Derrick Sterling: A Story of the Mines

"Derrick Sterling: A Story of the Mines" by Kirk Munroe is a captivating story set in the late 1800s, focusing on a young boy named Derrick Sterling, who must become the man of the house and provide for his family after his father, a mining engineer, passes away unexpectedly. Now working as a breaker boy in a dangerous coal mine, Derrick's life and values are tested. The action jumps right in with Derrick working alongside other boys, including his disabled friend Paul Evert, when a raging fire erupts and threatens all their lives, highlighting Derrick's courage in the face of danger when he risks his own life to save his friend, and showing the loyalty and spirit of survival required by mine workers.