The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor [Library Binding]

Wendy Towle (Author), Wil Clay (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

Vivid paintings and a simple text chronicle the life and achievements of African-American inventor Elijah McCoy, developer of more than fifty patented inventions, including an innovative oil cup that revolutionized railroad operations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Elijah McCoy (1844-1929), the child of escaped slaves, was born in Canada and educated in Scotland as an engineer during the Civil War. Settling in Michigan, he was able to find work only as a fireman, stoking the engines of a locomotive and oiling its parts. But his training was not wasted: he invented an automatic lubricator--possibly the original "real McCoy"--and went on to patent other devices, including the portable ironing board and the lawn sprinkler. He eventually founded the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company but never received his due for his work and died alone in a nursing home. First-time author Towle honors her subject's achievements while acknowledging his meager public recognition, while Clay tones down the dynamism he exhibited in Little Eight John to paint sturdy, luminous images of McCoy in action. McCoy himself provides a compelling example of 19th-century African American achievement in the face of discrimination; this respectful biography is a useful addition to library collections. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-- Canadian born Elijah McCoy patented over 50 inventions in his lifetime. Despite the fact that he was trained as a master mechanic and engineer, he could only find work as a fireman/oilman on a railroad, because no one had ever heard of a black engineer in the United States. His automatic oil cup became standard equipment on most trains and heavy machinery, and was so superior to others that people demanded "the real McCoy." The text is compact but contains enough detail and warmth to make the man come to life. The acrylic illustrations are vibrant and full of details that reflect McCoy's years of hard work. A fine addition to any library's biography and/or black history collections. --Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 1 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade; First edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590435965
• ISBN-13: 978-0590435963
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,924,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ask for the Real McCoy, April 16, 2000

By 

"libraryeve" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor (School & Library Binding)

I love informational picture books, and this one is the real McCoy! All about Elijah McCoy, the son of fugitive slaves, his many inventions and how he came up with some of his ideas. His best known invention was an automatic oil cup for trains, a cup often poorly duplicated by others, so buyers would ask for "the real McCoy". The vivid illustraions beautifully detail the story. I work in an elementary school library and I've sent this book home with kids whose parents have thanked me for introducing this inventive man and his achievements to their families.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story about an underappreciated black inventor, one major flaw, January 3, 2010

By 

Ulyyf "Connie" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Real Mccoy (A Blue Ribbon Book) (Paperback)

Elijah McCoy really existed, and his inventions as described in this book are real. The book, to my knowledge, adequately and succinctly sums up his life.

Unfortunately, it spends a page or so talking about him as a spurious inspiration for the phrase "the real McCoy". Given that lubricators with his name on them weren't sold until the end of his life, and given that the expression has been attested to before the man was even *born*, that's incredibly unlikely, and a small amount of research would have shown the author that fact. It's even on the back cover that he's the origin of the phrase, and it's not true.

It seems like a small thing, but as I already knew this "fact" was wrong it meant I was in doubt about the veracity of the whole rest of the book and had to start confirming the details, fact by fact. I wouldn't expect a small child to do that. Factual books should be researched so they do not contain inaccuracies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elijah McCoy's Awesome Story!!!!!!!!!!, March 9, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Real Mccoy (A Blue Ribbon Book) (Paperback)

I think that this story really tells the story about Elijah McCoy. It gives very good details and gives interesting facts. I think that kids who want to learn ANYTHING about Elijah McCoy should read this book.