Digging a Hole to Heaven

Award-winning author and illustrator S. D. Nelson reveals the grim realities of child labor in the coal mining industry in this unique picture book

Conall is only twelve years old, but he’s already worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania for several years. He spends his days deep underground with his faithful mule, Angel, carting loads of coal from the coal seams to the main shaft. There, elevators take the coal up to the surface. One day a tunnel collapses, and his brother and other miners are trapped on the wrong side! Will Conall and Angel be able to save them?

In this historical fiction, through the use of both archival images and his original artwork, acclaimed author and illustrator S. D. Nelson gives voice to the child laborers of our nation’s past and to children today who face poverty, grueling labor, and dangerous work conditions. Backmatter includes a brief history of the Industrial Revolution, Robber Barons, and child labor laws.