Hard Work, but It’s Worth It: The Life of Jimmy Carter

Growing up on a farm, the boy who would become the 39th U.S. president and a Nobel Peace Prize winner learned the value of hard work: “He brought water to the workingmen, hauled firewood, and tended to the hogs and chickens.” But because that farm was in the segregated South, young Carter also witnessed injustices suffered by people of color every day; at the movies with his best friend, A.D., Jimmy “took a seat on the main floor or the first balcony. But A.D. had to climb to the third floor”—the “Colored Balcony,” where African-Americans were consigned by law. Intertwined qualities of grit and social conscience inform every page of Hegedus’s sensitive, uplifting biography, while Han’s reportorial digital illustrations reflect Carter’s unpretentious character. Grown-ups may continue to debate the subject’s efficacy as president, but in these pages readers will see a man whose determination and principles have guided him throughout his accomplished life. An author’s note and timeline conclude. Ages 4–8. [em](Jan.) [/em]