Champion : the comeback tale of the American chestnut tree

American chestnut trees were once found far and wide in North America's eastern forests. They towered up to one hundred feet tall, providing food and shelter for people and animals alike. For many, life without the chestnut seemed unimaginable--until disaster struck in the early 1900s.

What began as a wound in the bark of a few trees soon turned to an unstoppable killing force. An unknown blight was wiping out the American chestnut, and scientists felt powerless to prevent it.

But the story doesn't end there. Today, the American chestnut is making a comeback. Narrative nonfiction master Sally M. Walker tells a tale of loss, restoration, and the triumph of human ingenuity in this beautifully photographed middle-grade book.

• 1 Disaster! p. 3
• 2 A Forest Giant p. 15
• 3 Seeking the Source p. 26
• 4 An Eyebrow-Raising Discovery p. 36
• 5 Midwestern Survivors p. 46
• 6 It's in the Genes p. 55
• 7 High-Tech Armor p. 74
• 8 Restoration p. 88
• Author's Note p. 99
• Appendix A Scientific Classification p. 105
• Appendix B A Nutty Smorgasbord p. 107
• Appendix C Chestnuts at School p. 111
• Appendix D Under a Spreading Chestnut Tree p. 114
• Source Notes p. 117
• Glossary p. 123
• Select Bibliography p. 126
• Image Credits p. 129
• Index p. 130