Reading Level: 890L
Interest Level: Grades 4 - 6
Literally framed by the lyrics of “This Land Is Your Land” (the lyrics appear scrawled above every page), “Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People” gives the famous folkie’s legacy a context. Guthrie’s life fit the context of the time: his mother died of Huntington’s Disease, and his family suffered from chronic poverty, too. Like others seeking shelter from the relentless dust, Guthrie headed west for work on California farms. On his way, he met a lot of desperate families in the temporary migrant camps, and Guthrie realized he wanted to sing for those people, speak for the voiceless. The dark blue, tan, and black palette is reminiscent of the colors you’d see on a pair of overalls or a factory jumpsuit – very much a nod to the blue collar working class Guthrie’s music celebrates. While I enjoyed this book, I think the author could have chosen better lyrics; the ones in the book are among the most boring and repetitive that Guthrie had to offer. The back of the book includes the full lyrics for “This Land Is Your Land” and a timeline of salient Depression era events. In an educational setting, you could use this book to supplement a history lesson on the Great Depression or, specifically, the Dust Bowl. Side note: this book strongly endorses unions (it’s freaking Woody Guthrie), and since this is Texas, that could be problematic.
