Scholastic Canada Biography: Meet Frederick Banting

Dr. Frederick Banting’s remarkable discovery of insulin has changed and saved the lives of millions around the world . . . but that’s only part of his story!

When Frederick Banting was young, his friend Jennie became sick. She had diabetes and soon passed away. Fred grew up determined to do something about this terrible disease. He became a surgeon, helping soldiers in World War I. After the war, he practiced family medicine and taught at a nearby university. But Fred still wanted to help people with diabetes.

One night he was struck by a big idea — a whole new way to treat the disease. Fred convinced a professor at the University of Toronto to give him a lab and an assistant: Charles Best. They worked long hours and finally developed insulin. To this day, insulin is still the only treatment for Type 1 diabetes. It has saved the lives of millions of people around the world.

This newest installment in the award-winning Scholastic Canada Biography series again focuses on a someone who shaped both our past and our present. Written by acclaimed non-fiction author Elizabeth MacLeod, the story is brought to life with the comics-inspired illustrations of Mike Deas.