The Gardener of Alcatraz

SKU: 9781623541606

Author:
Emma Bland Smith
Illustrator:
Jenn Ely
Grade Levels:
Four, Five, Six
Book Type:
Hardcover
Pages:
40
Publisher:
Charlesbridge
Copyright Date:
2022

Price:
Sale price$21.99

Description

A prisoner gardens his way to freedom in this captivating picture-book biography.

When Elliott Michener was locked away in Alcatraz for counterfeiting, he was determined to defy the odds and bust out. But when he got a job tending the prison garden, a funny thing happened. Thoughts of escape were replaced with new interests and skills—and a sense of dignity and fulfillment. Elliott transformed Alcatraz Island, and the island transformed him.

Told with empathy and a storyteller's flair, Elliott's story is funny, touching, and unexpectedly relevant. Back matter about the history of Alcatraz and the US prison system today invites meaningful discussion.

Includes:
Time Line - "1969-70: Native American occupation of Alcatraz"
Descriptions and subsections of Indigenous involvement in Alcatraz. For example, "The Native Occupation" as a subsection
Select bibliography
Author's Note - includes the information Corrina Gould, Tribal Chair of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, "went over the passages concerning Native people's relationship with Alcatraz."

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