Journey to the Bottomless Pit by Elizabeth Mitchell

Journey to the Bottomless Pit by Elizabeth Mitchell

A fascinating story. --LeVar Burton

The thrilling adventures of a slave who became known worldwide for his explorations of Mammoth Cave.

If you toured Mammoth Cave in Kentucky in the year 1838, you would have been led by candlelight through dark, winding tunnels to the edge of a terrifying bottomless pit. Your guide would have been seventeen-year-old Stephen Bishop, an African American slave who became known around the world for his knowledge of Mammoth Cave.

Bishop needed bravery, intelligence, and curiosity to explore the vast cavern. Using only a lantern, rope, and other basic caving equipment, he found a way to cross the bottomless pit and discover many more miles of incredible grottoes and tunnels. For the rest of his life he guided visitors through the cave, showing them how to stoop, bend, and crawl through passageways that were sometimes far from the traditional tour route.

Based on the narratives of those who toured the cave with him, Journey to the Bottomless Pit is the first book for young readers ever written about Stephen Bishop. New to this edition: A free teacher's guide to this book, as well as an interview with current-day Mammoth Cave guide Jerry Bransford, great-great-grandson of Stephen Bishop's fellow guide, Mat Bransford.

A fascinating story. --LeVar Burton

The thrilling adventures of a slave who became known worldwide for his explorations of Mammoth Cave.

If you toured Mammoth Cave in Kentucky in the year 1838, you would have been led by candlelight through dark, winding tunnels to the edge of a terrifying bottomless pit. Your guide would have been seventeen-year-old Stephen Bishop, an African American slave who became known around the world for his knowledge of Mammoth Cave.

Bishop needed bravery, intelligence, and curiosity to explore the vast cavern. Using only a lantern, rope, and other basic caving equipment, he found a way to cross the bottomless pit and discover many more miles of incredible grottoes and tunnels. For the rest of his life he guided visitors through the cave, showing them how to stoop, bend, and crawl through passageways that were sometimes far from the traditional tour route.

Based on the narratives of those who toured the cave with him, Journey to the Bottomless Pit is the first book for young readers ever written about Stephen Bishop. New to this edition: A free teacher's guide to this book, as well as an interview with current-day Mammoth Cave guide Jerry Bransford, great-great-grandson of Stephen Bishop's fellow guide, Mat Bransford.

“A fascinating story that brings to life a remarkable man—Stephen Bishop deserves to be resurrected and remembered” —LeVar Burton

“A well-told and riveting story of underground exploration . . . the extraordinary tale of a man who rises above his imposed station in life to find his true calling.” —National Speleological Society News

“The thrilling setting is the focus of this novel about Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which Mitchell shapes around the astonishing biography of Stephen Bishop.” —Booklist

“Would make for great reading before or after a visit to Mammoth Cave, but also has broader appeal as a human-interest story.” —School Library Journal

“Takes readers on a tour unlike anything they’ve experienced.” —Metro Parent Magazine

A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids

Named a 2006 Best Children’s Book of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education

Elizabeth Mitchell is a writer, editor, and journalist. Three Strides Before the Wire: The Dark and Beautiful World of Horse Racing and W: Vengeance of the Bush Dynasty are her nonfiction publications.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781504057707
ISBN 10	1504057708
Title	Journey to the Bottomless Pit
Author	Elizabeth Mitchell
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Open Road Media
Year published	2019-03-19
Number of pages	112
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable