Who Was Rachel Carson?
By Sarah Fabiny
Illustrated by Dede Putra
Grosset & Dunlap
An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC
To Emma, Bailey, and Celia: may you all find your callingSF
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Text copyright 2014 by Sarah Fabiny. Illustrations copyright 2014 by Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Cover illustration copyright 2014 by Nancy Harrison. All rights reserved. Published by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
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ISBN 978-0-698-18727-6
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Contents
Who Was Rachel Carson?
As a little girl, Rachel Carson liked to sit on the porch of her familys farmhouse and hold her mothers conch shell to her ear. As she pressed the seashell to her ear, Rachel looked out at the fields and woods that surrounded her home. Rachel loved the plants, the animals, and even the insects that lived in the fields and woods. But the magical sounds that seemed to come from deep inside the shell made her dream of the sea. More than anything, Rachel wanted to stand on the shore of the ocean. She wanted to feel the waves wash over her feet.
Rachel was a shy girl, but she was also determined. Not only did she dream of the sea, she also dreamed of being a writer. Rachel knew that if she worked hard and held on to her dreams that maybe someday they might come true. And thats exactly what happened. Even though Rachel faced many challenges in her life, through her hard work and determination she became a writera writer who knew all about the sea, the shore, and all the creatures that made their homes there.
In her books, Rachel explained scientific ideas about nature in a way that ordinary people could understand. She also showed how all living things are connected. Rachel wanted people to understand how important it is to look after the planet we share with every plant, insect, and animal.
When she sat on her familys porch holding the shell to her ear, little did Rachel know that her dream would one day help shape the world we all live in.
Chapter 1
Creatures Great and Small
Rachel Carson was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania, on May 27, 1907. Her mother, Maria McLean, was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. She had been a schoolteacher who also gave private piano lessons. Maria was forced to give up her job when she married Robert Carson, since married women were not allowed to teach in Pennsylvania at the time.
Rachels father, Robert, owned sixty-five acres of farmland and woods in Springdale, a town about fifteen miles north of Pittsburgh, near the Allegheny River. The property included a small two-story house, a barn, outhouses, a chicken coop, and a springhouse.
The Carsons kept a few pigs, horses, cows, and chickens. By the time Rachel was born, she already had two older siblingsa sister, Marian, and a brother, Robert Jr.
Rachel and her dog, Candy, spent a lot of time exploring the land that surrounded their home. The woods and fields were full of all kinds of plants, animals, and insects, and Rachel was fascinated by all of them. Rachels brother and sister were much older, so Rachel spent a lot of time alone. But she didnt mind, as she considered all the creatures her friends. She watched birds making their nests, butterflies flitting through the grass, and fish swimming in the streams.
Although the rushing water of the streams made Rachel happy, her biggest dream was to see the ocean. Rachels mother had a conch shell, and Rachel loved holding it to her ear. She would pretend she could hear the oceans waves rushing up and down the beach.
Rachels mother was an avid bird-watcher. She also believed it was important for young people to study nature. Mrs. Carson taught Rachel that people must share the world with other creatures and be respectful of them. She would watch as her mother carried insects out of the house. Rachels mother didnt even own a flyswatter!
Rachel and her mother would take long walks in the fields and woods. When Rachel had questions about the things they saw, her mother would answer them. If she wasnt able to answer Rachels question, she would show Rachel how to find the answer in books about science and nature.
Rachel actually persuaded her brother to stop hunting rabbits on the familys property, because they reminded her of the characters in the Beatrix Potter books her mother read to her.
Rachel started school in the fall of 1913. She loved school and learning, but she spent many days at home. If the weather was too cold, Rachel stayed at home and was taught by her mother. If other children in the class were ill, Mrs. Carson didnt want to take the chance of Rachel getting sick. Even though Rachel missed a lot of school, she was usually an A student. Mrs. Carson was an excellent teacher; she had been a schoolteacher, after all.
Chapter 2
A Writer Is Born
Rachels favorite books were The Wind in the Willows and the Peter Rabbit books. They were stories about animals and how animals live in nature. Rachel loved reading, and she pleaded with her father to let her go with him when he went into town so that she could visit the library. Soon she started writing her own stories about animals and the wonder of nature.
