William Still and His Freedom Stories

William Still and His Freedom Stories
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
6+
Release Date
November 01, 2020
ISBN
1561459356

From Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate comes the highly anticipated and remarkable, little-known story of William Still, known as the Father of the Underground Railroad.

“Inspirational.” ―School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“Brings deserved attention to the life of a man who dedicated himself to recording the lives of others.” ―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

William Still’s parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a young man, William went to work for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, where he raised money, planned rescues, and helped freedom seekers who had traveled north. And then one day, a strangely familiar man came into William’s office, searching for information about his long-lost family. Could it be?

Motivated by his own family’s experience, William began collecting the stories of thousands of other freedom seekers. As a result, he was able to reunite other families and build a remarkable source of information, including encounters with Harriet Tubman, Henry “Box” Brown, and William and Ellen Craft.

Award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate brings to life the incredible, stranger-than-fiction true story of William Still, a man who dedicated his life to recording the stories of enslaved people fleeing to freedom. Tate’s powerful words and artwork are sure to inspire young readers in this first-ever picture book biography of the Father of the Underground Railroad.

From Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate comes the highly anticipated and remarkable, little-known story of William Still, known as the Father of the Underground Railroad.

“Inspirational.” ―School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“Brings deserved attention to the life of a man who dedicated himself to recording the lives of others.” ―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

William Still’s parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a young man, William went to work for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, where he raised money, planned rescues, and helped freedom seekers who had traveled north. And then one day, a strangely familiar man came into William’s office, searching for information about his long-lost family. Could it be?

Motivated by his own family’s experience, William began collecting the stories of thousands of other freedom seekers. As a result, he was able to reunite other families and build a remarkable source of information, including encounters with Harriet Tubman, Henry “Box” Brown, and William and Ellen Craft.

Award-winning author-illustrator Don Tate brings to life the incredible, stranger-than-fiction true story of William Still, a man who dedicated his life to recording the stories of enslaved people fleeing to freedom. Tate’s powerful words and artwork are sure to inspire young readers in this first-ever picture book biography of the Father of the Underground Railroad.

Editor review

1 review
An amazing story
Overall rating
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0
Learning Value
 
5.0
We all know some of the bigger names of the Underground Railroad but there are so many amazing stories of people doing what they can to help freed slaves. One of these is William Still. The child of escaped slaves, he knew he had to do something. He got connected with people in Pennsylvania who helped newly escaped slaves, and it eventually led to his mission to create a record of all those he crossed paths with. These records were used to help separated families find each other, they saved lives.
This is the kind of story that inspires a child to do whatever they can to help those around them. It's told in an engaging style that will help them remember William Still long after reading the book. The images are well done and powerful. There isn't anything not to like about the educational value of this book.

Final Verdict: The perfect book to have on hand for Black History month or really any other time of year. It's the kind of story that needs to be taught and this book, with it's wonderful writing and illustrations is the way to do it.
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