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Who Was Clara Barton?

Part of Who Was?

Author Stephanie Spinner, Who HQ
Illustrated by David Groff
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Paperback
$6.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Penguin Workshop
5.31"W x 7.63"H x 0.25"D   | 4 oz | 72 per carton
On sale Jul 24, 2014 | 112 Pages | 9780448479538
Age 8-12 years | Grades 3-7
Reading Level: Lexile 960L | Fountas & Pinnell W
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Clarissa “Clara” Barton was a shy girl who grew up to become a teacher, nurse, and humanitarian.  At a time when few women worked outside the home, she became the first woman to hold a government job, as a patent clerk in Washington, DC. In 1864, she was appointed “lady in charge” of the hospitals at the front lines of the Union Army, where she became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield.” Clara Barton built a career helping others.  She went on to found the American Red Cross, one of her greatest accomplishments, and one of the most recognized organizations in the world.
Stephanie Spinner has written many highly praised children’s books, including Alex the Parrot, Aliens for Breakfast (with Jonathan Etra), It’s a Miracle! A Hanukkah Storybook, and the novels Quiver, Quicksilver, and Damosel. She lives in Sherman, Connecticut. To learn more about Stephanie and her books, please visit stephaniespinner.com. View titles by Stephanie Spinner
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ
David Groff View titles by David Groff

Who Was
Clara Barton?

Who Was
Clara Barton?

Who Was
Clara Barton?

In 1833, when Clara Barton was eleven, her brother David fell off the roof of the barn on her family’s farm. He didn’t break any bones, but he did get very sick. Clara decided to take care of him. She cleaned his wounds, changed his bandages, and brought him his meals. For two years she almost never left his side.

By the time David recovered, Clara was very good at nursing. Everything she’d done to help her brother seemed to come naturally to her. So when dozens of children in her Massachusetts town came down with smallpox, Clara nursed them, too. She knew that she might get smallpox, but that didn’t stop her. The children needed her help.

Over the course of her long, busy life, Clara Barton never stopped helping and healing people. She started schools for poor children, nursed wounded soldiers during the Civil War, and fought long and hard to bring the Red Cross to the United States. Under her leadership, the Red Cross won fame for its treatment of disaster victims and set new standards for public service. Barton also transformed the nursing profession, strengthened the women’s movement, and inspired volunteer organizations all over the world. Once a shy small-town girl, Clara Barton became a true force for change. She was a woman to be reckoned with.

Chapter 1
Six Mothers and Fathers

Clarissa Harlow Barton, born in North Oxford, Massachusetts, on Christmas Day of 1821, was her parents’ fifth child. She was the baby of the family, and her two sisters and two brothers were much older than she was. In Clara’s household, everybody, not just her parents, told her what to do. It was almost like having six parents instead of two.

But Clara was lucky—five of the six were interested in taking good care of her and making sure she learned the important things in life. Her father, Captain Stephen Barton, taught her about military history. Once an army officer in the Northwest Indian War of 1785–1795, he liked to sit by the fire and talk about his adventures. Clara would spend hours acting out different battles with him, which they both enjoyed very much.

. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

About

Clarissa “Clara” Barton was a shy girl who grew up to become a teacher, nurse, and humanitarian.  At a time when few women worked outside the home, she became the first woman to hold a government job, as a patent clerk in Washington, DC. In 1864, she was appointed “lady in charge” of the hospitals at the front lines of the Union Army, where she became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield.” Clara Barton built a career helping others.  She went on to found the American Red Cross, one of her greatest accomplishments, and one of the most recognized organizations in the world.

Author

Stephanie Spinner has written many highly praised children’s books, including Alex the Parrot, Aliens for Breakfast (with Jonathan Etra), It’s a Miracle! A Hanukkah Storybook, and the novels Quiver, Quicksilver, and Damosel. She lives in Sherman, Connecticut. To learn more about Stephanie and her books, please visit stephaniespinner.com. View titles by Stephanie Spinner
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ
David Groff View titles by David Groff

Excerpt

Who Was
Clara Barton?

Who Was
Clara Barton?

Who Was
Clara Barton?

In 1833, when Clara Barton was eleven, her brother David fell off the roof of the barn on her family’s farm. He didn’t break any bones, but he did get very sick. Clara decided to take care of him. She cleaned his wounds, changed his bandages, and brought him his meals. For two years she almost never left his side.

By the time David recovered, Clara was very good at nursing. Everything she’d done to help her brother seemed to come naturally to her. So when dozens of children in her Massachusetts town came down with smallpox, Clara nursed them, too. She knew that she might get smallpox, but that didn’t stop her. The children needed her help.

Over the course of her long, busy life, Clara Barton never stopped helping and healing people. She started schools for poor children, nursed wounded soldiers during the Civil War, and fought long and hard to bring the Red Cross to the United States. Under her leadership, the Red Cross won fame for its treatment of disaster victims and set new standards for public service. Barton also transformed the nursing profession, strengthened the women’s movement, and inspired volunteer organizations all over the world. Once a shy small-town girl, Clara Barton became a true force for change. She was a woman to be reckoned with.

Chapter 1
Six Mothers and Fathers

Clarissa Harlow Barton, born in North Oxford, Massachusetts, on Christmas Day of 1821, was her parents’ fifth child. She was the baby of the family, and her two sisters and two brothers were much older than she was. In Clara’s household, everybody, not just her parents, told her what to do. It was almost like having six parents instead of two.

But Clara was lucky—five of the six were interested in taking good care of her and making sure she learned the important things in life. Her father, Captain Stephen Barton, taught her about military history. Once an army officer in the Northwest Indian War of 1785–1795, he liked to sit by the fire and talk about his adventures. Clara would spend hours acting out different battles with him, which they both enjoyed very much.

. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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