Biography of Sugar

Children's Literature

Similar to the other biographies in the "How Did That Get Here?" series, this book details the history of sugar from the days when only the rich could enjoy sweet treats, to the present day where sugar is used in an endless number of products. A large part of the book is focused on sugar production and the slavery of sugar plantation workers in the 1400s and 1500s. Readers are shown through pictures, diagrams, and drawings how Caribbean Indians, Africans, and people of the West Indies were taken from their native lands and brought to plantations; how they were traded; and how they were treated by plantation owners. Although slavery was abolished a long time ago, conditions are still less than desirable for workers on present day sugar plantations, and the book dedicates a chapter to this topic as well. The reader is also introduced to the differences between making sugar from sugar beets and from sugar cane, the process of refining sugar to make the final product, and a plethora of uses for sugar, which many readers will find surprising. Colorful images and interesting facts not commonly known about sugar will capture the reader's attention. This book is well suited for a classroom. 2006, Crabtree Publishing Company, and Ages 8 to 12.
—Erin Pelletier