I thought this book was packed with information. It almost had too much information. That’s why I put it at an older reading grade level. But I did learn a lot about Thomas Jefferson I didn’t know before. He worked very hard throughout his entire life to expand our country and its economic development. He wanted us to be a nation of farmers. He went to Europe to debate with men over the greatness of America. He sent a French writer the carcass of a moose to prove to him how big they were. Thomas Jefferson was more than just our 3rd president and this book helps to show that to young people. ( )

I really wanted to like this book. There are elements that are great. Peggy Thomas tells the story of Buffon claiming that European animals are better than American and talks about Jefferson's resilience in not giving up. The prose is full of alliteration that is a delight to read out loud. However, there is a gaping hole in this story that needs to be addressed. This book was published in 2015. In 2015, we should not be glossing over the fact that Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. The text talks about Jefferson being a farmer and illustrations show him plowing the field. Not once in the story does it mention that slaves worked his field. It talks about builders working on Monticello. No mention of slaves. The book speaks critically of the West Indies because they have slaves and how Jefferson could instead have sugar through maple trees like in New England. ONLY if you read the afterward is slavery mentioned. It's not easy balancing what Jefferson did for this country with his being a slave owner. He's seen as a national hero and I suppose the writer wanted to focus only on the good. In 2015, it's not okay. ( )

SUMMMARY: This book is about Thomas Jefferson growing what we know today as our nation. This book talks about his a farmer going around the world to find different seeds that will survive in American soul. He invented the first tiller but he called it a plow. and he shared with other farmers. By him growing his knowledge of what we could plant here in America, helped many farmers grow crops and earn money to survive. he also brought trade into the world when he went over to different countries bringing about their seeds.

MY REACTION: I found this book very informative. I love how our 3rd president of the united states push to make the U.S. what it is today. I am glad he did not give up on our soil and our farmers.

CLASSROOM EXTENSIONS: 1. Have the students grow their own plant of chose in a cup in the classroom.
2.Have the class write about a time when they did not give up on something.
3. Maybe the kids could put on play based on the story for their parents and friends

In my opinion, this an interesting but strange book. I liked the writing, as I found that it captured and held my attention while still informing me about an unknown aspect of Thomas Jefferson’s life—his affinity for growing things and gardening. The writing was extremely organized and flowed well, and made it an easy read, regardless of how fact-packed it was. However, I thought the illustrations—while certainly contributing to the text by acting as a way to further explain what the author is writing about—were borderline creepy, and essentially weirded me out. Additionally, although this book is classified as biographical fiction, the information from it is considered nonfiction. However, I had never heard about this side of Thomas Jefferson’s life, in all my years of learning history, and I found his actions hard to believe. The message of the book is that Thomas Jefferson is an intricate, complex person who loved to grow anything from olive trees to democracy and liberty. ( )

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