Title: Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature
Author: George Sullivan
Summary: Charles Stratton was born in 1838 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was a big, healthy, happy baby – just what any parents would wish for. But when he turned one, he just…stopped growing. He was in perfect proportion: His arms, legs, and head were all the right size for his tiny body. When another Connecticut native, the soon-to-be legendary P.T. Barnum, was introduced to the five year-old Charley, both their worlds would be changed forever. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship that would make them both incredibly rich.
Charles Stratton, renamed Tom Thumb by Barnum, was the first celebrity performer in U.S. history. He traveled the world, showed off for kings and queens and his marriage to another little person, Lavinia Warren, even preempted coverage of the Civil War. But he never had a true childhood or much time out of the public eye. Was he exploited by Barnum for his size or did he triumph despite of it? This fascinating biography will let you find your own answer to these questions.
Who will like this book?: This is a terrific book for anyone interested in people who have triumphed over adversity. It is also an important piece of local history – Charley was born and is buried in Bridgeport, CT.
If you like this, try this: The Great and Only Barnum by Candice Fleming. For older readers, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin.
Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian