Better Known as Johnny Appleseed, by Mabel Leigh Hunt

Yet another historical figure I knew little to nothing about!  I'm going to admit my ignorance.  Here's what I thought I knew about Johnny Appleseed: I envisioned him as a stereotypical Appalachian man- worn pants with a frayed rope belt, bare feet, straw hat, walking around the country tossing apple seeds as he went.  Thanks, children's picture books, for making that kind of impression on me.  I'd also assumed he was a folk tale character, not an actual human being.  Color me corrected.

Johnny Appleseed (born John Chapman) was, to be fair, shoddily dressed in his adult years.  He took only what he needed, and when given more he would cheerfully give it to some one else.  He wore no shoes, and traveled everywhere by foot.  Johnny made numerous friends on his travels, largely in Ohio and Indiana.  He collected seeds whenever possible, and kept them (with saplings) in the bag he always carried with him.

Johnny's dream was to create orchards of apples in territory yet to be settled, so that new homesteaders would have food waiting for them.  He would often sow orchards on occupied land for the owners as well, with a portion set aside for people he would send to collect trees later.  If people were willing to pay for the trees, he would accept the money and put most of it toward publishing tracts and literature about the Swedenborgians, a small Christian sect that he wholeheartedly followed.

I was glad to have had the opportunity to have my history corrected with regard to this fascinating figure.

Amos Fortune, Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates

This is a short biography encompassing the entire life of Amos Fortune.  Captured as a slave from Africa in the early 1700's, he lived a fascinating life and was fortunately purchased by kind and generous men who did not abuse him, but made his freedom attainable and taught him the trades by which he would support himself in his independence.

It's a great book for kids because it makes the injustice of slavery and racism abundantly clear, as well as the tragedies in Amos's life, without being heavy-handed.  The language is clear and things are well explained.

The only thing I would change about this book is how it more or less ignored the Revolutionary War.  I'm sure it must have impacted Amos's life directly, but it's only mentioned in passing.

Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People, by Clara Ingram Judson

I really don't know where all of these great juvenile biographies were hiding when I was a kid.  This is one of the best I've read in ages.  It did a fabulous job of making Abraham Lincoln come alive as a complete, well-rounded person.  It begins in his early days as a four-year-old child in Kentucky, and follows his growth, development, and education straight through.  It helps you understand the man and his context in his community and in history without brain-dumping dry facts, so I know so much more about Lincoln now than I did (which, to be fair, wasn't much beyond the kid who studied by candlelight in a log cabin and abolished slavery in his presidency, which ended in his assassination).  The author has a gift for narrative, and the book has aged wonderfully well so I'd still recommend it for readers today.

Gandhi: Fighter Without a Sword, by Jeanette Eaton

OK, it's time for a bit of a confession.  My understanding of world history, and particularly that of Asia, is severely lacking.  It wasn't part of the school curriculum and, lacking exposure, it wasn't something that I explored myself, either.  So if you'd asked me a week ago who Gandhi was, I couldn't have told you much beyond the fact that he was some Indian guy who was really peaceful.  I couldn't have even told you roughly when he lived, beyond the general sense that he's not alive now.  Pretty embarrassing, I know.

Just the same, I wasn't sure whether I'd find this book interesting when I picked it up.  Jeannette Eaton and I have had our difficulties in the past.  The cover is not remotely exciting, although completely accurate.  So it was such a pleasant surprise to thoroughly enjoy this book from start to finish.  I know it sounds kind of hyperbolic to use a phrase like "a masterpiece of juvenile biography" but it's really the best one that comes to mind, having completed it.

The book is the perfect introduction to the life of a man who accomplished so much.  It touches on all aspects of his life- culture, family, religion, education, employment, social relationships, daily habits. . . all without overwhelming the reader or brain-dumping facts.  It's all handled very methodically at a reasonable pace.  At the same time, the book engages the reader and helps him develop a genuine interest in the things that concerned Gandhi himself.

The entire volume has just over 250 pages, but covers Gandhi's life beginning as a teenager, all the way through his eventual assassination.  It's a book that I'd sincerely recommend for young readers today, although it wants a newer edition to update some obsolete language.