Fiction Resources
Baker, J. (2002). Up Molasses Mountain. Wendy Lamb Books 1st Ed. ISBN: 9780385729086. $4.49. Ages 10 and up.
Baker shares with the reader 15 year old Elizabeth’s life in a coal mining town, Clay, West
Virginia, in 1953. The most exciting event in the town is when the circus comes to town. A coal
mining strike and a tragic accident changes her life that spring. Both Publisher’s Weekly and
School Library Journal rate this book highly for teen age readers.
Dean, D. (2012). Sock Full of Pennies. Danny Dean Publishing. ISBN: 978-1475230482.
$2.99 Ages 12 and up.
The author of this book is a West Virginia born resident that was raised in the coal fields. He
graduated from Williamson High School. He later served in the U.S. Air Force and studied Mine
Technology and Mine Management at the local college. He later worked in the coal mines in
Mingo and Boone Counties and was on a mine rescue team that gave him a Mine Foreman’s
Certificate. Mr. Dean patterned this book based on his experiences and knowledge about
growing up in the coal fields of West Virginia. Two customer reviews of this book rated it 5.5
stars.
Hickam, H. (2001). The Coalwood Way. Island Books, 1st Edition. ISBN: 978-0440237167.
$7.19. Ages 12 and up.
From the #1 bestselling author of October Sky comes this rich, unforgettable tale. With the
same dazzling storytelling that distinguished his first memoir, Homer Hickam takes us deeper
into the soul of his West Virginia hometown at a moment when its unique way of life is buffeted
by forces of time and change.
It is fall 1959. Homer “Sonny” Hickam and his fellow Rocket Boys are in their senior year at Big
Creek High, and the town of Coalwood finds itself at a painful crossroads.
The strains can be felt within the Hickam home, where Homer Sr. struggles to save the mine, and
his wife, Elsie, is feeling increasingly isolated from both her family and the townspeople. Sonny,
despite a blossoming relationship with a local girl, finds his own mood darkened by an
unexplainable sadness.
Then, with the holidays approaching, trouble at the mine and the arrival of a beautiful young
outsider bring unexpected changes in both the Hickam family and the town of Coalwood ... as
this luminous memoir moves toward its poignant conclusion. Amazon rates this book 4.8 out 5.0
stars.
Hickam, H. (2008). Red Helmet. Thomas Nelson Publications. ISBN: 978-1595546258.
$12.63. Ages 12 and up.
Song Hawkins is a beautiful, tough, but lonely New York City businesswoman who thinks she's
met the man of her dreams in Cable Jordan, the superintendent of a West Virginia coal mine. But
soon after they impulsively marry, Song realizes they're in big trouble. She can't imagine life
outside of New York, and Cable has no intention of leaving his beloved town of Highcoal.
Song's visit to the little mining community only makes things worse. It looks like the marriage is
over. But in a shocking turn of events, Song realizes it's up to her to put on the red helmet of the
new coal miner and descend into the deep darkness. There she faces her greatest challenge with
choices and courage that will forever impact the life of Cable and the entire town. Amazon rates
this book at 4.4 stars out of 5.0.
Hickam, H. (2002). Sky of Stone. Dell Publications. ISBN: 978-0440230921. $7.19. Ages 12
and up.
In the summer of ‘61, Homer “Sonny” Hickam, a year of college behind him, was dreaming of
sandy beaches and rocket ships. But before Sonny could reach the seaside fixer-upper where his
mother was spending the summer, a telephone call sends him back to the place he thought he had
escaped, the gritty coal-mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. There, Sonny’s father, the
mine’s superintendent, has been accused of negligence in a man’s death—and the townspeople
are in conflict over the future of the town.
Sonny’s mother, Elsie, has commanded her son to spend the summer in Coalwood to support his
father. But within hours, Sonny realizes two things: His father, always cool and distant with his
second son, doesn’t want him there ... and his parents’ marriage has begun to unravel. For Sonny,
so begins a summer of discovery—of love, betrayal, and most of all, of a brooding mystery that
threatens to destroy his father and his town.
Laskas, G. (2007). The Miner’s Daughter. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers;
First Edition. ISBN: 978-1416912620. $15.29. Ages 12 and up.
Laskas shares with the reader the hardship a young 16 year old has living in the coal fields of
West Virginia during the depression. Her vivid account of the young girl’s life provides the
reader with the understanding of the life in a coal camp. Amazon rates this book as 4.5 out of 5
stars.
Rosenberg, M. ( 2013). Canary in the Coal Mine. Holiday House. ISBN: 978-0823426003.
$14.06. Ages 10 and up.
This book takes the reader to a time when canaries were used a key part of coal mining to detect
gas leaks. This fictional tale shares with the reader the path the canary takes to the state capitol to
voice the need for safer coal mines. Amazon rates this book as 4.6 out of 5 stars.