Black Potatoes

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

While this book may have been aimed at middle school readers, it is a very readable account of the Irish potato famine which led to so many Irish immigrants arriving in U.S., Canadian, and even Australian ports. It is very well researched, yet readable. While it's lack of footnotes may bother adult readers seeking well-documented accounts of the famine, the bibliography does include a discussion of the sources used and how they were used in the work. One must consider its intended audience. It would be a great book to use with a budding young genealogist who has just discovered an ancestor who moved from Ireland  during this time period. The illustrations greatly enhance this book and its appeal. I can picture a young reader asking a lot of "Why?" questions as he or she is reading the narrative. Highly recommended.  (5 stars)

This is part of the series on children's literature and genealogy.