George Crum and the Saratoga Chip 
By Gaylia Taylor
Illustrated by Frank Morrison
9781584302551
Growing up in the 1830s in Saratoga Springs, New York, isn't easy for George Crum. Picked on at school because of the color of his skin, George escapes into his favorite pastimes — hunting and fishing.
Soon George learns to cook too, and as a young man he lands a job as chef at the fancy Moon's Lake House. George loves his work, except for the fussy customers, who are always complaining! One hot day George's patience boils over, and he cooks up a potato dish so unique it changes his life forever.
Readers will delight in this spirited story of the invention of the potato chip — one of America's favorite snack foods. George Crum and the Saratoga Chip is a testament to human ingenuity, and a tasty slice of culinary history.
Booktalk with author Gaylia Taylor
- Awards
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Children's Books of the Year
Bank Street College Children's Book Committee
Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist
Texas Library Association (TLA)
Arkansas Diamond Masterlist
Arkansas State Library
- Interest Level
- Grades 1 - 5
- Reading Level
- Grades 3 - 4
- Themes
- Biracial Interest, African/African American Interest, Family Traditions, Food, Imagination, Native American Interest
Gaylia Taylor discovered her passion for writing children's stories during her years as a reading teacher. Now retired, Taylor finds inspiration in newspaper articles, travel experiences, and memories of her childhood. She discovered George Crum's story while researching African American inventors. Taylor lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with her husband. George Crum and the Saratoga Chip is her first picture book.
Frank Morrison is the illustrator of LEE & LOW's Sweet Music in Harlem, a Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year and an IRA Notable Book. He has also received the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent in Illustration for Jazzy Miz Mozetta. His artwork is included in many private collections, including those of Bill Cosby and Maya Angelou. Morrison lives with his family in Hampton, Georgia. To find out more about Frank Morrison, visit his Web site: www.morrisongraphics.com
