KIDS TALK BACK:Learning about the Depression

The Daily Pilot asked sixth-graders at Mariners Elementary School, “What was the most fascinating thing you learned about life during the Great Depression?”

“At one point, they only got one present for Christmas, and it was something really small.”

-- Kenzie Ludes, 11, Newport Beach

“It was hard for them to save. Before the Depression, they had a lot.”

-- Caroline Graham, 11, Newport Beach

“My grandma got paid 10 cents an hour for baby-sitting, and she once found three quarters on the ground and thought she was rich.”

-- Clay Smyth, 12, Newport Beach

“Because [former Mariners teacher and interview subject] Mrs. Cote’s dad was an attorney, people were grateful, and they’d give him food and money.”

-- Christian Lee, 11, Newport Beach

“In Europe, there was a lot more killing going on. They had a lot higher risk of dying.”

-- Kaitlin Shedd, 11, Newport Beach