The Crystal Palace: The Diary of Lily Hicks, London 1850-1851 by Frances Mary Hendry is a kids' Scholastic book interesting enough for all ages. This book chronicled the construction of The Crystal Palace for The Great Exhibition in 1851 through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old housemaid. I found it charming and revealing. In this novel, Lily becomes a housemaid in the home of Joseph Paxton, the man who designed The Crystal Palace.
Lily learns the great glass structure was fabricated to present the newest products of the capitalist economy, accompanied by exotic displays, fauna and flora at the world's fair. As Lily tracks the progress of the magnificent building, she also deals with the social hierarchy of London society and her role and responsibilities as a member of the household staff. We learn about her other reality, her own poor family living in the slums. On the one hand this book gives a glimpse into the opulent world of the well-to-do, and then flips and shows us the restricted and sometimes tragic world of the lower class. Naturally, since it's geared toward the younger crowd, it's a quick and easy read. But it's also surprisingly enjoyable and informative.
Fun Fact: Souvenirs of The Great Exhibition included pictures of Prince Albert and The Crystal Palace. Visitors could buy gloves with maps printed on them so they could wear them and find their way around the exhibition. There were also mugs with pictures, cans of candies, soap boxes, and more.
Read other reviews at http://readinginthegarden.blogspot.com
Lily learns the great glass structure was fabricated to present the newest products of the capitalist economy, accompanied by exotic displays, fauna and flora at the world's fair. As Lily tracks the progress of the magnificent building, she also deals with the social hierarchy of London society and her role and responsibilities as a member of the household staff. We learn about her other reality, her own poor family living in the slums. On the one hand this book gives a glimpse into the opulent world of the well-to-do, and then flips and shows us the restricted and sometimes tragic world of the lower class. Naturally, since it's geared toward the younger crowd, it's a quick and easy read. But it's also surprisingly enjoyable and informative.
Fun Fact: Souvenirs of The Great Exhibition included pictures of Prince Albert and The Crystal Palace. Visitors could buy gloves with maps printed on them so they could wear them and find their way around the exhibition. There were also mugs with pictures, cans of candies, soap boxes, and more.
Read other reviews at http://readinginthegarden.blogspot.com
