“In the hands of a poet, science takes on a beauty not always accorded information.” 

What do I, as an author, want young readers to absorb when they read a biography — particularly a biography of someone who is not a famous historic figure or celebrity? 

I’d like them to understand that people who follow their passions can have interesting, fulfilling, productive and useful lives even if (especially if) they are not in the limelight. It’s a bonus if readers also learn about a field of study they were previously unfamiliar with.

Janice Harrington’s latest biography, “Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector,” (Calkins Creek, 2023) does all that. 

Parker, who lived from 1882-1950 (he was a lieutenant in WWI), was a pioneering botanist who traveled the world collecting previously unknown specimens, published his findings and shared his passion for the field with countless students, especially hundreds of other Black people, both men and women. 

Then he became interested in mushrooms, molds and other fungi. Parker focused on a class of fungi called Hypholoma, discovering many previously unknown examples. He also published the first, clear organized description of the Hypholoma.

Hypholoma a big word for a young reader, but Harrington doesn’t shy away from using this and other scientific terms. This reflects her absolute confidence in the reader that, if they don’t know the word they can understand what it is from context and/or the glossary in the back. 

A reader comes away from this story with both an appreciation of a previously unknown Black botanist AND a feeling that they have learned some weighty words and concepts. 

I have been a fan of Harrington’s ever since I read “Catching a Story Fish,” (Wordsong, an imprint of Highlights, 2016)  a middle grade story in verse about the relationship of a young person and her grandfather, among other things. 

Harrington, a celebrated author and a professor of English at the University of Illinois, is a gifted and award-winning poet. Her language in “Rooting for Plants” is as lyrical as in many of her other books. 

As Betsy Hearne, former director of the University of Illinois Center for Children’s Books, notes in her review of “Rooting for Plants,” “In the hands of a poet, science takes on a beauty not always accorded information.” 

Every reader will come away with an appreciation of Parker’s curiosity and perseverance, as well as satisfaction in a story well told.

I also appreciated all the back matter. In addition to the previously mentioned glossary in the back, there is also a full biography of Parker, a timeline of his life and discoveries, an extensive bibliography, and a short bio of half a dozen other Black botanists and mycologists. 

So dig in! (Pun intended). There is much to enjoy and appreciate in “Rooting for Plants,” and while you are at it, why not investigate some of Harrington’s other books for young readers?

This review was first published in the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette in 2024