History Smashers: The Underground Railroad

Name: History Smashers: The Underground Railroad
Brand: Penguin Random House
Availability: InStock
Author: Kate Messner
ISBN: 9780593584101

Author: Kate Messner, Gwendolyn Hooks

Series: History Smashers #7

Narrator: Reginald James

Unabridged: 2 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Listening Library

Published: 05/17/2022

Categories: Children's Nonfiction, African American & Black Nonfiction, Diversity & Multicultural, History, Us History

Synopsis

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Underground Railroad and Black Americans' struggle for freedom. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

Before the Civil War, there was a crack team of abolitionists who used quilts and signal lanterns to guide enslaved people to freedom. RIGHT? WRONG! The truth is, the Underground Railroad wasn't very organized, and most freedom seekers were on their own.

Acclaimed author Kate Messner and coauthor and Brown Bookshelf contributor Gwendolyn Hooks deliver the whole truth about the Underground Railroad.

Discover the nonfiction series that smashes everything you thought you knew about history!

About The Author

KATE MESSNER is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books, like Over and Under the Snow; novels, like Breakout and Chirp; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series, and the popular Ranger in Time chapter books, and works of nonfiction with a focus on nature and history. GWENDOLYN HOOKS is a contributor to the Brown Bookshelf and author of twenty books for children. She writes both fiction and nonfiction to encourage children to explore their world. She lives in Oklahoma City. Find out more at gwendolynhooks.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Cara (Wilde Book Garden) on July 29, 2022

I love this nonfiction series! Accessible for young readers but not condescending, and still plenty to learn for adults as well. And the format is really well-done and engaging: lots of images and graphics and quotations, all laid out in a way that is easy to follow and very interesting. I loved the......more

Goodreads review by Chan on August 21, 2022

Like the previous ‘History Smashers’ books I’ve read (at the prompting of my 11-year-old daughter), this one is clearly aimed at children — “tweens”, I think — but could still be useful to adults. Though I do prefer more academic histories, I know many adult readers don’t, and this contains enough i......more

Goodreads review by Melinda on September 09, 2023

I like that this one is a little snarkier. “Right now you’re probably thinking ‘Wait a minute…some people thought it was better to ship people across an ocean instead of dealing with their own racism?’ The answer is pretty much yes. That’s what they thought.”......more

Goodreads review by Melinda on March 11, 2023

As an adult reader, this book was informational, engaging, and accessible to read but didn't feel too juvenile. Great presentation of information for young and old readers! This could be read independently by elementary readers and above. With clearly outlined sections and plentiful illustrations, th......more

Goodreads review by Susan on November 05, 2022

My first History Smasher; I'll definitely read ALL the others. The various elements—photos and drawings, snippets of primary sources, and short "graphic novel-ish" pages, make a significant and sensitive topic accessible to our younger readers. However, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to......more