Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves [Hardcover]

Dennis Brindell Fradin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2000

The stories of slaves who fled the South in search of freedom are some of the most riveting in American history. The fugitives usually left at night, with little or no food or money and only the light of the North Star to guide them. Gathered here are twelve stirring stories of escape, including those of Henry "Box" Brown, Ellen and William Craft, and Harriet Tubman, along with less well known but equally compelling accounts of Mary Prince, Eliza Harris, Margaret Garner, John Anderson, Solomon Northrup, and others. Accompanied by striking archival prints and photographs, these thought-provoking narratives vividly depict the horrors of slavery and the high value of freedom, and are a testimony to the tenacity of the human spirit. Bibliography, index.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Adhering closely to the facts, often using primary source quotes, Fradin (Ida B. Wells) delivers 12 riveting accounts of daring escapes from slavery. Fradin illustrates a broad spectrum of flights, beginning with two accountsDfrom Mary Prince and from Fed (later known as John Brown)Dwho escaped to Britain, thus conveying to readers that England banned slavery prior to the U.S. and demonstrating how Prince acted as a catalyst in the British antislavery movement. Though some readers may be familiar with the escape attempts of Eliza Harris (the model for Uncle Tom's Cabin) and Margaret Garner (the inspiration for Toni Morrison's Beloved), Fradin discusses the two women and their children in the same chapter and highlights their vastly different fates. He also includes 15-year-old Ann Maria Weems, one of the few children to attempt escape alone, and Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The narrative focuses on the emotional realities and risks, enabling readers to feel the claustrophobia of Henry "Box" Brown's 26-hour escape from Richmond to Philadelphia inside a cramped box and carted by train as a shipment of shoes. The heroism of both black and white Underground Railroad operators shines through, especially in the memorable Oberlin-Wellington rescue in which the abolitionist town defied slave catchers and the Federal Fugitive Slave Law to save a runaway, and two chapters in which Levi ("nicknamed the President of the underground Railroad") and Katie Coffin figure prominently. Archival photographs and illustrations contribute to the historical accuracy of the stories but the design, unfortunately, looks institutional. Luckily, the attractive cover, a photograph of a square from the Underground Railroad Quilt made by Oberlin residents, will lure readers to the volume. Fradin makes liberal reference to the freed African-Americans' own accounts and will likely send many readers on to further volumes. Ages 11-up. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-Fradin offers 12 fascinating accounts of runaway slaves who successfully escaped to the North, in some cases only after several failed attempts and recaptures, and all based on primary sources. Each chapter focuses on one person or pair of individuals and varies in length from 8 to 27 pages, accompanied by informative, black-and-white reproductions of paintings, drawings, woodcuts, newspaper ads, quilt blocks, and a few rare photos. Some of these fugitives are well-known: Harriet Tubman; Eliza Harris, whose journey across the ice with her child was immortalized in Uncle Tom's Cabin; and Margaret Garner, the inspiration for Toni Morrison's Beloved. Virginia Hamilton's Many Thousand Gone (Knopf, 1993) offers briefer accounts of some of the same subjects Fradin has included. An introductory author's note that gives a brief history of slavery; an afterword entitled "Slavery Is Still with Us," which gives addresses for contacting the United Nations to join the struggle against this modern-day violation of human rights; and a bibliography of both books and Web sites all help to make this an excellent, readable historical resource.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (October 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395970172
• ISBN-13: 978-0395970171
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #940,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"I have the time of my life as a children's author," says Dennis Brindell Fradin, prolific author of close to one hundred and fifty books. "I try not to let a day of the year go by without working." Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he earned a creative writing degree from Northwestern University, then taught elementary school for twelve years. In 1989, the National College of Education honored him as the Educator of the Year. He is married to writer Judith Bloom Fradin, who did the photo research on this book. They live in Evanston, Illinois and have three grown children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to the topics of slavery and..., September 1, 2004

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves (Hardcover)

...the underground railroad.

While this book is obviously aimed for the "young adult" crowd, it would serve as an excellent primer for ANYONE interested in learning more about that sad, sad topic in America's history: slavery.

The author includes 12 stories about slaves who escaped north, mostly with the help of the Underground Railroad. Each story describes a different type of escape or incident - varying from the case of Solomon Northrup - a free black man who was drugged and sold into slavery while he was working in Washington, D.C. to John "Fed" Brown, a field slave who travelled a roundabout trip to freedom covering thousands of miles to John Price - an escaped slave who was captured in Ohio, but was eventually freed thanks to the near-riot of the Oberlin College community. The book ends up with the most famous member of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, and details a number of her exploits as a Conductor and as a Union Spy during the Civil War.

As a reader, I appreciated the variety of types of escape stories - it did not get stale reading about the same type of escape and the variety of escape plans really was a wonderful testament to human creativity in the face of hardship.

5.0 out of 5 stars this is what I have been looking for., May 15, 2011

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M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves (Hardcover)

This is a collection of stories told by and about the black slaves who escaped to freedom via the underground railroad in America. Many are first-person accounts, all of them are full of action and emotion. The heartbreak of slavery, the inustice, and the brutality all come through.

This book is perfect for students needing primary sources for studying the underground railroad.Very mature 7th or 8th graders could handle the violence; parents should be aware. Certainly this book would be great for an AP American History class, but in my opinion, it also works as literature for the value of the narration.

12 exciting escapes. Lots of photos accompany the stories.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating stories of true bravery, ingenuity and determination, March 17, 2007

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RFN (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves (Hardcover)

I had wanted to include this book in my home library for some time and finally purchased it prior to beginning a unit for Black History Month. Although the reading level is above most of my elementary students they love hearing the stories paraphrased. Great illustrations, most contemporary, as well.