The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read

Mary Walker was born into slavery in 1848 and freed at fifteen. Over the next century she worked as a cook, a cleaner and a babysitter, sold sandwiches to raise money for her church, raised a family and outlived every member of it. Through all those years she never had the chance to learn to read. Then, at 114, she decided it was time, and at 116 she finally did, becoming known as the oldest student in the nation. Rita Lorraine Hubbard tells Mary's true story, which stretches from the Civil War to the civil rights era, and Oge Mora's bright collage illustrations celebrate her determination. The book shows that it is never too late to learn, and it won the Texas Bluebonnet Award.