Books with author Jason Skog

In the coal minining towns of West Virginia, it was a daily tradition for the wives of coal miners to kiss their husbands good bye as they headed off to work. So, as they did everyday, hundreds of women in Monongah, West Virginia, kissed their men farewell on December 6, 1907. Little did they know what the day held. Shortly after 10 o'clock that morning, an explosion shook the mines and killed hundreds of men and boys. Today, the disaster still stands as the worst mining accident in U.S. history.

During the 1800s, the question of slavery was threatening to divide the country. States in the North banned slavery, while those in the South allowed it. Dred Scott, an enslaved man from Missouri, took his quest for freedom to the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court would decide his fate, along with the fate of slaves throughout the country. When the court’s controversial decision was reached in 1857, it pushed the United States toward the Civil War, a bloody four-year conflict that almost tore the nation in two.

For two days in March 1859, rain fell like tears on the racetrack in Savannah, Georgia, where hundreds of slaves had been brought for auction. While the more than 200 buyers gathered in the grandstands to browse the slave catalog and make their bids, slaves awaiting auction clung to their families in the foul-smelling stables that formed their temporary quarters. Over the course of the sale, friends were separated and families torn apart, scattered among various new owners in the southern United States. In all, 436 slaves were sold, making it the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States and event worthy of the name the "Weeping Time."

In 1890s New York City, two larger-than-life publishers went head to head in a battle for newspaper readers. William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer did whatever it took to sell papers. They printed half-truths. They filled their newspapers with stories of crime, corruption, and scandal. Violence, tragedy, and gossip were prized topics. It was the era of yellow journalism. Although it didn’t last long, it left a lasting impact on American journalism that continues to this day.

In this sparsely-populated country, Finnish teens spend time enjoying the outdoors, participating in after-school activities, and relaxing at home. They may look after livestock, work in fields, or meet friends for coffee in cafes. They dress in designer clothes, talk to their friends on cell phones, and participate in after-school activities. Teens in Finland is a part of Global Connections, a series that uncovers the challenges, pastimes, and customs of teens around the world.