Black Potatoes: The Story Of The Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850

By:

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis
In 1845, a disaster struck Ireland. Overnight, a mysterious blight attacked the potato crops, turning the potatoes black and destroying the only real food of nearly six million people.

Over the next five years, the blight attacked again and again. These years are known today as the Great Irish Famine, a time when one million people died from starvation and disease and two million more fled their homeland.

Black Potatoes is the compelling story of men, women, and children who defied landlords and searched empty fields for scraps of harvested vegetables and edible weeds to eat, who walked several miles each day to hard-labor jobs for meager wages and to reach soup kitchens, and who committed crimes just to be sent to jail, where they were assured of a meal. It's the story of children and adults who suffered from starvation, disease, and the loss of family and friends, as well as those who died. Illustrated with black and white engravings, it's also the story of the heroes among the Irish people and how they held on to hope.

Winner of the Sibert Medal

Copyright:
2001

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
192 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780547530857
Related ISBNs:
9780618548835, 9780618002719
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Children's Books, Nonfiction
Grade Levels:
Fifth grade, Sixth grade, Seventh grade, Eighth grade, Ninth grade
Reading Age:
10–12
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

No Rating Yet