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Words Set Me Free: The Story Of Young Frederick Douglass (2012)

by Lesa Cline-Ransome(Favorite Author)

4.13 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1416959033 (ISBN13: 9781416959038)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

review 1: The text in this book is fairly long, with complex language. However, it's a great read-aloud book for older students. Words Set Me Free traces Frederick Douglass's journey from child slave to adult freeman. It's a great introduction to this incredibly important person. I used this book at the beginning of the school year to help my 5th & 6th graders think more deeply about the importance of literacy and its connection with freedom. We also discussed how Frederick Douglass was a leader and a learner, and the different ways that he learned outside of school. The book is organized around the importance of words, and could be used to teach organization & the idea of theme.
review 2: Filled with luminous acrylic and oil paint illustrations that show the curiosity, ... morewonder, and exhaustion of its subject as he learned about the world around him, this picture book biography describes the harsh early days of the man who would become Frederick Douglass. Separated from his mother early, young Frederick lived with his grandmother on a large plantation until being sent to work for a family in Baltimore. His mistress there, Sophia Auld, taught him the letters of the alphabet, something she regretted when her pride in his accomplishment turned into shame once her husband reminded her that being able to read would leave him unfit for slavery. He continues to practice in secrecy afterward. Upon the death of his original master, he returned to the plantation a changed individual, thirsty for freedom and eager to pass on his own literacy skills and knowledge. Readers will marvel at the words that conclude the story as he crafts a pass that allows him to walk free: "I always knew that words would set me free. But words on paper were now going to let me walk right out of Talbot County and into freedom up north" (unpaged). Although Frederick's story doesn't end there, it's an inspiring point at which to leave the determined young man. More information is provided in an Author's Note. This title belongs on all classroom shelves as a reminder of the liberating effects of literacy and one man's determination to live a free life. less

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