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Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call: The Heroic Story of WWI Telephone Operators
Last updated Sunday, February 6, 2022
Author: Claudia Friddell
Illustrator: Elizabeth Baddeley
Date of Publication: 2021
ISBN: 1684373506
Grade Level: 3rd (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Feb. 2022
Synopsis:
Follow Grace Banker's journey from her busy life as a telephone switchboard trainer in New York to her pioneering role as the Chief Operator of the 1st Unit of World War I telephone operators in the battlefields of France. With expert skill, steady nerves, and steadfast loyalty, the Signal Corps operators transferred orders from commanders to battlefields and communicated top-secret messages between American and French headquarters. After faithfully serving her country - undaunted by freezing weather and fires; long hours and little sleep, and nearby shellings and far off explosions - Grace was the first and only woman operator in the Signal Corps to be awarded the Army's Distinguished Service Medal.
| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Before World War I, women typically played the role of the homemaker. They did not have the right to vote and it was uncommon for them to go to college. As the war raged on and millions of men left their jobs to serve in the army, women had the opportunity to go outside their homes and step into these traditionally male jobs. Millions of women also “answered the call” to volunteer in the military as Red Cross workers, drivers, mechanics, nurses, factory workers.
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In 1917, the U.S. Army put an ad in the newspaper looking for female switchboard operators to join the troops in France. During this time, when you wanted to make a phone call, an operator would ask you who you wanted to call and then connect you by plugging cables into jacks and flipping switches on a switchboard. Seven thousand women applied for the job and 223 of them were chosen to go overseas to serve in the Signal Corps. Known as “Hello Girls”, they took the same oath of allegiance as the male soldiers, received same pay, and wore the same insignia. However, when they returned home after the war, the government did not give them veteran status so they did not receive any veteran benefits.
Vocabulary:
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U.S. Signal Corps: During World War 1, this group translated commands and secret codes from commanders in headquarters to troops in the battlefields
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switchboard: a panel with rows of switches and jacks/plugs that is used to connect, combine, or
control phone calls
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telephone operator: often sits at a switchboard station to direct callers to the correct lines
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bilingual: speaking 2 languages fluently
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patriotism: or national pride is the feeling of devotion, love and a sense of attachment to a homeland or country
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Portal: a doorway or entrance to a place
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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What kinds of skills do you think the army needed in their telephone operators? Speed, efficiency
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What kind of dangers did Grace and the Hello Girls face?
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Grace and the other women kept communications open on the front lines despite the explosions, fires, and poor weather. What do you think of the role they played in the war? How would you compare their contribution to the soldiers who fought in the war?
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At the time of WW1, women did not have the right to vote. Yet, when the U.S. Army asked for volunteers, these women “answered the call”. Why do you think they were so patriotic?
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What do you think armies use to communicate between their HQ’s and soldiers on the battlefield now?
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| Craft ideas: |
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Make your own switchboard https://pin.it/55qABqN
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Would you make a good switchboard operator? Take these quizes to find out
https://www.owlguru.com/career/telephone-operators/quiz/
Switchboard operators have distinct personalities. They tend to be conventional individuals, which means they’re conscientious and conservative. They are logical, efficient, orderly, and organized. Some of them are also enterprising, meaning they’re adventurous, ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic.
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Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/february-2022-people-places-around-the-world/
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Check this website for more suggestions: http://readingtokids.org/ReadingClubs/CraftTips.php
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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