The Man Who Loved Libraries: The Story of Andrew Carnegie

K-Gr 3—Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835 and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1848. Helping to support his family, Carnegie worked in a cotton mill. Later he became a messenger boy and then a telegraph operator with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Always a hard worker, Carnegie saved and invested his earnings. By age 35 he was a very rich man. Selling his steel mills to J.P. Morgan, Carnegie was able to fulfill his lifelong desire to give away half a billion dollars. Much of the money went to the building of libraries across the United States and around the globe. This title focuses on Carnegie's love of learning and libraries. The text is lyrical, but the highlight of the volume is Maurey's stylized drawings, which depict Carnegie in the various stages of his life. Additional information at the end of the book touches on Carnegie's dislike of labor unions, but otherwise the narrative is upbeat.