If You Lived 100 Years Ago

by Mcgovern, Ann; Divito, Anna

• ISBN13: 9780590960014
• ISBN10: 0590960016
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-09-01
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks

Summary

What a difference 100 years has made! Back at the turn of the century there were no televisions, airplanes, computers, plastics, movies with sound, or space travel; there were only about 8,000 automobiles in the whole country. Just turning on a light switch was a new experience.
In 58 tantalizing questions and answers, author Ann McGovern gives readers a fascinating look at life in New York City at the end of the 19th century-where the rich and poor lived, how they dressed, traveled, dined, and entertained themselves, what kind of work they did.
Readers may be surprised to learn that many children had to work for a living in horrendous conditions, that school were often inadequate and overcrowded (there could be 100 or more students in a single classroom), and that bicycling was the most popular sport in the country. (Baseball, cowling, tennis, football, boxing, golf, archery, and skating were also popular. Basketball and volleyball were new.)
Together, the text and art are filled with details that bring the era to life for young readers.

Author Biography

Ann McGovern has been writing children's books for over 35 years. She has published over 45 titles including STONE SOUP, several books in the IF YOU LIVED.... series, and SCRAM, KID! (Viking, 1974), which won the Horn Book Award. McGovern spent part of her career at Scholastic, where she created the See-Saw Book Club. McGovern lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Then and now	6	(2)
Who lived in New York City?	8	(1)
Where did poor people live?	9	(3)
Where did the middle class and rich live?	12	(2)
Where did people sleep?	14	(1)
Were there bathrooms in tenements?	15	(1)
Where did people take baths?	16	(1)
Where did people get water?	16	(1)
Would you have electricity?	17	(1)
What good were clotheslines?	18	(1)
Where did you shop?	19	(4)
How did people keep food fresh?	23	(1)
What were some of the new inventions?	24	(2)
What did women and girls wear?	26	(3)
What did men and boys wear?	29	(1)
What were bathing suits like?	30	(1)
What did men and women look like?	31	(1)
What did things cost in the 1890s?	32	(1)
Did your mother work outside the home?	33	(1)
What work did men do?	34	(4)
Who took care of the children?	38	(1)
Where did children work?	38	(2)
What happened to children who didn't have a home?	40	(1)
How old did children have to be to work?	41	(1)
How much money did people make?	42	(1)
What did people eat?	42	(3)
What did rich people eat?	45	(1)
What did people do for fun?	46	(1)
What did the rich do for fun?	47	(1)
What was fun and cost 10&sent; or less?	48	(2)
What was a dime museum?	50	(1)
What games would you play?	51	(1)
Were there movies?	52	(2)
Where did poor children play?	54	(1)
Were there sports?	54	(1)
What was the most popular sport?	55	(1)
How did people get around in the city?	56	(2)
What did most people think about the new automobiles?	58	(1)
What were the streets like?	59	(3)
Were the horses treated well?	62	(1)
Were you comfortable riding in a carriage?	62	(1)
What were good riding manners?	63	(1)
Were the railroads any better?	64	(2)
How did the rich travel?	66	(2)
Did people travel by boat?	68	(1)
What slang did people use?	69	(1)
What did people read?	70	(1)
How did people advertise their products?	71	(1)
Who went to school?	72	(1)
What were public schools like?	73	(1)
What were teachers like?	74	(1)
What did you learn?	74	(2)
What happened if you got sick?	76	(1)
Were there any good doctors?	76	(1)
Were there nurses?	77	(1)
What kinds of medicines did people use?	78	(1)
When did life for the poor get better?	79