The Oldest Student

Mary Walker’s entire life had been filled with hard work. She was born into slavery and followed two rules: rule #1; “Keep Working!” and rule #2; never teach slaves to read or write. When she became free, she worked alongside her husband as a sharecropper for little money. During this time, Mary knew something was still missing from her life. She still could not do was read or write. Mary saw the words around her as a set of confusing, squiggly lines. At 116 years old, she decided to change this. Mary Walker became the oldest student in the United States of America to learn how to read. After long nights of studying and practice with the alphabet, she could read and write! This book explores the themes of perseverance, resiliency, and achieving goals. As Mary always says, “It is never too late to learn.”