Escape from Slavery: Five Journeys to Freedom

Escape from Slavery: Five Journeys to Freedom
Co-Authors / Illustrators
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
8+
Release Date
May 01, 1991
ISBN
0064461696
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Freedom! Eliza and her baby, running across the ice. Selena and Cornelia Jackson, masquerading as boys. Henry Box Brown, shipping himself north in a wooden crate. Jane Johnson, risking everything to testify against her former owner in court. Ellen Craft, posing as her husband's owner. Escaping from slavery against overwhelming odds, these people were helped by courage, ingenuity, and the informal network known as the Underground Railroad. Here are their gripping stories, told by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Charles Lilly, and accompanied by information about slave laws of the era, key Underground Railroad leaders, and a bibliography.

Freedom! Eliza and her baby, running across the ice. Selena and Cornelia Jackson, masquerading as boys. Henry Box Brown, shipping himself north in a wooden crate. Jane Johnson, risking everything to testify against her former owner in court. Ellen Craft, posing as her husband's owner. Escaping from slavery against overwhelming odds, these people were helped by courage, ingenuity, and the informal network known as the Underground Railroad. Here are their gripping stories, told by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Charles Lilly, and accompanied by information about slave laws of the era, key Underground Railroad leaders, and a bibliography.

Editor review

1 review
Historically accurate & suspenseful
Overall rating
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
0.0
Learning Value
 
0.0
Escape from Slavery contains true life tales adapted and dramatized by Doreen Rappaport from historical documents. Broken into five individual stories of courage, this book is an amazingly fast read and very engaging.

Used in a classroom setting, I can see that each story would be sure to spark intense interest. But this isn't just a classroom book -- any child with an interest in history or a penchant for suspense will find this an interesting book.

The first tale is a short one of a slave escaping across a frozen river with her young child. It's a good strong start, but my personal favorite is the last story Two Tickets for Mr. Johnson and Slave about the daring escape of a husband and wife under the very noses of the people who would oppress them.

I recommend this book for ages 8-12, girls or boys. Teachers should definitely take a look at this one as well -- it would be hard to find a book better suited for classroom use.
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