2002 Sibert Medal Winner
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.