Overview

"Can a young boy defy the strict regulations of his Mormon community?The story is set in 1877 in Orderville, Utah, a planned Mormon community. Many of the families who volunteer to live there had been starving before they came and so they willingly agree to all the rules and regulations. One specifies that until the clothing you wear is worn out you must not apply for anything new. Eleven-year old Gideon wonders why everyone has to dress in the same drab gray clothes and annoyed that though his pants are too short, his application is denied. He'd heard about the new transcontinental railroad that went clear across the country. As silver pours from the earth and the railroad flashes its glitter across the continent, brand new products arrive in the west. One day making a delivery of sheep's wool to the General Mercantile Store he sees, for the first time, a pair of blue jeans. He knows that he shouldn't covet them, but that doesn't stop his overwhelming desire. Secretly he takes some of the sheep-sheared wool and exchanges it for a pair of store-bought jeans. When he appears in the doorway in the midst of a square dance, everyone is shocked. His Pa is furious. Mama is in tears. The Board of Management summons Gideon to a meeting. There he must relinquish the jeans and receive his punishment for taking community property. But the other boys have now seen the jeans, and they want new pants. Deliberately they all ruin what they are wearing. Exasperated, the Board orders bolts of cloth from the nearby cotton mill. Since there's an over-abundance of denim, that's what is sent. Blue jeans and change come to Orderville. The Blue Jeans Rebellion, an early reader chapter book, is inspired by a little-known anecdote of Mormon (Latter-day Saint) history.Includes a Glossary and Discussion Questions for classroom study. Elementary Grades Reader.REVIEW: ""I honestly was surprised by The Blue Jean Rebellion. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have. It would be well done as a read aloud, and the addition of teacher discussion questions at the end of the book for historical context will be a good help to both parents and teachers of readers.The story speaks to the common problem most of humanity has and seems to reject in some form- at what point is wanting to look nice prideful, and at what point is it functional and good? What would we have done to get the coolest jeans in the eighties, nineties, or in 2019? Adding in the idea that blue jeans are a new technology, being a hard-wearing but soft fabric that's brand new and fancy, with a completely new style of fastening and rivets...the draw is obvious. The problem, however, is not that the jeans are too expensive, or too far away, or even inaccessible fancy tech. The problem is that anything else except what has always been done is forbidden [in this experimental society].Who among us has not wanted to try a new hairstyle, a new fashion trend, or a new idea, because it might be too trendy, too surprising, or too radical. For children to realize that for this young man, wanting a pair of blue jeans would be like getting a bright blue mohawk and skintight leather pants when your family usually dresses very conservatively, I think, will make them giggle, but also think. Seeing the conclusion of the taken-from-life-events story, and the way the boy's community finds a solution to the problem will make them think even more.The book is a fast read with large words, a short chapter book. The characterizations are excellent, and in a brief space of time make you feel great empathy for the children, their families, and their concerned community. I love the resolution of the story, which, although technically Gideon does not get to wear his jeans, he does. Read it to find out what I mean! I hope you enjoy this small treat, which would make a good book for a children's book club."" -- Heather Harris Bergavin, AML"

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