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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was George Washington Carver?
Born in 1860s Missouri, nobody expected George Washington Carver to succeed. Slaves were not allowed to be educated.
After the Civil War, Carver enrolled in classes and proved to be a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor. He went on to the Tuskegee Institute where he specialized in botany (the study of plants) and developed techniques to grow crops better.
His work with vegetables, especially peanuts, made him famous and changed agriculture forever. He went on to develop nearly 100 household products and over 100 recipes using peanuts.
After the Civil War, Carver enrolled in classes and proved to be a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor. He went on to the Tuskegee Institute where he specialized in botany (the study of plants) and developed techniques to grow crops better.
His work with vegetables, especially peanuts, made him famous and changed agriculture forever. He went on to develop nearly 100 household products and over 100 recipes using peanuts.
112 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2015
107 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
Jim Gigliotti
155 books26 followersJim Gigliotti is a freelance writer who lives in Southern California with his wife and two children. A former editor at the National Football League, he has written more than two dozen books, mostly for young readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
April 2, 2017
Great book
I love these books that tell the personal side of the story and not just what the person is famous for. This book gives a good detailed account of his life and travels, besides his many achievements.
I love these books that tell the personal side of the story and not just what the person is famous for. This book gives a good detailed account of his life and travels, besides his many achievements.
April 11, 2020
Going in on this, I didn't know much about GWC other than associating him with peanuts and inventions. I came away reading this in admiration of the man.
As always, these are fantastic, short biographies meant for pre-teens, but surprisingly full of detail and I would say a thorough biography of a subject's life and accomplishments.
Random facts for myself I found fascinating:
--George and his mom were stolen away from their slave owner by Confederate raiders. Moses, their owner, paid a scout to search for George and his mom. The scout came back with only George. George's mom, Mary was never heard from again.
--George and his brother Jim were taken in by the Carvers into their home and treated as their own. After slavery was ended, the boys chose to remain with the Carvers.
--At about the age of 13, George left the Carvers in search of a school he could attend. The Carvers did not hold him back. George often came back to visit them.
--George added a "W" to his name to differentiate between another George Carver that lived in town. A friend asked if the "W" stood for Washington and George liked the sound of it and incorporated it into his name.
--George opened a laundry business and was able to buy a small plot of land. He sold it for a profit and entered school to study shorthand and typing.
--George got accepted into college but was denied when the school realized George was black.
--George was well liked. In college, friends and teachers would sneak in food, furniture, etc., when they saw George struggle to make ends meet.
--In 1894, George became the first black person to graduate Iowa State and the first black person to be hired as faculty as an assistant in Botany.
--Booker T. Washington wrote to George asking him to be in charge of a new Department of Agriculture he wanted to add to his Tuskegee Institute. George left the comforts, facilities, equipment, and higher pay he was getting at Iowa State to help Booker.
--His study of the peanut came about from a conversation he had with God. George developed over 300 products from the peanut. Back then peanuts were considered lowly and only used as animal feed. Farmers had no use for them.
--George is mistakenly credited for creating peanut butter.
--In 1916, George was honored by The Royal Society of Arts in London, which honors people in arts and science who find practical solutions to problems. At the time, it was rare for an American to be honored, let alone one that was born into slavery.
--George was repeatedly offered to work for Thomas Edison but George was very much devoted to helping the farmer.
--He rarely spent his money. He'd wear the same old clothes every day. George would use his money to help out students pay their loans. He'd help students in need. Many considered him like a second father.
--A bronze bust of George was paid through $1 donations from both black and white people who admired George. The bust was placed on campus at Tuskegee. A museum, also on the Tuskegee campus, was named after him and contained his paintings, experiments, and laboratory.
--He donated his entire life savings of $60,000 to start a foundation to continue his research.
--George was buried on the Tuskegee campus, next to Booker T. Washington. His age at the time of death was unknown, but it is guessed to be about 78. His tombstone: "He could have added fortune or fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor being helpful to the world."
--1948: George was the second black person to be depicted on a US stamp. (Booker was the first.)
"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these."
As always, these are fantastic, short biographies meant for pre-teens, but surprisingly full of detail and I would say a thorough biography of a subject's life and accomplishments.
Random facts for myself I found fascinating:
--George and his mom were stolen away from their slave owner by Confederate raiders. Moses, their owner, paid a scout to search for George and his mom. The scout came back with only George. George's mom, Mary was never heard from again.
--George and his brother Jim were taken in by the Carvers into their home and treated as their own. After slavery was ended, the boys chose to remain with the Carvers.
--At about the age of 13, George left the Carvers in search of a school he could attend. The Carvers did not hold him back. George often came back to visit them.
--George added a "W" to his name to differentiate between another George Carver that lived in town. A friend asked if the "W" stood for Washington and George liked the sound of it and incorporated it into his name.
--George opened a laundry business and was able to buy a small plot of land. He sold it for a profit and entered school to study shorthand and typing.
--George got accepted into college but was denied when the school realized George was black.
--George was well liked. In college, friends and teachers would sneak in food, furniture, etc., when they saw George struggle to make ends meet.
--In 1894, George became the first black person to graduate Iowa State and the first black person to be hired as faculty as an assistant in Botany.
--Booker T. Washington wrote to George asking him to be in charge of a new Department of Agriculture he wanted to add to his Tuskegee Institute. George left the comforts, facilities, equipment, and higher pay he was getting at Iowa State to help Booker.
--His study of the peanut came about from a conversation he had with God. George developed over 300 products from the peanut. Back then peanuts were considered lowly and only used as animal feed. Farmers had no use for them.
--George is mistakenly credited for creating peanut butter.
--In 1916, George was honored by The Royal Society of Arts in London, which honors people in arts and science who find practical solutions to problems. At the time, it was rare for an American to be honored, let alone one that was born into slavery.
--George was repeatedly offered to work for Thomas Edison but George was very much devoted to helping the farmer.
--He rarely spent his money. He'd wear the same old clothes every day. George would use his money to help out students pay their loans. He'd help students in need. Many considered him like a second father.
--A bronze bust of George was paid through $1 donations from both black and white people who admired George. The bust was placed on campus at Tuskegee. A museum, also on the Tuskegee campus, was named after him and contained his paintings, experiments, and laboratory.
--He donated his entire life savings of $60,000 to start a foundation to continue his research.
--George was buried on the Tuskegee campus, next to Booker T. Washington. His age at the time of death was unknown, but it is guessed to be about 78. His tombstone: "He could have added fortune or fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor being helpful to the world."
--1948: George was the second black person to be depicted on a US stamp. (Booker was the first.)
"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these."
September 28, 2018
"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." George Washington Carver
April 14, 2022
I enjoyed this children's history book about George Washington Carver. Another instrumental player in the famed Tuskegee Institute and a man who invented over 300 uses for Peanuts!
November 28, 2017
105 pages. Great, inspiring story of a famous scientist. Illustrations and history sections help the reader understand his life and times. It gives greater background to the context of his life and work. Very well done. Highly recommended for Grades 4-5.
February 13, 2019
Easy to read but informative.
August 26, 2019
Very informative. Read because my son has to do a book report on it. Loved it. Short read
July 15, 2018
"Who Was George Washington Carver?" by Jim Gigliotti is an amazing story of what African-American people had to deal with after the civil war just because of there race. George Washington Carver was a true hero for all African-Americans. He worked as hard as he could to become a scientist and he accomplished his dream. He taught many students through his years as a science teacher. After he decided to stop being a teacher he still made many changes in the world. He is famous for being the author of a book that lists the uses of... peanuts. It is a great book to read if you have free time.
March 27, 2019
This book is about the life of George Washington Carter. I really liked this book. This book explains what George had done while he was alive and all of his accomplishments in agriculture, soil, and other practical uses. He had a long interesting life full of discovery built around helping others. So, if you like learning about history and people from the past, This book is for you.
October 25, 2016
October book review: Who was George Washington Carver? by Jim Gigliotti
Summary-
In the book, "Who was George Washington Carver", by Jim Gigliotti, George accomplishes many things as he strives for education. George was born as a slave along with his brother in Diamond Grove, Missouri. His mother was captured so George and his brother were taken in by their former slave owners, the Carvers. This is how he got the last name Carver. There was nothing more important to George than an education. He began his schooling in Neosho, Missouri. George traveled to multiple states to continue his education. He received a degree in agriculture. With his master's degree, George Washington Carver invented a transportable laboratory, taught as a professor, served as a botanist, and discovered multiple uses of peanuts. A lifetime of dedication to learning lead Carver to recognitions and rewards for his work along with a Museum named after him.
Theme-
In my opinion, the best theme for "Who Was George Washington Carver?" is education and dedication result in success. People who have the perseverance to accomplish things often find success when they strive for higher knowledge and remain motivated. George Washington Carver spent his whole life chasing education with true dedication. He achieved so many things by doing this. For example, in the beginning of the book, George traveled to multiple locations and stayed with many different families in order to get the education he strived for. How many people that you know would go through that much and stay that dedicated to get schooling? Not many. This shows how committed George was to getting knowledge. Another example is, at the end of the story, after George had gotten all the guidance he possibly could, he had inspired dozens of people and received many recognitions, such as a museum named after him. This was George's reward for being such a special man in our world. So, if someone is filled with dedication and never stops trying to educate themselves they will accomplish many things.
Summary-
In the book, "Who was George Washington Carver", by Jim Gigliotti, George accomplishes many things as he strives for education. George was born as a slave along with his brother in Diamond Grove, Missouri. His mother was captured so George and his brother were taken in by their former slave owners, the Carvers. This is how he got the last name Carver. There was nothing more important to George than an education. He began his schooling in Neosho, Missouri. George traveled to multiple states to continue his education. He received a degree in agriculture. With his master's degree, George Washington Carver invented a transportable laboratory, taught as a professor, served as a botanist, and discovered multiple uses of peanuts. A lifetime of dedication to learning lead Carver to recognitions and rewards for his work along with a Museum named after him.
Theme-
In my opinion, the best theme for "Who Was George Washington Carver?" is education and dedication result in success. People who have the perseverance to accomplish things often find success when they strive for higher knowledge and remain motivated. George Washington Carver spent his whole life chasing education with true dedication. He achieved so many things by doing this. For example, in the beginning of the book, George traveled to multiple locations and stayed with many different families in order to get the education he strived for. How many people that you know would go through that much and stay that dedicated to get schooling? Not many. This shows how committed George was to getting knowledge. Another example is, at the end of the story, after George had gotten all the guidance he possibly could, he had inspired dozens of people and received many recognitions, such as a museum named after him. This was George's reward for being such a special man in our world. So, if someone is filled with dedication and never stops trying to educate themselves they will accomplish many things.
September 27, 2018
First of all, I am a big fan of the “Who Was” series! I have read quite a few and I have found them all, so far, to be well written and very interesting. That being said, I could not put this book down! I read it to my 6th grade and 3rd grade boys as we are studying American history.
THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! I try to read books to my children that are not only historical figures like presidents, inventors, etc but also great spiritual men and women who valued hard work, a heart for others and most importantly a heart for God. George Washington Carver was all of these things! He was an amazing role model not only during his times but also to the generations after him.
Even though he had the brains to do so, Carver did not seek comfort, wealth, or prestige. Instead he wanted to help his people because he knew education was the way to a better life. So he chose to teach at the Tuskegee Institute which was founded by Booker T. Washington to help educate black people in order to achieve true equality. He gave up working at Iowa State, even though he was very happy there because he was asked to come to Tuskegee to teach by Booker T Washington and he felt this was what he needed to do in order to help his people. But he didn’t stop there. He went on to do research on soil and crops and helped many poor farmers to help them be better farmers. There are so many other wonderful character traits and accomplishments I could point to but instead I will point my you to this book!
George Washington Carver is a hero we should point our children to!
THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! I try to read books to my children that are not only historical figures like presidents, inventors, etc but also great spiritual men and women who valued hard work, a heart for others and most importantly a heart for God. George Washington Carver was all of these things! He was an amazing role model not only during his times but also to the generations after him.
Even though he had the brains to do so, Carver did not seek comfort, wealth, or prestige. Instead he wanted to help his people because he knew education was the way to a better life. So he chose to teach at the Tuskegee Institute which was founded by Booker T. Washington to help educate black people in order to achieve true equality. He gave up working at Iowa State, even though he was very happy there because he was asked to come to Tuskegee to teach by Booker T Washington and he felt this was what he needed to do in order to help his people. But he didn’t stop there. He went on to do research on soil and crops and helped many poor farmers to help them be better farmers. There are so many other wonderful character traits and accomplishments I could point to but instead I will point my you to this book!
George Washington Carver is a hero we should point our children to!
July 10, 2018
I was impressed with this little book. Lots of information packed into a very small book that is written with clarity without talking down to its audience in any way (upper elementary -- 3rd and up, I'd say, depending upon the child). I've always thought of G. W. Carver as "the peanut butter guy." Who Was George Washington Carver? disabused me of the notion that he invented peanut butter and mentioned that peanuts mixed to a paste existed as far back as the Aztecs.
Carver was much more interesting than just a man who invented one very cool thing: botanist, artist, inventor, teacher. I had no idea what an amazing person George Washington Carver was. On the basis of this one book, which was sent to me for review by the publisher, I wish they'd offered to let me read the entire series.
Carver was much more interesting than just a man who invented one very cool thing: botanist, artist, inventor, teacher. I had no idea what an amazing person George Washington Carver was. On the basis of this one book, which was sent to me for review by the publisher, I wish they'd offered to let me read the entire series.
August 26, 2022
Who Was George Washington Carver? By Jim Gigliotti- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of George Washington Carver an Afro-American agricultural scientist. Born in 1860s Missouri, nobody expected George Washington Carver to succeed. Slaves were not allowed to be educated. After the Civil War, Carver enrolled in classes and proved to be a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor. He went on to the Tuskegee Institute where he specialized in botany (the study of plants) and developed techniques to grow crops better. His work with vegetables, especially peanuts, made him famous and changed agriculture forever. He went on to develop nearly 100 household products and over 100 recipes using peanuts. He worked as hard as he could to become a scientist and he accomplished his dream. He taught many students through his years as a science teacher. After he decided to stop being a teacher, he still made many changes in the world of agriculture. He is famous for being the author of a book that lists the uses of peanuts. This book explains what George had done while he was alive and all of his accomplishments in agriculture, soil, and other practical uses. He had a long interesting life full of discovery built around helping others. Coloured illustrations help the reader in relating to the story.
August 26, 2020
George Washington Carver was born a slave in Diamond Grove, Missouri. Moses and Susan Carver were his foster parents. They were German immigrants and while they didn’t agree with slavery, they needed help with their large farm so they had slaves. After their mother was taken, Jim and George were taken into the Carver’s home and treated as their own children.
George was a very curious and intelligent young man. He loved to observe plants and figured out how to make them grow effectively. He later helped Susan Carver and many of her friends to take care of their ailing flowers.
George decided he wanted to go to college and moved away from the Carver home. After attend several different universities and learning of science, George ended up at Tuskegee as a professor.
George was ahead of his time being concerned about eating healthy and recycling. His practical approach to caring for the earth is just now being utilized.
George was also the first person to discover how much cotton crops were stripping the nutrients from soil. He suggested a pattern of planning cotton and then sweet potatoes, and a couple of other plants. The sweet potatoes will actually help to replenish nutrients in the soil that the cotton takes out.
G - none
George was a very curious and intelligent young man. He loved to observe plants and figured out how to make them grow effectively. He later helped Susan Carver and many of her friends to take care of their ailing flowers.
George decided he wanted to go to college and moved away from the Carver home. After attend several different universities and learning of science, George ended up at Tuskegee as a professor.
George was ahead of his time being concerned about eating healthy and recycling. His practical approach to caring for the earth is just now being utilized.
George was also the first person to discover how much cotton crops were stripping the nutrients from soil. He suggested a pattern of planning cotton and then sweet potatoes, and a couple of other plants. The sweet potatoes will actually help to replenish nutrients in the soil that the cotton takes out.
G - none
December 22, 2020
QOTD: If you could only eat one food for a year, what would it be?
“Who Was George Washington Carver?” by Jim Gigliotti, is about the famous George Washington Carver. George Washington Carver was born in Tuskegee, AL in 1943. He is known for being an American Agricultural Scientist and for his crop rotation techniques. He is also known for developing more than 300 ways to use peanuts in industrial and commercial products! Read about this brilliant man and all he accomplished.
(Book 63 of 100) This was such a fascinating read. In my fourth-grade class, we had a discussion on George Washington Carver and the kids could not believe he had over 300 ways to use peanuts. While I can’t eat peanuts, I still find this incredible. I would give this book a 4/5-star rating. I recommend this book for third-grade or higher and for anyone who likes reading biographies.
#WhoWasGeorgeWashingtonCarver #JimGigliotti #100BooksInOneYear #Imaclassyrebelreader #lookatmyclassyrebelread #Biography #GeorgeWashingtonCarver #AgriculturalScientist #CropRotation #300PeanutRecipes
“Who Was George Washington Carver?” by Jim Gigliotti, is about the famous George Washington Carver. George Washington Carver was born in Tuskegee, AL in 1943. He is known for being an American Agricultural Scientist and for his crop rotation techniques. He is also known for developing more than 300 ways to use peanuts in industrial and commercial products! Read about this brilliant man and all he accomplished.
(Book 63 of 100) This was such a fascinating read. In my fourth-grade class, we had a discussion on George Washington Carver and the kids could not believe he had over 300 ways to use peanuts. While I can’t eat peanuts, I still find this incredible. I would give this book a 4/5-star rating. I recommend this book for third-grade or higher and for anyone who likes reading biographies.
#WhoWasGeorgeWashingtonCarver #JimGigliotti #100BooksInOneYear #Imaclassyrebelreader #lookatmyclassyrebelread #Biography #GeorgeWashingtonCarver #AgriculturalScientist #CropRotation #300PeanutRecipes
April 5, 2021
Who Was George Washington Carver? by Jim Gigliotti describes a man famous for his scientific work in the field of agriculture and particularly his work with the peanut! Born a slave in 1860s Missouri, when slaves were not allowed to be educated George Washington Carver craved education and starting immediately after the end of the Civil War he began his serious studies and soon stood out as a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor. He went on specialize in botany at the Tuskegee Institute and developed many techniques to grow crops better and increase their yields. In addition to his personal academic achievements he was known among friends and acquaintances growing up as having a green thumb and his work with vegetables, especially peanuts, made him famous and changed agriculture forever. He went on to develop nearly 100 household products and over 100 recipes using peanuts. It really has to make you wonder how many more George Washington Carvers were missed and lost to history because of slavery.
October 8, 2018
This book is very informative to teach students/kids about George Washington Carver. The book uses text and images to inform readers about who this person is and what important roll they played in history. It is easy to comprehend and read and I would recommend it for grades 3rd-5th.
This book would be best used for 5th grade in a Social Studies class. The book can be used to provide information about an inventor that the students will learn about during a specific history unit. During the unit, students can pick to research an inventor they have learned about and do an assignment based on who they pick. Those who pick Carver would truly benefit from this book and can use it to help them with the assignment.
This book would be best used for 5th grade in a Social Studies class. The book can be used to provide information about an inventor that the students will learn about during a specific history unit. During the unit, students can pick to research an inventor they have learned about and do an assignment based on who they pick. Those who pick Carver would truly benefit from this book and can use it to help them with the assignment.
January 29, 2019
Who Was George Washington Carver?
Did you know that his "middle name" came as an error/joke due to Postal mistakes in delivery?
Did you know that he was not only a scientist but an artist too?
Did you know that he was friends with Booker T. Washington?
Did you know that he found over a 100 different ways to use the Peanut?
Did you know that he was the 2nd Black on a Postage Stamp? (See, if you can figure out who was the first).
This book does a great job of describing the life, successes, and backstory of a local (Missouri) hero, who helped change the world of science and enviroment, by following his heart with his nerdiness for his "green thumb" and love of nature.
I think that everyone should read at least one, if not all, of the Who Was/Is Series?
Did you know that his "middle name" came as an error/joke due to Postal mistakes in delivery?
Did you know that he was not only a scientist but an artist too?
Did you know that he was friends with Booker T. Washington?
Did you know that he found over a 100 different ways to use the Peanut?
Did you know that he was the 2nd Black on a Postage Stamp? (See, if you can figure out who was the first).
This book does a great job of describing the life, successes, and backstory of a local (Missouri) hero, who helped change the world of science and enviroment, by following his heart with his nerdiness for his "green thumb" and love of nature.
I think that everyone should read at least one, if not all, of the Who Was/Is Series?
December 12, 2020
Who Was George Washington Carver? This whole series gives great detail in an understandable manner. George Washington Carver was an inspirational man dedicated to helping people, and studying agriculture.
This is a 5.9 level. I read it out loud to my 3rd and 5th grader. They both took an AR quiz, but the vocabulary was too hard for the 3rd grader. For that reason, I would say this is perfect for a read aloud 3-6th grade. However, most 3rd, 4th, and even some 5th graders would have a harder time reading it on their own.
Because of his extensive work to support farmers and research peanuts, I think this could be the start of a hands on gardening/research project. Maybe students could try some of Mr. Carver's peanut recipes.
This is a 5.9 level. I read it out loud to my 3rd and 5th grader. They both took an AR quiz, but the vocabulary was too hard for the 3rd grader. For that reason, I would say this is perfect for a read aloud 3-6th grade. However, most 3rd, 4th, and even some 5th graders would have a harder time reading it on their own.
Because of his extensive work to support farmers and research peanuts, I think this could be the start of a hands on gardening/research project. Maybe students could try some of Mr. Carver's peanut recipes.
May 15, 2017
I just read the book who was George Washington Carver by Jim Gigliotti. This book tells about the life of George Washington Carver along with the accomplishments in science and peanuts.
I really liked this book. I did because it did a good job explaining what he did while he was alive and all of his accomplishments in agriculture and in soil and other practical use. He had a long interesting life full of discovery and a life built around helping others.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science and how Goethe Washington Carver lived and helped so many other people. It was a good book and an easy book to read.
I really liked this book. I did because it did a good job explaining what he did while he was alive and all of his accomplishments in agriculture and in soil and other practical use. He had a long interesting life full of discovery and a life built around helping others.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science and how Goethe Washington Carver lived and helped so many other people. It was a good book and an easy book to read.
November 9, 2024
Great introduction to the life of one of Americas most important inventors. It tells the story of George Washington Carver in a simple and engaging way, perfect for younger readers. The illustrations are bright and fun, and the book does a great job of showing how Carver’s inventions, like those with peanuts, helped change agriculture. Like all of the “who was” books this books aims to share the achievements. The only thing I’d suggest is maybe including a bit more about his personal challenges to help readers understand the obstacles he overcame, but overall, it’s a great read for kids interested in history and science!
June 16, 2025
I love George Washington Carver, and after reading this short but in-depth book, I'm even more sure that he's a worthy hero of mine. I appreciated the author's treatment of some of the more complex points - George's foster parents were anti-slavery but they owned slaves? The collection of quotes in the back of the book are priceless. "It has always been the one ideal of my life to be of the greatest good to the greatest number of my people possible..." I also love the epitaph on his tombstone, "He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world."
March 30, 2019
I felt like it was high time that my son and I learned more about local boy George Washington Carver, and this book provided much useful information. Not only did we learn about Carver's difficult childhood, dabbles in art and impact on agriculture, but there are also interesting asides here about Jim Crow laws, homesteading, Booker T. Washington, Thomas Edison and peanut butter, which Carver is often mistakenly credited for inventing. Someday I'd like to visit the George Washington Carver Museum in Tuskegee; he was a fascinating, important man.
May 16, 2021
I learned so much reading this book with my son. George Washington Carver was an amazing person who accomplished so much. His life exemplified independence, hard work, dedication to education, teaching and giving to others, appreciation of nature, caring for poor farmers, helping many in need and practical knowledge in science. Learning that George Washington Carver also painted art and started a museum was a treat. I’ve read a number of the books in this series and, so far, have only read another book by Maya Angelou. I think I’d like to read deeper about George Washington Carver, too.
April 28, 2023
I never knew this story, just the peanut narrative. I keep talking about starting a school & he and Booker T were right in front of me… Skegee is still going strong— about and hour from where I actually went to college!! I love this book and I am enamored by our forefathers, they thrived despite the times 💚✨💚✨💚✨ inventing the first movable classroom & took education to the masses!!! I need to know everything I can find on these men and the historical city in my home state. This book is a tops!!!
“Use what you can find around you!” -G.W. Carver
“Use what you can find around you!” -G.W. Carver
August 9, 2020
“HOW FAR YOU GO IN LIFE DEPENDS ON YOUR BEING TENDER WITH THE YOUNG, COMPASSIONATE WITH THE AGED, SYMPATHETIC WITH THE STRIVING, AND TOLERANT OF THE WEAK AND STRONG. BECAUSE SOMEDAY IN YOUR LIFE YOU WILL HAVE BEEN ALL OF THESE.”
A fantastic read and a very great character to read about, I didn’t know how amazing George W carver was , I loved his personality and how hardworking yet compassionate he is .
Highly recommend 👏🏻
A fantastic read and a very great character to read about, I didn’t know how amazing George W carver was , I loved his personality and how hardworking yet compassionate he is .
Highly recommend 👏🏻
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January 2, 2026I read this book for the teens from ages 12-17 in our youth program at church. Then I did a lesson on the book and the life of Carver. I recommend this book to all ages: but I think a 12 year old to a 20 year old, it will greatly impact. I was astonished by the things Carver accomplished in his life.
It was an easy read. That is why I recommend this for teens.
Loved this book. It impacted the kids in the youth group.
It was an easy read. That is why I recommend this for teens.
Loved this book. It impacted the kids in the youth group.
May 26, 2017
This book is about the life of George Washington Carter. I really liked this book. This book explains what George had done while he was alive and all of his accomplishments in agriculture, soil, and other practical uses. He had a long interesting life full of discovery built around helping others. This would be a great book for black history month.
February 10, 2019
A well written book probably good for late elementary or middle school students. The book is mostly a timeline of GWC’s life, but does connect to
Some broader history (e.g., civil war, homesteading). The book addresses slavery, Jim Crow, and how the US government displaced indigenous peoples. While the coverage of these issues is a bit superficial, it seems accurate.
Some broader history (e.g., civil war, homesteading). The book addresses slavery, Jim Crow, and how the US government displaced indigenous peoples. While the coverage of these issues is a bit superficial, it seems accurate.
February 13, 2019
Quite an inspiring story of an inspiring man who was born into slavery and through his passion for education and the study of plants, became famous and respected for his work. He graduated from Iowa State University and later went on to help his friend, Booker T. Washington develop botanical programs at Tuskegee Institute.
Includes a timeline and bibliography.
Includes a timeline and bibliography.
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