Walt Whitman

by Barbara Kerley Illustrated by Brian Selznick

Serving as a nurse in Civil War-era Washington, Walt Whitman treated all soldiers who needed his aid-Union and Confederate, black and white. In time, Walt saw that his writing could give these men a voice and capture the true spirit of America. The brilliantly inventive paintings add vibrant testimonial to the nuanced text.-SLJ

Ages: 8, 9, 10
Interest Level: Grades 3 - 5
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.4
Lexile Measure: 970L
DRA: 40
Guided Reading: R
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Number of Pages: 56
Genre: Biography, Biography and Autobiography, General Poetry, Poetry and Rhymes

About the Author and Illustrator

Barbara Kerley Barbara Kerley is the author of Walt Whitman: Words for America, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins and Greetings from Planet Earth

Brian Selznick Brian Selznick is the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor winner, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins , and the New York Times-Best Illustrated Walt Whitman: Words for America , both by Barbara Kerley, as well as the Sibert Honor winner When Marian Sang , by Pam Muñoz Ryan. In 2008 he won the Caldecott Medal for the groundbreaking title, The Invention of Hugo Cabret .