George Washington Carver was born a slave in Missouri about 1864 and was raised by the childless white couple who had owned his mother. In 1877 he left home in search of an education, eventually earning a master's degree. In 1896, Booker T. Washington invited Carver to start the agricultural department at the all-black-staffed Tuskegee Institute, where he spent the rest of his life seeking solutions to the poverty among landless black farmers by developing new uses for soil-replenishing crops such as peanuts, cowpeas, and sweet potatoes. Carver's achievements as a botanist and inventor were balanced by his gifts as a painter, musician, and teacher. This Newbery Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book by Marilyn Nelson provides a compelling and revealing portrait of Carver's complex, richly interior, profoundly devout life.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Fiction & Poetry category by the Horn Book Award. Presented annually since 1967 by the Boston Globe and Horn Book Magazine for excellence in childrens and young adult literature. This honour is granted in the three categories of Fiction and Poetry, Non-fiction, and Picture Book. Presented annually since 1967 by the Boston Globe and Horn Book Magazine for excellence in childrens and young adult literature. This honour is granted in the three categories of Fiction and Poetry, Non-fiction, and Picture Book. It was recognised in the Design category by the Connecticut Book Award. It also was recognised by the Connecticut Book Award. It was recognised in the Poetry category by the Connecticut Book Award. Also it was recognised in the Nonfiction category by the Children's Book Committee Award. It was recognised in the Poetry category by the Children's Books of Distinction Award. It was recognised by the National Book Award. It was recognised in the Author category by the Coretta Scott King Award. Presented annually since 1970 by the American Library Association to books by African-America authors and illustrators, this award recognizes excellence in promoting a deeper understanding of the African-American Experience. It was recognised in the Ages 14+ category by the Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens. It was recognised by the Newbery Award. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

This book has been graded for interest at 12+ years.

There are 112 pages in this book. It is an anthology. This book was published 2001 by Front Street Inc .

Marilyn Nelson is a professor of English at the University of Connecticut and lives in Storrs, CT.