Moses (Caldecott Honor Book)

Customer Reviews:

Worth it.......2007-10-01

This books illustrations tell a story within the story and is worth every penny spent.

wonderful!.......2007-08-25

Fantastic, amazing, stirring, engaging, empowering. I could go on... This book is a treasure & I am so glad to have it in our personal library. We bought this for my daughter and I thought it was so good I had to read it aloud to my husband that same night. Kadir Nelson is always spectacular in his illustrations, and he once again rises to the top in this book. The story is very moving, and with a few words it accomplishes the task of taking you inside the emotions and the questions, fears, and faith within Harriet Tubman's heart. I am extremely satisfied with this book & happy to give it to my daughter. I hope she shares it with her children some day.

Great Book .......2007-06-08

I am an elementary school teacher, mom of three and children's book lover. This book is visually enticing and a wonderful read. All of my children as well as my students loved it!

super good book .......2007-06-08

The cover says it all...and thanks to a great seller for fast shipping and smooth transaction!

Beautiful!.......2007-05-08

What I most appreciate about this book is the way it incorporates the role faith played in Harriet's life into the story of her leading daring escapes from slavery to freedom. Most of the history we learn in school attempts to secularize the truth about the people and events that we hold so dear, but this book does a phenomenal job in telling a more accurate, unbiased story of a remarkable woman. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson (who is GIFTED!!!!!), this is a welcome addition to any children's (or adult's, for that matter) library. I know am already collecting a slew of books

Average customer rating:

Courageous
Moving story of a bid for a different life.
Book Review
Cost of Freedom
Future Reading Specialist Exclaims--MUST READ!

Henry's Freedom Box
Ellen Levine
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Caldecott Honor Book)
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
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ASIN: 043977733X

Book Description

Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. When Henry grows up and marries, he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom.

Customer Reviews:

Courageous.......2007-08-03

HENRY'S FREEDOM BOX tells the story of Henry "Box" Brown, the slave who shipped himself out of slavery in a wooden box. As a child, Henry's master treated he and his family well, but his mother always reminded him that just as leaves blow in the wind after being torn from a tree, slave children could be torn from their families. Henry was in fact separated from his family when he was given to his master's son. As he grew older he met and fell in love and was eventually allowed to marry. Henry and his wife were able to live together and raise a family, but unfortunately his wife and children were sold at a slave market, leaving him alone. Overcome with grief, Henry began to think more and more about freedom and ultimately, with the help of friends, executed the plan to ship himself to Pennsylvania, where he could be free.

Ellen Levine has done an excellent job retelling the story of Henry "Box" Brown. Kadir Nelson's illustrations really enhanced the story, conveying just the right amount of emotion. As the story moves along, readers can sense Henry's fear, grief, desperation, and hope. HENRY'S FREEDOM BOX is a great book for young readers because it highlights the fact that many slaves did not simply accept their circumstances, rather, they found brave, inventive ways to obtain freedom.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Moving story of a bid for a different life........2007-07-10

Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson's HENRY'S FREEDOM BOX: A TRUE STORY FROM THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD tells of a young slave who doesn't know how birthday or age, and who dreams of freedom even as his family is sold. His search for freedom on the underground railroad will carry him on a dangerous path in this moving story of a bid for a different life.

Book Review.......2007-06-12

A fantastic book! Great story and wonderful illustrations. A really good way to help children understand the underground railroad, the nightmare of slavery and the lengths someone would go to become free.

Cost of Freedom.......2007-06-02

Born a slave, Henry and his siblings worked in the "big house" for his master -- who, on his deathbed, gave Henry to his son. During the years he worked for the son in his tobacco warehouse, Henry grew to manhood
and married a girl who was enslaved by a neighbor. They had children. His wife accurately discerned that her master had debts that might cause him to sell his slaves. This was done one day while Henry was working.
At lunchtime, he caught a departing glimpse of his family members, and then he never saw them again.

After weeks of despair, Henry had an idea while he was moving a crate. He would mail himself to freedom.This true story is told in understated prose which only enhances its power. With realistic paintings in a dark
palette appropriate for Henry's sad experiences, there are no smiles in this book except on the page depicting Henry's family together. His wife has a gentle half-smile. On the last page when Henry is climbing
out of his box in Philadelphia, both the mailed and the recipients are smiling.

Future Reading Specialist Exclaims--MUST READ!.......2007-05-16

Synopsis: This picture book shows the character as a young boy on the cover, but this story is really about Henry Brown as a n adult and the incredible decision he made to reach freedom through an ingenious plan. That "Box" as a middle name was adopted by Brown in commemoration of the method by which he gained his freedom. He had himself crated up and shipped from slavery to liberty. His risky plan worked, and this is his story.

Evaluation: Many children in the primary grades may have heard the stories of slave escape through the Underground Railroad but this well written book brings to life the time of slavery and the voice of Henry "Box" Brown. As a child Henry dreams of freedom and the author appeals to the heart and minds of all readers K-3 as the metaphors are simple but effective. The reader is able to get engrossed in the language and pictures for they are truly representative of the time of slavery. The well chosen words the author uses are beneficial for helping a young child see just how devastating slavery was to the slave and their families. When Brown's family was sold, he was determined to escape to the North. His determination and pain leaps off the page and right into our hearts. We are holding our breath as the author describes the decision and the process of which Henry will escape. The story of that escape provides an inspiring view to the younger reader. Along with well-written narrative and metaphors, the awesome and moving illustrations provided by Kadir Nelson create a journey not only for Henry but for the reader. We are able to grow with young Henry to adulthood. This adds to the story so that the reader feels a part of the time and life of Henry. The illustrations tell a story of their own. Kadir Nelson gives the pictures the detail and beauty they need so that the reader is able to visualize Brown's life. Kadir uses minor details to bring this story to life. For instance we see the tear in Henry's eyes as his learns the fate of his family. You also see the seriousness in his eyes and fear in the eyes of his friends as he plots to escape. All these details are shown to the reader so that the curious mind will seek the answers and ask question more to the fae of Henry and the fate of his family. This book will appeal to the young reader and tug at the hearts of adults so that they will be encouraged to seek a biographical account to learn more about the infamous Henry "Box" Brown on their own. This very personal account can be used in classrooms and students could come Henry's escape to that of Harriet Tubman's. They could also write a journal describing the events during Henry's 27 hour journey to freedom.

Average customer rating:

A Peg-Legged Man and the Underground Railroad.
Poor Illustrations
Wonderful Story
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Song of freedom

Follow the Drinking Gourd
Jeanette Winter
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0679819975
Release Date: 1992-01-15

Book Description

Illus. in full color. "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions. Rich paintings interpret the strong story in a clean, primitive style enhanced by bold colors. The rhythmic compositions have an energetic presence that's compelling. A fine rendering of history in picturebook format."--(starred) Booklist.

Customer Reviews:

A Peg-Legged Man and the Underground Railroad........2007-08-30

During the time of slavery in the United States, many slaves were able to escape and find their way north to freedom by following the Drinking Gourd--Big Dipper. As the note at the beginning of this historical children's book tells, slaves learned a folk song entitled "Follow the Drinking Gourd". Masters and overseers thought the song harmless, though nonsensical. The song actually embedded directions on how to escape from the South into freedom in the North. I had known all of this before reading FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD. What I didn't know was about legendary Underground Railroad conductor, Peg Leg Joe.

Using the lyrics of the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and the legend of Peg Leg Joe, Winter crafts a short tale about a slave family that follows the directions of the song that Joe teaches them to escape to freedom next spring. Accompanying the text are Winter's earth-toned illustrations displaying the family's escape and the dangers they endure on their journey.

The last page of the book contains the lyrics and music to the folk song "Following the Drinking Gourd."

FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD is an excellent tool in introducing children to the Underground Railroad. It's also a good story in teaching astronomy classes to illustrate how the stars have been used for different purposes throughout time.

Poor Illustrations.......2007-05-29

I have used this book and video in my music classes for years. After retiring, I lost my book and thought to replace it with this one advertised on Amazon. Please don't waste your money! The pictures in this booklet are so dark, dim, blurry (almost impressionistic), and faded, that I won't be able to share it with my classes (even small groups). One would guess it to be a "knock-off" of the real book. Perhaps the original publisher should be notified. I will now be looking for the original hardback. Again..........don't waste your time or money.

Wonderful Story.......2007-02-13

I love this book; I have the song on a seperate CD and the two together are awseome when telling the story. A must for parents, educators, or schools that want to teach about "The Underground Railroad" or "Harriet Tubman"!

Follow the Drinking Gourd.......2006-02-25

A wonderful story about a family escaping slavery using astronomy and song. Beautifully illustrated.

Song of freedom.......2002-01-27

This fine story teaches even the smallest of children about the evil of slavery in pre-Civil War America. It shows a desire for freedom so strong that men, women and children risked their lives to escape on the Underground Railroad, following the largest star in the Drinking Gourd of the title (The Big Dipper).

The book introduces the idea of slavery, the separation of families, the sale of human beings at auctions, and the difficulties that people endured to escape--hiding in trees to avoid hounds, sleeping by day, sometimes on empty stomachs, and walking at night, sometimes without stars to guide them. Sometimes people along the way were kind, providing bacon and corn bread to share, helping them across the Ohio River, and hiding them in the attics and barns of safe houses.

The story's dramatic simplicity grasps and holds children. They fasten to it, eager to learn about the bonds that once tied African-Americans and the freedom for which they naturally yearned.

Book Description

In the dark of the night a Barefoot, an escaped slave, flees for his life. With his pursuers close behind and the moon shrouded in clouds, Barefoot must rely on the wisdom of the wild animals of the forest and swamp to guide him to the safety of the underground railroad.
Innovative perspective and use of light and a spare text result in an unforgettable portrayal of one slave's journey to freedom.

"Another outstanding collaboration from the duo responsible for Some Smug Slug."—starred review/School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Barefoot;Escape on the Under Ground Railroad by Pamela Duncan .......2005-09-28

This book is a wonderful story depicting a run away slaves journey through a portion of the Underground Railroad, uniquely from the point of view of the animals who help him. The drawing are wonderful expressions of worry, fright, excitment, and joy. I would advise this book for any child, young or old, and for any classroom.

Wonderful book to illustrate point of view.......2001-08-14

I ordered this book to use as a read aloud with my fifth grade's class study of the Civil War. Little did I know that it would be a valuable tool for teaching point of view. This is a wonderfully suspenseful short of a young slave's escape through the woods on his way to the first stop on the Underground Railroad. What makes this story unique is that it is told from the forest animals' perspective. Well written, well illustrated, and destined to become a classic. Wendy

Barefoot Through the Pages of History.......2001-01-05

As a fifth grade teacher, I am always looking for a book to entice my students and help them to gain background knowledge. This book is a phenomenal find. It puts the reader/listener right into the fear and terror of being a runaway slave from the very first sentence. But, more than that, is the unique way the author has chosen to present the story. I can think of no better book to present the topic of point of view. Not only is the story told from the point of view of the forest animals that the runaway encounters, but the illustrations NEVER alter the affect. Each picture shows the runaway from the eye level/view of the animal that is reacting to his presence. It is a very powerful book.

This story has generated intense discussions as to whether or not they believe the animals consciously helped the barefoot escape the heavy boots, or whether the occurrences were merely coincidental. The students embrace the tone of the book and will often discuss how they originally did not care for the illustrations because they were too dark and made it difficult to see the details, but soon realized that they mimic what the barefoot is seeing -- a potent tool in immersing them in the story.

The students were so enthralled by the way the point of view of the story was presented that they asked to write their own stories based on the point of view of our classroom pet, S'mores the Guinea Pig. Some choose to write from their own pet's point of view. Each and every one of the stories were wonderful to read, and though some may have been lacking in conventions and spelling, EVERY one of them shouted with an author's voice that was astounding.

Barefoot vs. Heavyfoot.......2000-09-15

This beautifully illustrated story of the Underground Railroad is written so even second and third grade students can read it. In spite of the fact they are too young to understand the complex problem of slavery and the Underground Railroad, this is a wonderful introduction to those sensitive issues. At the same time, older elementary students find is very appealing.

From the first page, students will be fascinated by the story and the pictures. As I shared it with students in the school library, they sat in suspense. Who is Barefoot? Where is he going? Why is is running at night? What are the noises he hears? Will the house be safe? How will be know?

I highly recommend that the book be used by an adult who can answer the questions which may arise when the book ends. This is a book which should be on the shelves in every schol library in the country.

Barefoot Helps Young Children Understand Runaway Slaves.......2000-05-02

While I was searching for books to use in a story hour project for my Children's Literature class at Kent State University, my daughter's kindergarten teacher suggested Barefoot. She had used it successfully with her kindergartners during Black History Month. My classmate and I had chosen the Underground Railroad as our theme for our story hour for second graders. They, too, enjoyed this book. I'm a little surprised that some other readers have reviewed it as being appropriate for grades 5 & 6 because the text is so simple. Children in first or second grade could conceivably read it on their own, so I think the publisher's reading age of 4-8 is accurate. However, the topic of slavery is, of course, a sensitive one, one that deserves adult explanation. The author's note on the last page explaining the Underground Railroad and some of the signals of "safe houses" along its route is helpful. The illustrations are quite dark, making the book a little bit difficult to use with as large a group as we had (24 children). Some of them complained that they could not see the pictures. I believe the dark colors combined with the glare from the light fixtures created this problem. We took time to allow the students a closer look at these intricate drawings. The illustrations are complex and would probably best be used in a small group or with an individual child. Many of the children identified with the fireflies in the story and later included fireflies in drawings we asked them to do depicting their feelings about the story hour. I was surprised that the children we spoke to were so knowledgeable about slavery and the idea of runaway slaves escaping to freedom. Our story hour, including Barefoot, served to reinforce these topics as well as to teach them that the Underground Railroad was neither underground nor an actual railroad. Barefoot presents a creative, unique approach to historical fiction. Although it is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator, it allows the reader to experience the fear of "the barefoot" runaway as well as to experience the natural cycle of animal life (day and night), even as humans ("the Barefoot" and the "Heavy Boots" or slavecatchers) disrupt their existence.

The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City

Average customer rating:

Living beneath the horizon
The Mole People
Another world exists beneath the streets of NYC
interesting subject, okay book
Opens your eyes whether you want to or not.....

The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City
Jennifer Toth
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Dark Days
Invisible Frontier: Exploring the Tunnels, Ruins, and Rooftops of Hidden New York
Living at the Edge of the World: A Teenager's Survival in the Tunnels of Grand Central Station
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Access All Areas: A User's Guide to the Art of Urban Exploration

ASIN: 155652241X

Amazon.com

Alligators breeding in the sewers of New York City is an urban legend; thousands of people living in the tunnels beneath New York is not. Ms. Toth has written a compelling, compassionate and extraordinary documentary about the "Mole People."

Book Description

This book is about the thousands of people who live in the subway, railroad, and sewage tunnels of New York City.

Customer Reviews:

Living beneath the horizon.......2007-09-30

The 'mole people' are not a singular group of people: their reasons for living in the tunnels are varied, and the degree to which the tunnels constitute 'home' also differs. In the world depicted in Ms Toth's book, there are individuals, collectives and communities existing in (largely) man-made spaces built for other purposes. In this world (as in all worlds), we see triumph, ingenuity, despair and different levels of belonging.

I think that Ms Toth did a good job of presenting what she saw and understood. All realities are relative.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The Mole People.......2007-09-10

This book was an eye-oener for me. I had no idea so many people lived in the underground of NYC. I also was interested to know that many of thes people are satisfied with their life below the city.

Another world exists beneath the streets of NYC.......2007-09-07

The Mole People provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of society's castaways, people who, for various reasons, chose or were forced to live in the catacombs beneath New York City. Toth describes the society that has evolved under the streets, and details the everyday lives of the misfits, outcasts, and dropouts who inhabit that subterranean world. The vignettes she presents are moving, disturbing and thought provoking, and many times just plain spooky. For instance, Toth often describes her amazement at how quietly the tunnel dwellers moved--most approached so silently that she didn't sense their presence until they were only inches away.

Toth's narrative is gripping--I often felt as if I were reading a suspense novel rather than a work of non-fiction. A chapter midway through the book, entitled "Dark Angel," is especially intriguing. In it, Toth describes a tunnel dweller who many swear is the devil himself. Her description of the man "who knows what will scare you" evoked memories of my first encounter with Randall Flagg in Stephen King's apocalyptic novel The Stand. Toth's description, however, is more frightening because it is based on grim reality.

interesting subject, okay book.......2007-07-24

The subject matter of this book is very interesting, but it is just an okay book. The main problem with the book is that it is repetative, telling parts of the same story over and over again. It also references individual "stories" in the book before they are told, leaving you wondering whether you missed something. However, the book is still interesting; it just leaves you wishing you had a little more.

Opens your eyes whether you want to or not............2007-06-10

This slim volume is original research that is brave, refreshing and depressing. Brave because she descended deep into the guts of New York City which is very dangerous, refreshing because she did her research thoroughly and told it like she experienced it, and depressing because so much of what goes on down there IS an escape from some of the worst aspects of modern life--as bad as it is in the tunnels, there is a sense of community, family, and cooperation that is fading topside. As short as the book is, it took me many nights to finish it: I couldn't really put it down, but I could only digest a little at a time. Instead of fostering morbid fascination, it ellicits compassion and understanding, even a feeling of solidarity with the Mole People....

Average customer rating:

An Apple for Harriet Tubman
Glennette Tilley Turner
Manufacturer: Albert Whitman & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0807503959

Book Description

Like other enslaved African-American children, young Harriet Tubman had to work hard. In her master's orchard, she spent long hours picking the juicy apples she loved but was forbidden to eat. When she was grown, she made her escape to the North. Then, repeatedly risking her life, she returned to lead many other African-Americans to freedom. Many people know about Harriet Tubman's courage and daring. But few know about her love for apples, and the freedom they symbolized. Glennette Tilley Turner learned this previously untold story from Harriet Tubman's great-niece.

Meet Addy: An American Girl (The American Girls Collection Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Meet Addy
A Brave Girl...Nakaissia's Review
Introduction to a painful topic
Maria's Review
History Come To Life.

Meet Addy: An American Girl (The American Girls Collection Book 1)
Connie Porter
Manufacturer: Pleasant Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Meet Molly: An American Girl (American Girls Collection)

ASIN: 1562470752

Customer Reviews:

Meet Addy.......2007-03-06

*~Meet Addy~*
I am reading Meet Addy by Connie Porter,
The story is about a 9-year-old girl named Addy
That is living in slavery time in the 1800's. The genre would be Realistic Fiction.
Addy has a mom, dad, sister, brother, and a master named Master Stevens. One day a
Different master came to talk to Master Stevens about selling some of his slaves, Master
Stevens agrees, pretty soon he sells Addys dad and brother, all that is left is Addy,
Her mom and her sister, when they get to thinking about escaping when they decide to
They will escape but they will have to leave Addys one-year-old sister behind with there
Aunt and uncle, because if people that are searching for them at night, they might hear her crying. So Addy and her mother escaped. I recommend this book to people who
Like realistic fiction and people who like slavery, I would really recommend this book to you!!!!!

A Brave Girl...Nakaissia's Review.......2004-09-25

It was an exciting story. I wanted to read it a lot. It was brave of her to keep her feelings inside and try to help her family to get to freedom. I am glad that she made it through, because I'm not sure I would have. I recommend this book for girls and boys, and even adults, as it's really good.

Introduction to a painful topic.......2004-03-06

Addy is the story of a black girl in 1864, as the Civil War was in its ending stages. My second grade niece, an advanced reader, was immediately engrossed in the story. The subject matter may be a bit over her head, though. I suggested she compare Addy's family with her own, asking "Today, no one owns your family, do they?" The reply I got was "Yes, grandma!" Another reviewer says this is a third to 6th grade book--probably third or fourth grade is about right. Although paper, the quality is high, with nice illustrations. Kudos to American Girl for giving us an excellent alternative to Barbie!

Maria's Review.......2004-02-13

In 1864 Addy, a smart and courages girl, wants to escape with her family to Philadelphia, instead of staying in North Carolina in slavery. Addy's father and brother are sold off to another plantation. Addy and her mother's only choice is to leave to Philadelphia without Addy's baby sister, Esther. When they escape, Addy's mother starts to drown, because she doesn't know how to swim. Addy looks and looks but can't find her mother. Suddenly Addy found her mother caught in a fallen over tree. They walk all night and hide all day. Addy spots a railroad track. They follow it until they see a train. They stopped and hid. Will they ever find freedom? When the train was gone, they followed the tracks again until they reached a soldier camp. They sneak past the soldier camp to the safe house where a white woman helps colored people escape. They knocked on the door two times before the woman came to the door. I recommend that people who like adventurous books shouldn't take my word for it, and read it themselves.

History Come To Life........2004-01-20

My sister has the entire AMERICAN GIRLS collection of books, but I never gave much thought about them until recently when I was at home. I'm in an multi-cultural education class and figured it might be beneficial to read at least one of these books in this very popular series.

I chose MEET ADDY and was quite surprised by what I read. The story was engaging, full of vivid imagery, and historically accurate. Addy is a young slave girl living on a plantation near the end of the Civil War. Lincoln has already issued the Emancipation Proclamation, but Addy and her father, mother, brother, and sister are slaves living in the South. Their owner is not a very cruel Master and cares for his slaves much better than many other slave-owners. However, the war is costly and he sells some of his slaves in an effort to raise enough money to keep the plantation open. The two slaves he sells are Addy's father and her brother, Sam. After they are sold together, Addy's mother makes plans for her and Addy to escape before more tragedy strikes their family. They leave Addy's baby sister behind with Auntie Lula and Uncle Solomon, an elderly couple who work in the plantation house, and flee in the night headed towards a safe house where an elderly woman named Miss Caroline lives. Miss Caroline will take them to their freedom.

The last few pages of this book contain some historical information about slavery and what life would have been like for a girl like Addy. The information is interesting and adds a historical context to a very engaging story.

Book Description

Corey Birdsong is a lively young boy in search of freedom in the same country that made an economy of slavery. He and his family are owned by the Hart family of Kentucky. But, when Corey's father, Roland, flees to the North and Corey and his mother follow. Corey records his daily life on the Hart farm with incredible insight and honesty, and later he describes the difficult journey along the "Underground Railroad" to the North to be reunited with his father. With the help of many kind strangers, Corey, his parents, and his new baby sister arrive afely in Canada.

Customer Reviews:

Adventurous Book.......2007-05-29

Freedom's Wings gives the reader some indication of life as it existed during the 1850's. The book focuses on a family and the individual member's quest for freedom from slavery. The almost daily entries by Corey Birdsong in his dairy tells the story of his father's fight against slavery to obtain his freedom, how he learns to read and write, and how his family made it to Canada after escaping and being separated on occasions. The book is exciting, and takes the reader on an adventure through swamps, caves and other places with assistance from the Underground Railroad. Other books to read: "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul" which includes the new Epulaeryu Poetry, "Everyday Miracles" by Okubo, and "The Language of Poetry Forms" by Tree Good..

monkey lover.......2006-01-25

This book is about a slave boy who has horid owners. His father teaches him how to read and write.His father and his father's friend leave and his friend gets captuered and gets a really bad beating.Corey has a friend named Mingo. Corey teaches him how to write but he can not tell.It must of been hard back then.This book was really good. I hope you read it and like it to.

corys notebook.......2006-01-19

This is one of the best book!!!! It's about a slave named Corey who wants to be free. He keeps a secret notebook about how cruel they were to him.You shoud buy this book.

freedom's runaway diary.......2005-05-27

This book is about i a little boy named freedom that was sold to these people with his family. Well that family treated them very badly, so they had to find a way to get to the underground railroad. The first person that escaped from freedom's family was his father. Then freedom and his mother ran off becasue they wanted to find his father. Read on to find out if they find his father or not. If not they will get beaten badly or even killed by there owners becasue they found out freedom had left.

Connor's Review.......2005-02-10

Freedom wings is about a slave boy named Corey and his family that try to escape the Harts. That is the family that owns the boy and his family. His dad is a blacksmith and his mom is a gardener for the Harts.

This story takes place in the 1857 and 1858. This story is about a boy and his family that escape from the Harts and go to the under ground railroad. I'll leave the rest for you to find out.

I would recommend this book to third grade to 5th grade readers. I think a lot of kids should read this book to because it is a good book, and it has a good author. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend because it is an amazing book. So read this book!

Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad

Average customer rating:

Not Just Love Stories but History Too!
The price of love
Forbidden Fruit: love stories from the underground railroad
Adds a Human Dimension to Slavery
wonderful book

Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad
Betty De Ramus
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Growing Up in Slavery: Stories of Young Slaves as Told By Themselves
Bound for Canaan: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad, America's First Civil Rights Movement
DEAR SENATOR: A MEMOIR BY THE DAUGHTER OF STROM THURMOND.
Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad
The New Basic Black: Home Training for Modern Times -- Revised Edition

ASIN: 0743482638

Book Description

Forbidden Fruit is a collection of fascinating, largely untold stories of ordinary men and women who took extraor

dinary measures, risking life and limb to be together. It¹s the story of couples who faced mobs, bloodhounds, bounty hunters, and bullets to defy the system that allowed slave masters to breed and sell people like cattle. Some broke the taboo against interracial marriage, putting their lives in the most severe peril.

In one remarkable story, a Georgia couple who fled slavery wearing multiple disguises sailed for England with bounty hunters and federal troops on their trail. A fugitive slave from Virginia spent seventeen arduous years searching for his wife. A Missouri slave fell in love with his white Mormon neighbor and escaped to Canada to be with her, putting pepper in his shoes to throw dogs off the scent at night and hiding in trees by day.

Betty DeRamus gleaned these amazing stories from descendants of runaway slave couples, unpublished memoirs, Civil War records, books, magazines, and dozens of previously untapped sources. Beautifully and compassionately written, this important book reveals a chapter of American history that is shameful but is about triumph as well as torture, achievement as well as degradation, and indomitable love as well as hate.

Download Description

"Forbidden Fruit is a collection of fascinating, largely untold stories of ordinary men and women who took extraor dinary measures, risking life and limb to be together. It's the story of couples who faced mobs, bloodhounds, bounty hunters, and bullets to defy the system that allowed slave masters to breed and sell people like cattle. Some broke the taboo against interracial marriage, putting their lives in the most severe peril. In one remarkable story, a Georgia couple who fled slavery wearing multiple disguises sailed for England with bounty hunters and federal troops on their trail. A fugitive slave from Virginia spent seventeen arduous years searching for his wife. A Missouri slave fell in love with his white Mormon neighbor and escaped to Canada to be with her, putting pepper in his shoes to throw dogs off the scent at night and hiding in trees by day. Betty DeRamus gleaned these amazing stories from descendants of runaway slave couples, unpublished memoirs, Civil War records, books, magazines, and dozens of previously untapped sources. Beautifully and compassionately written, this important book reveals a chapter of American history that is shameful but is about triumph as well as torture, achievement as well as degradation, and indomitable love as well as hate. "

Customer Reviews:

Not Just Love Stories but History Too!.......2007-06-30

This book contains not only love stories, but inspiring stories of faith, strength, endurance and resilience as well as stories of suffering and heartache. The book is written by a jouralist which is evident in the historical details of the unfolding stories. I found it interesting, entertaining , informative and educational. I am a minister and used it in a Bible study on the subject of "eros."

The price of love.......2006-05-08

FORBIDDEN FRUIT: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad by Betty DeRamus is an earth-shaking book of short stories about what African Americans were willing to do to keep their loved ones in their lives. In "The Special Delivery Package," a female slave, Lear Green, was willing to have herself shipped in a sailor's chest to the north to meet her husband-to-be. With no food, water and scant air, she traveled 18 hours to Philadelphia. James Smith, "A Love Worth Waiting For," was beaten bloody on several occasions as he attempted to escape to the wife he'd been sold away from. A black overseer heard him praying for him and the white men who abused him and was so moved that he unchained Smith so that he could finally successfully escape. Isaac Berry, of "Hound Dogs Hate Red Pepper," put red pepper in his shoes to throw the dogs off his scent as he rushed toward the north. There were many people, including those of the Underground Railroad, who helped him in his escape. The Underground Railroad, operating at the peril of the conductors, rushed slaves seeking freedom across the US border into Canada because the Fugitive Slave laws frequently made it dangerous, if not impossible, for them to find peace even in the northern United States.

All of the stories were heart wrenching and it made you wonder if you would have the strength, the persistence, the nerve, that these early Africans had to pursue love at any cost. The tales also brought to the forefront the tragedies that our ancestors survived daily: beatings, being sold from family and friends, early death from abuse, starvation and terror. Ms. DeRamus brings the stories of these brave people alive and puts it in your face where you can't hide. She awakens the sleeping and lost history of the brave people of Africa and what it took for them to survive. It is an excellent read, smooth and enticing, bringing forth not only the history, but the bravery of the displaced Africans of yesteryear. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what slavery was really all about.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Forbidden Fruit: love stories from the underground railroad.......2005-09-13

I was hooked on this one when I picked it up. I was just going to read a paragraph or two to see how it reads. The next thing I knew the phone was ringing, and when I answered the phone, I realized that I had been reading for a couple of hours. I had to control my urges to pick up the book when I had appointments or other things I needed to do first. It is a really interesting read. And it reads well also.

Adds a Human Dimension to Slavery.......2005-03-03

These are stories of hope that take place in the midst of one of the most terrible times in American history. When some people thought that they could own others based just on skin color, other people lived and even loved.

These stories are based on the tales passed down by descendants, unpublished memoirs, Civil War records, books, magazines and dozens of previously untapped sources. They add an entirely new dimension to what life must have been like in the pre-war South.

More than anything else these stories help you to relate to the people, they add character to the bare statistics. It adds a very human dimension to the people who through no fault of their own were slaves. These people knew love, had feelings, were not just the animals they were considered by their owners.

wonderful book.......2005-02-12

Forbiden Fruit is one of the best history books I've seen in a long time. It tells a largely ignored story and reminds the reader that the slaves were human beings, not symbols and that they weren't passively waiting to be saved. This book is filled with men and women who risked everything for the freedom to be with their beloved.

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky

Average customer rating:

maybe not so good for 1st and 2nd graders
Great learning tool
An imaginative journey based on historical information
An excellent book
A Magical Trip on the Underground Railroad.....

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky
Faith Ringgold
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks
Tar Beach
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (A Borzoi Book)
Cassie's Word Quilt

ASIN: 0517885433
Release Date: 1995-12-12

Book Description

Illus. in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard. With Harriet Tubman as her guide, Cassie retraces the steps escaping slaves took on the real Underground Railroad and is finally reunited with her brother at the story's end.

Customer Reviews:

maybe not so good for 1st and 2nd graders.......2007-02-08

I love Faith Ringgold's work but think Tar Beach might be a more appropriate title for younger students. I read it aloud to some younger children (first and second grade) and didn't think the book was appropriate for them.

There are some strange moments in the plot (and I realize the book is supposed to be surreal and dream-like). For example, Be be writes Cassie a note that says "We stayed at the house of a millionaire. He gave Aunt Harriet lots of money. We will never be hungry again." I'm not sure if this is supposed to reflect a real event in Tubman's life (I know she went on to become a Union spy but not many other biographical details) or if it's supposed to illustrate the value of charity and kindness of the people who helped escaped slaves, but it certainly does little for the narrative. While it's true that slaves had no money and runaway slaves would face economic hardships even in the free states, I'm just not sure how this plot twist fits into the book, especially because it is never mentioned again.

Another issue is that there is a scary white figure lurking in many of the illustrations--peering through a window, popping out in a graveyard. His presence definitely brings attention to the bounty hunters that would capture slaves and the danger that lurked all around, but my students didn't seem to grasp that Cassie re-lives the time of slavery. I tried the "maybe the train is like a time-machine?" tact, too. No luck.

It was a fun book and my students did like the flying=freedom metaphor but I would use it with older students next time!

Great learning tool.......2006-11-03

I have purchased this book as a learning tool for an Education Committee at our local quilter's guild. This book is well written and wonderful for young people.

An imaginative journey based on historical information.......2005-04-07

This well written children's book recounts the story of slavery in an easy to understand langugage with corresponding pictures. The pictures are primitively done with paint and canvas, but are detailed and represent drawings from that time period. The overall story draws in historical aspects of a time period using actual information that every child shoud be aware of. Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky portrays life as a slave from the viewpoint of someone who lives in the that life and compares their hardships to our life today. For furthor reading,at the book there is biographical information about Harriet Tubman and a map of the Underground Railroad in 1880. Young readers can see that although this story is fiction, it is based on real events.

An excellent book.......2002-03-05

This book is fantastic - its illustrations are haunting and lovely, and the story is magical and historical at the same time. Faith Ringgold's approach makes the history simpler for children to understand while not undermining the depth and horror of slavery in America. I highly recommend it to any parent.

A Magical Trip on the Underground Railroad............2001-08-19

"One day, my brother Be Be and I were flying among the stars, way way up, so far up the mountains looked like pieces of rock candy and the oceans like tiny cups of tea. We came across an old ramshackled train in the sky." So begins Cassie Louise Lightfoot's tale of meeting "conductor" Harriet Tubman and riding the underground railroad to Canada. Based on Harriet Tubman's account of a dream she had while very sick, of flying to freedom and enhanced with historical facts and imagination, Faith Ringgold has authored a superb story that transports youngsters back to the slave holding plantations of the south, over one hundred years ago, and then sends them on a terrifying, yet exhilarating journey to freedom. Her engaging poetic text, full of imagery and magic, is complemented by her bold, expressive, evocative illustrations and together, word and art bring this emotional story to life. With additional biographical notes and map, tracing the underground railroad routes, included to augment lessons and discussions, Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad In The Sky is a masterpiece youngsters 6-10 shouldn't miss and a wonderful addition to all home libraries.

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