Henry Ford

Children's Literature

Henry Ford changed the world by changing the way we travel. After seeing a steam-powered "road engine" on a trip to Chicago, he become fascinated by self-propelled machinery. His father tried to deter him from that dream by giving him the family farm, but still Ford was obsessed. He wanted to invent a car for everyone, not just the rich; a "universal car." In the process of inventing this car, he also invented mass production, changing the face of industry. But he was not your average money-loving tycoon. Ford took care of his employees, paying them well and providing an education for immigrants. Ford was a fascinating man whose work still affects the way we live today and he deserves to be honored in the "Trailblazers of the World" series. While short, this is a very complete biography of his life. The book contains a lot of text, which might deter some readers, but it contains some wonderful pictures and excerpts from his writings. In the back of the book are a timeline, glossary and index as well as a page listing books and Internet sites kids might want to look at to find out more. It does present itself more like a textbook than literature, but it is still an interesting read. 2002, World Almanac Library,
— Heather Robertson