It was July, 1739. Sixteen year old Eliza Lucas sat by the fire. The room was warm and cozy, but big.
Eliza tried to work on her sewing, but it was hard. It was stormy outside. The wind was blowing hard and the rain kept hitting the window. Eliza kept thinking about her plants in the field.
At last she got up and stared out the window.
"Is this rain ever going to end?" she asked.
"What was that, Miss Eliza?" her house slave asked.
"I am worried about my indigo plants," Eliza said. "I hope they make it. We need this bush. It can do so much for South Carolina. But no one can seem to make it grow here."

Can 16-year-old Eliza make this plant grow? If she does, how will it change the state of South Carolina?
Find out in this exciting 15-minute book.

Ages 7 and up.
Reading level 2.8

This book is part of our "Heroes in History" series. These 15-minute books focus on a specific moment in a historic person's life. Aimed at second graders, they provide the perfect introduction to famous Americans in an exciting, fun-to-read way.

LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.