"A Review of Bread and Roses, Too"

Question

by Sarah Woode

Rosa can’t believe her ears. “Strike! Strike!” Her entire town is on strike, and her mother and sister Anna are heading the protest march. The police are arresting strike leaders, and one of Rosa’s neighbors has been shot.

Author Katherine Paterson’s new book, Bread and Roses, Too, is a compelling fictional account of a real historical event. The story explores the struggles of poor immigrant workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts. During the winter of 1912, 25,000 mill workers left their jobs to demand better pay. Through their brave efforts, the workers won a raise of one penny an hour.

Paterson tells this moving tale through the eyes of 13-year-olds Rosa Serutti and Jake Beale. The book alternates between their points of view. They meet on the night Rosa is searching through the trash for a pair of shoes that have been thrown away. Instead she finds Jake, who is trying to sleep while hiding from his abusive father. By telling the story as children would see it, Paterson allows the reader to experience the life of the mill workers.

Escape from Violence

The scenes of the strike are powerful and frightening. Rosa’s mother and sister are both union organizers, yet Rosa is conflicted. Her teacher has told her that the strikers are troublemakers. She is worried that her mother’s actions will make things even worse for the family. As the police crack down on the strikers, it seems that Rosa may be right. The children are sent to Vermont to get away from the trouble.

Paterson has won numerous awards for children’s literature, including the Newbery Medal and National Book Award for Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved. She won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature, which is named for the author of the Pippi Longstocking book series. Bread and Roses, Too is almost as good as her earlier work, but the story lags when the children leave Lawrence. Away from the drama of the strike, the action loses some of its urgency. Still, what happens to Rosa and Jake is very moving, and the conclusion is deeply satisfying.

The Lawrence strike eventually became one of the most successful strikes in U.S. history. This novel succeeds in bringing this dramatic, dangerous time to life.
Use the book review to answer the question.

Which sentence best describes a piece of textual evidence that the writer uses to support the argument?

(1 point)
Responses

“Bread and Roses, Too is almost as good as her earlier work, but the story lags when the children leave Lawrence.”
“ Bread and Roses, Too is almost as good as her earlier work, but the story lags when the children leave Lawrence.”

“The Lawrence strike eventually became one of the most successful strikes in U.S. history.”
“The Lawrence strike eventually became one of the most successful strikes in U.S. history.”

“This novel succeeds in bringing this dramatic, dangerous time to life.”
“This novel succeeds in bringing this dramatic, dangerous time to life.”

“The children are sent to Vermont to get away from the trouble.”

Answer 1

The sentence that best describes a piece of textual evidence that the writer uses to support the argument is:

“Bread and Roses, Too is almost as good as her earlier work, but the story lags when the children leave Lawrence.”

This sentence directly supports the argument by acknowledging a strength (the quality of the writing) while also pointing out a specific weakness (the pacing of the story when the setting changes from Lawrence). This illustrates the reviewer's critical assessment of the novel as a whole.