From Slave Ship to Freedom Road

This is a visually stunning book. The illustrations are quiet impactful, but the true charm of this book is its heart. I dare anyone to read it and not feel anything. It is quite powerful. It has a certain lyrical quality to it. It’s easy to tell the story of slavery, but it’s rare that the reader gets to experience the thoughts and emotions of the victims of slavery. This book does that. I think that it belongs in an elementary library. Students in grades 4 and 5 would enjoy this book. I think that even 3rd graders could read it, but are less likely to understand it. Lesson ideas include civil war, prejudice, injustice, and walking in someone else’s shoes. ( )

This was a powerful book. I was very impressed by both the vivid illustrations and the imagination exercises that pushed readers to empathize. This book tells not one story but many. Each picture depicts a moment in a slave's life and the text that accompanies the picture is gut-punchingly poignant.

Although I would shy away from using this book at too young an age, I think this is an important portrayal of history and reflects the feelings of people rather than the events they witnessed. I would use this book to begin a unit on slavery and the fight for racial equality and civil rights. While there are other books that cover these topics, this book doesn't back away from the heavy questions. The book addresses the emotions black students and white students are likely feeling and asks students to dig deeper and know themselves better through reflection. I would follow this book with small group and then class discussion on the emotions students were feeling and what parts of the book made them uncomfortable. Reading level: 5th grade. ( )

A story about slaves brought over from Europe to work for slave owners ( )