Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin (Graphic Library, Inventions and Discovery series) - Softcover

Jessica Gunderson grew up in the small town of Washburn, North Dakota. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota and an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has written more than fifty books for young readers. Her book Ropes of Revolution won the 2008 Moonbeam Award for best graphic novel. She currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and cat.

This new graphic nonfiction series offers biographical treatments that highlight a technological breakthrough or innovation. Though produced by various illustrators, titles are visually similar: enticing covers, dynamic fonts, bold colors, and vibrant illustrations. Comic book-style word balloons feature fairly sophisticated vocabulary and occasional quotes or other primary source material. Each selection includes titled chapters, a table of contents, summary fact pages, further reading suggestions, and recommended Internet sites. There is close correlation between the dialogue and depicted actions and illustrations, which will provide visual reinforcement for struggling readers. These deceptively slim volumes convey a tremendous amount of information and vocabulary, and should attract attention from reluctant and enthusiastic readers alike. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Recommended. --Library Media Connection; Vol. 25, No. 7; Pages 83-84, April 2007

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin (3-4) - formatted like a graphic novel, this book tells the story of how Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin and the effects it had on the South. --California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, Cream of the Crop; Vol. 21, No. 1, October 2007