Customer Reviews

To Be a Slave: 30th Anniversary Edition

5 star:		(17)
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1968 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year In an intensely personal new introduction written for this thirtieth anniversary edition, Julius Lester states that at age ten, when his father told him his family's history went back to a bill of sale and no further, the words were one of the defining moments of my life. Approximately fifteen years later he began compiling the words of ex-slaves--a good portion of which had never been previously published--and establishing the structure for To Be a Slave. The ease and speed with which this structure came made him realize that this book was one of the things [he] had been put on earth to do. In an equally eloquent, new introductory note Tom Feelings expresses a similar sentiment regarding the personal impact of his work for To Be a Slave and his belief in doing work that mov[es] us so emotionally, it makes all of us feel its truth way down deep inside. For thirty years American readers of all ages and walks of life have been affected by the truth of To Be a Slave, which remains one of the few works to present what it felt like to be slave in America in the words of black men and women who lived it rather than filtered through the eyes of others. Paired with Mr. Lester's historical commentary and powerful and soulful paintings by Mr. Feelings, To Be a Slave makes the clear and moving distinction between the generalizations made about slaves and what the emotional reality was for human beings [whose] condition was slavery. I am grateful to the parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers who have found [To Be a Slave] to be of value. Most of all I am grateful to all those who have read it, to all those who read it. History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart, and we repeat history until we are able to make another's pain in the heart our own. -- Julius Lester The truth can stretch children's minds, stimulate their imaginations in a creative way, and strengthen their spirits.

As noted in the description of this work, "To be A Slave" was a 1969 Newbery Honor Book, An ALA Notable Book, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and a Smithsonian Magazine Best Book of the Year. Seldom have I read a book that was actually deserving of these awards more than this work, and in my opinion, so many, many more!

I must note right up front that even though this work was and is targeted for the 9 to 12 age group, it is applicable and fitting for just about any age group over the age of 9. I strongly suggest that this age group, or many in it, may not be ready for this particular read. In my opinion the age grouping probably should start at about 15 or 16 at the earliest. Younger readers should probably have some adult guidance. Folks, we are talking pretty brutal here. Rarely have I read an "adult" work covering this subject which held the dignified impact this book offers. It is profoundly upsetting, and rightfully so. The author, Julius Lester, pulls no punches throughout the entire work and gives his readers a dreadful dose of reality. I must admit that many passages in this work; many of the firsthand accounts (more about that later) of former slaves in the United States, made me literally physically ill. This is a good thing as it is like a cold splash of water (or more accurately...acid), in the face, bring the reader from a compete state of sleep into full and painful wakefulness and awareness.

Many of the stories told here were either suppressed or more or less ignored until the 1930s when the Federal Writers Project was organized. One of their tasks was to interview as many former slaves as possible and record as accurately as possible their story. The author is quick to point out that due to the times, much liberty was taken in rewriting in reference to dialect as it was felt that the average reader simply would not understand the words written and also due to the fact that it was feared that by using the dialect of many individuals interviewed would place in the hand ammunition for those that were trying to prove the inferiority of the Black Race. So sad, but the authors or interviewers did a wonderful job and to a certain extent I must agree with their decision to do this. I have noted that the youth of today have great trouble if reading various dialects and it turns them off a book quite quickly. This is a pity, but we must face the reality of the situation.

This work is a collection of actual interviews with former slaves, not only from the Writer's Project, but documents dating back to the founding of the nation. Most of these interviews and accounts can be found in the Library of Congress. This work covers every aspect of the life of a slave, from their capture in Africa, their trip through the Middle Passage, and then their life of servitude in their new "home." The author addresses the extreme mental and physical cruelty involved, the daily life of a plantation slave, the slave breeding farms of Virginia, the deplorable living condition that the vast majority of these people were forced to live in, the tearing apart of families, diet, clothing, working conditions...and on and on.

I was absolutely delighted in the fact that through this collection of first hand accounts and the authors side comments, that the myth of the "happy darkie" who was content in his or her lot in life and that the vast majority of slaves were quite devoted to their masters. This is a myth that still lingers to this very day in some quarters.

The author is quick to point out that the United States, of all the slave holding countries in the Western Hemisphere, was probably the most brutal and efficient in the effort to stamp out all cultural identity. Various methods were used from the extremely brutal to a rather sophisticated (for that time) brain washing. Religion was used as an effective weapon by the slave holders, which is pretty disgusting when you stop to think of it.

Now readers take warning! There are aspects of this work that are upsetting to the extreme! Accounts recorded during the Middle Passage of babies being thrown over the side of the ship, the deliberate drowning of infants in front of their mothers on Plantations, the tearing apart of families at auction and the sever savagery of the beatings and torture of many of these unfortunate individuals makes for some very grim reading. The simple act of making it through a work day on a typical plantation was an absolute horror. And this went on day after day after day for an entire life time for many of these individuals.

This is classified as a YA but is a rather hardcore YA but that being said, it is probably one of the most useful, effective and truthful books of this genre I have read in years. I cannot imagine a more effective teaching tool. Our country went through two major blights, very dark areas in our history, which are still with us today...slavery and the genocide of the Native Americans. We need to be aware of both of these horrors least we forget. Works such as this go along way in the education process and to be quite frank, we need more of this caliber.

This work needs to be at the head of any young persons reading list, and I must say that it should be at the head of any adults list too. I highly recommend this work but do be prepared to be shocked if you have neglected your readings in the past addressing this subject. For the adult reader, I might suggest further reading and the work This Species of Property: Slave Life and Culture in the Old South (Galaxy Books)

Don Blankenship

The Ozarks

"Here is a collection of the memories of ex-slaves, ranging in subject from capture in Africa to plantation life; and from early resistance to life after freedom. We learn about the hierarchy of plantation life and come to understand that the black slave fought against enslavement through music, religion--and in every way possible" (from book).

This informational black history book will grab and keep your attention from beginning to end.

The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)

No single book in children's literature offers such a comprehensive and devastating look at slavery in the US. This book pounds the reader with a tightly knit patchwork of horrifying firsthand testimony, and will stir keen readers to see cultural and psychological residue that many in the African American community have passed down through the generations. As you finish the last testimony in the book, it will make you see that the wounds from slavery are far from healed.

Amazon has listed this book for kids aged 9-12. I would say the majority of kids that age are not mature enough to handle this book.

I first read this book when I was in seventh grade. I had been in history classes for five years and untill I began to read this book, I did not know what realy happened. I am now 21 years old and have a even better understanding of the subject, yet I still continue to read this book time and time again. It not only contains a wealth of knowldge, but is brought to you in a way that is understadable. When I first read this I was 13 years old and had a learning disibility. Not only that but I also had Atention Deficit Disorder. I did not read much or want to read much. I first found this book because I had to do a report. It hooked me right away. It is something in the way it is writen and what it is about that even at the tender age of 13 I colud understand and even think about. I recomend that parents let their children experience this book. But only after you have read it your self.

I had to read this book for a college class, and I was really moved by it. It's such a powerful read. This book will give the reader a first hand experience of what it was like to be a slave. What makes this book so good is that it's the words of the slave. It's their stories and their words. The reader will learn how they were beaten and how their families were split up...sometimes for life. If you have a interest in reading about slavery, then you must add this to your collection.

A book of letters, personal testimony from slaves, interspersed with editorial comments from the author. The narratives are prefaced with a fascinating note on how sources were obtained, and how that information was used, both before and after the Civil war.

There is nothing more powerful or educational than experiences told in a person's own words. I was often stunned at how effectively the horrors of the slaves' reality were brought home by their words, understated and matter of fact:

One letter told how they had to take their babies to the field with them so they didn't lose time walking back & forth to nurse. All the babies were deposited in a long wooded trough at the end of the field every morning. There was a sudden heavy rain and when the mothers were able to go to the end of the field the trough was filled with water and every baby in it was floating round in the water, drowned. When this story is told, you are able to grasp some of the horror of how uncaring and cruel the situation was...their grief was not only of no concern to the master, but was not allowed, being forced to continue to work as if nothing had happened, any hesitation in work being a serious cause for a brutal whipping..

Over and over again their stories emphasized that they were things, possessions, like a table. Again and again after each account I wondered how a human body and mind could possibly survive having to endure what they had to endure. Imagine having to walk across 2 states in the snow without shoes, sleeping on the ground scarcely clothed.

This book has won numerous children's awards, including "Newberry Honor", however it should be emphasized that this is a book for every age. It touched me profoundly, much as "Night", Elie Wiesel's account of his imprisonment in a concentration camp. I very highly recommend.

The book,To Be a Slave,is an awesome book. It includes many letters, stories, biographies and autobiographies. The genre of this book is historic fiction. This book explains how it sounded to be a slave, what it looked like to be a salve, what it felt like to be a slave and what it was to be a slave. The writings within the book were very detailed.

I thought this was a very strong book. It had strong words and strong opinions in it. It was a very enjoyable book. I liked learning about how it was to be a slave. I liked the stories that were told by the slaves. I would recommend this book to 5th grade and older students. It provides the reader with literature, english and alot of information about a very important topic in history - slavery.

I liked the book very much. It tells a lot about what slaves went through during those times. It gives a lot of details, and it is kind of like a story. It has a beginning, middle, and end, but it is a non fiction book. The perspective of each person in the story gives you their own point of view.

But, having a lot of different people in the story can be distracting. It is also hard to read because none of the words have been reworded to be able to read better. It also has a lot of bad interjections that would be inappropriate for a 4th or 5th grader. All in all, this is a great book, and I suggest that everyone read it!

The purpose of this book was to document the lives of former slaves, grouping together areas of similar experiences. The full gamut of the horrors of American slavery are described, whether it was being beaten, raped, or having your family split apart for different masters to take away. The living conditions and variety in their treatment also are discussed, making this book, while simple enough to be read by middle schoolers, powerful enough to be read by anyone seeking a true account of slavery prior to the Civil War.