focuses on the plight of Lenny and George, tragic heroes who live the pain that many suffered during the Great Depression.
______.
East of Eden
. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. Another favorite by John Steinbeck, this tale is a classic in American Literature.
______.
A Life in Letters.
Edited by Elaine Steinbeck and Robert Wallsten. New York: Penguin Books, 1952. This autobiographical collection of letters reveals much about the famous writer's inner thoughts and personal life.
Terkel, Studs.
Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression
. New York: Pantheon Books, 1970. This classic in American oral history provides dozens of short vignettes on the effect the Great Depression had on many Americans.
Tufte, Edward R.
Visual Explanations; Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative
. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 1997. This book on the relationship between images and words is an interesting look at the important role images play in our daily lives. The book served as a textbook for our seminar in the institute this year.
Watkins, T.H.
The Hungry Years: A Narrative History of the Great Depression in America.
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999. This richly researched history of the Great Depression draws from the voices of the common American during the era, reminiscent of Studs Terkel's work.