The Hard-Times Jar

Rating:
Summary: Too many issues, too little time!
Review: Ethel F. Smothers' The Hard Times Jar is the story of Emma and her poor, migrant working family who do not have access to Emma's one true love: books. Although the theme resounds with readers and depicts the experiences of some children today, major issues such as discrimination and segregation, which are briefly mentioned when Emma enters an all white school, are not dealt with thoroughly. The author's use of descriptive language does, however, allow the reader to connect to Emma's longing for books and provides the reader with an opportunity to appreciate what is so easily taken for granted.