George Washington Carver by John Perry

George Washington Carver is an inspiration! Born a slave, George was a frail boy.  When he is kidnapped, along with his mother, by slave traders, Moses Carver convinces a Sergeant General to go after them.  He brings back George, but his mother didn't make it.  Moses raises young George as his own.  But since George is frail, he learns inside chores instead of outside, like cleaning, mending and cooking.

These skills will aid George his entire life.  When he applies for college, he is turned away because of his skin color.  When he is finally enrolled into Iowa State College, he uses his painting and laundry skills to make money to survive. An interesting tidbit - when applying for school, the letter W is put in as his middle name.  When asked what it stands for, George answers Washington...I guess.  And that is how he got his middle name.

The first black man to graduate from Iowa State College, George then spent almost the rest of his life with agriculture, chemistry and experimenting on ways to improve or use the gifts God has given us.  He never marries, but wants to help others learn their way out of poverty.  He is probably most well-known by his work with peanuts. But his love for all the gifts God has given us is a true inspiration.  With all of the tragedy in his life, George never let it get him down.  He soaked up knowledge and made something of himself, and he did it simply and with class.