Books
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky
by Faith Ringgold
1995
Dragonfly Books
$6.99 from Amazon
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.
"...Ringgold reintroduces Cassie and Be Be Lightfoot, who soar above oceans that look like cups of tea and meet a ``ramshackled train in the sky'' whose conductor is Harriet Tubman. Aunt Harriet, as she is called, explains that the railroad in the sky retraces her route to freedom every 100 years. Meanwhile, Be Be jumps on board. Cassie, who misses the train, must follow, living the slave existence, always one step behind, hoping to rejoin her brother in Canada. What follows is a compelling journey in which the author masterfully integrates fantasy and historical fact in such a way that readers join Cassie in experiencing the fear and the mystery of such a trip. The spare but eloquent text conveys much information, and the artist's flat, primitive illustrations in acrylic on canvas paper lend power and symbolism to one of the most dramatic chapters in American history..." ~ School Library Journal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bright Freedom's Song: A Story of the Underground Railroad
by Gloria Houston
1998
Harcourt
$17.00 from Barnes & Noble
Bright Cameron has always been taught that freedom is a person's most precious right. After all, Papa came to America as a poor indentured worker from Scotland and he toiled for years until his friend Marcus, a slave, helped him to freedom. But for Bright, slavery has always been something she has only heard about. Then she discovers that Mama and Papa are hiding runaway slaves in a hidden compartment of Papa's wagon and boarding them in the barn. Soon Bright, too, becomes involved in her family's secret world. One night, when Papa falls ill, Bright discovers how dear freedom truly is--and what price it exacts from those who must struggle for it.
"At the age of six, Bright Cameron sees what she believes is a "devil" in the hen house. This devil turns out to be Marcus, an escaped slave who is her father's friend. As the girl grows up, she is introduced to her parents' secret work: helping the runaway slaves who arrive at their North Carolina smithy travel through the Appalachian Mountains. Bright's father, who was kidnapped and brought to America as an indentured servant, feels strongly about helping others to freedom. As the Civil War approaches, the 'bundles' appear with more regularity. When she is 15, Bright's father falls ill, and she and Marcus take off to make a delivery to a nearby farm. This event opens the novel and captures readers' attention. The story then backtracks to Bright's first encounter with Marcus and follows her emotional growth and understanding of the complex issues of slavery and her courageous conviction to help. Focusing on the daily routine of a family involved in the Underground Railroad, this book offers a glimpse into the danger of their situation. Though Bright's mother and Marcus are flat characters that serve to drive the plot, Bright is well drawn as a dedicated daughter and tough young woman and her father as a man who is driven to help others. Readable and well-researched historical fiction." ~ School Library Journal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elijah of Buxton
by Christopher Paul Curtis
2007
Scholastic Press
$11.55 from Amazon
Eleven-year-old Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit. He’s best known in his hometown as the boy who made a memorable impression on Frederick Douglass. But things change when a former slave steals money from Elijah’s friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled—a life from which he’ll always be free, if he can find the courage to get back home.
"...Narrator Elijah tells an episodic story that builds a broad picture of Buxton's residents before plunging into the dramatic events that take him out of Buxton and, quite possibly, out of his depth. In the author's note, Curtis relates the difficulty of tackling the subject of slavery realistically through a child's first-person perspective. Here, readers learn about conditions in slavery at a distance, though the horrors become increasingly apparent..." ~ Booklist -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman
by Dorothy Sterling
1987
Scholastic Paperbacks
$5.99 from Amazon
Born into slavery, young Harriet Tubman knew only hard work and hunger. Escape seemed impossible--certainly dangerous. Yet Harriet did escape North, by the secret route called the Underground Railroad. Harriet didn't forget her people. Again and again she risked her life to lead them on the same secret, dangerous journey.
"... This is as much a story of slavery in America as this outlines the background of what Harriet was doing...This is a very well written, informative and entertaining book suitable for 8-12 year olds and I would highly recommend it. It is inpirational - about a girl who would not give up hope and when she could acted on it. I really liked the fact that this story is about someone who actually made change. This is not a glamouress herione, but one who really changed the face of America. .." ~ Amazon customer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine
2007
Scholastic, Inc.
$11.55 from Amazon
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.
"Levine (Freedom's Children) recounts the true story of Henry Brown, a slave who mailed himself to freedom. Thanks to Nelson's (Ellington Was Not a Street) penetrating portraits, readers will feel as if they can experience Henry's thoughts and feelings as he matures through unthinkable adversity...Readers never learn about Henry's life as a free man—or, perhaps unavoidably, whether he was ever reunited with his family. Still, these powerful illustrations will make readers feel as if they have gained insight into a resourceful man and his extraordinary story. " ~ Publishers Weekly -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My America: Freedom's Wings: Corey's Underground Railroad Diary, Volume 1
by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
2002
Scholastic, Inc.
$4.99 from Barnes & Noble
Corey Birdsong is a lively young boy in search of freedom in the same country that made an economy of slavery. He and is family are owned by the Hart family of Kentucky. When Corey's father flees to the North, Corey and his mother follow. Corey records his daily life on the farm with incredible insight, and later describes his difficult journey along the Underground Railroad to the North to be reunited with his father. With the help of many kind strangers, Corey, his mother, and his new baby sister arrive safely in Canada.
"Secretly taught by his father to read and write, a nine-year-old slave keeps a diary but knows that he must hide it from his owner. Corey's spelling and grammar improve over time as he learns from others and from observation. In addition to recording life on a Kentucky farm in 1857, the journal traces the boy's flight to freedom by way of the Underground Railroad. The writing is sparse but compelling, pulling readers along every dangerous step of the way. Wyeth infuses the narrative with historic references to people like Frederick Douglass but also acknowledges the nameless men and women who believed in freedom enough to risk their lives to help others. The historical note and photographs strengthen the link between fact and fiction." ~ School Library Journal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
by Deborah Hopkinson
2003
Knopf Books for Young Readers
$10.85 from Amazon
As a seamstress in the Big House, Clara is luckier than the slaves who work the fields. Still, she dreams of a reunion with her Momma, who lives on another plantation–and even of running away to freedom. Then she hears two slaves talking about how they could find the Underground Railroad if only they had a map. In a flash of inspiration, Clara sees how she can use the cloth in her scrap bag to make a map of the land–a freedom quilt–that no master will ever suspect. Drawn from true incidents in African-American history, this is a compelling and emotionally charged picture book.
"A compelling story about an African American girl's escape from slavery on a Southern plantation brings power and substance to this noteworthy picture book...Ransome's ( Aunt Flossie's Hats . . . And Crab Cakes Later ) paintings here are among his finest: more lifelike and accessible than in some earlier books, the full-page, borderless oils exude an extraordinary warmth and humanity that lend credibility to the story. Himself a descendent of plantation slaves, the artist brings both dignity and realism to his work. This first-rate book is a triumph of the heart. " ~ Publishers Weekly
DVD
Adventures in Odyssey - Race to Freedom
2004
Tyndale Entertainment
$12.97 from Barnes & Noble
When Carter and Dylan are transported back to 1856 by the Imagination Station, they learn about freedom when Carter is mistaken for a slave and Dylan is the son of a plantation owner.
"...Will Dylan give up the easy life to try and help his friend and two other slaves escape? Get ready for a captivating trip on the Underground Railroad as Carter and his friends Race to Freedom..." ~ Tyndale Entertainment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animated Hero Classics - Harriet Tubman
1996
Nest Entertainment
$19.95 from Nest Entertainment
Witness the daring exploits of the most famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, a woman who helped more than 300 African Americans escape from slavery in the southern states.
"I have purchased the Animated Hero Classics DVDs for five elementary schools that I have worked in. One of the best examples I can give you is using the Harriet Tubman DVD during Black History Month, which is February. Our students were glued to the DVD...I, as a teacher and parent especially, liked the documentary at the end showing a real life photo of the person and some additional factual information about the person's life. The information portrayed in the DVDs appears to be very accurate and presented in a way that keeps children interested..." ~ Nancy Kiefer, Library Media Specialist -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Race to Freedom: The Story of the Underground Railroad
1994
Xenon
$12.99 from Amazon
In pre Civil War America, slaves are prepared to risk everything for the chance of freedom from bondage. This films relates the story of a group of slaves who decide to try for it. Fortunately, in addition to the dangers from slave catchers and the elements, our heros also have the Underground Railroad, the clandestine network of caring people, like Harriet Tubman, who face great risks of their own. Kenneth Chisholm
"The movie has a good story line on the sufferings on some of the unfortunate early settlers in the United States. It has a good moral on the sympathetic and humane action by some fellow humans that are more fortunate in helping those that are not. The movie has a good balance between dialogue and action with not too much violence." ~ Amazon customer review ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Woman Called Moses
1978
Xenon
$9.99 from Amazon
A film about the life and career of the African American abolitionist and slave escape leader, Harriet Tubman.
"This was a great movie, and Cicely Tyson as usual, does an excellent performance of Harriet Tubman. The quality could have been much better, but over all it was very good. The drama was excellent, at times I had to pause it just to collect myself. This is a movie that you can watch with the whole family. The best part of it, is that it is historical, and a great chance to tell your children or grandchildren of the wonderful black men & women who made a difference in this world." ~ Amazon customer review