George Washington Plants a Nation by Peggy Thomas

Most biographies of George Washington spend a lot of time talking about his role as a military general, or as the first president of the United States.  This picture book biography mentions those things, but focuses on George Washington as a successful farmer. Washington inherited Mt Vernon when his half-brother died in 1752.  Under his careful and intelligent management, the productivity of the farm increased significantly.  Washington experimented with crop rotation, and developed several innovations like an indoor threshing house. Thomas includes a discussion of Washington's relationship with his slaves and finishes off the book with a timeline and resources sections.  Although not as engaging as George Washington, Spymaster, it gives another valuable perspective on a complex historical character. (40 p)