The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad (I Can Read Book 3) [Library Binding]

F. N. Monjo (Author), Fred Brenner (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 1970 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: I Can Read Book 3

"You march straight home, sir," said Tommy's father, "and go to your room." Then Mr. Fuller went back into church and banged the door behind him.

Instead, Tommy wanders into the barn. There he is startled to find a family of escaping slaves. And so begins an adventure which teaches Tommy that all laws are not fair for all people.

This moving story by F. N. Monjo, set in New England in the decade before the Civil War, is sensitively dramatized in Fred Brenner's vibrant drawings.A quick-witted young boy helps an escaping slave family follow the ‘drinking gourd’ (Big Dipper) along the Underground Railroad to freedom.

Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1970 (Library of Congress)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3–This classic story (HarperCollins, 1993), written by F. N. Monjo and illustrated by Fred Brenner, tells how Tommy Fuller, a Quaker boy, discovers and assists runaway slaves who were being helped by his father, a conductor of the Underground Railroad. Conversations between Tommy and his father address slaves as property, the Fugitive Slave Law, obeying laws, and trying to change laws. Patrick Collins's narration is well-paced and expressive, employing voice changes for the characters. Sound effects add to the telling. At the beginning of the story, the song “The Drinking Gourd” tells of following the Big Dipper to Canada and to freedom. Page-turn signals are optional. This audiobook offers a good introduction to introduce units on slavery and the Civil War.Ann Elders, Mark Twain Elementary School, Federal Way, WA
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

The late F. N. Monjo, author of The Drinking Gourd, wrote two other popular I Can Read Books: Indian Summer, illustrated by Anita Lobel, and The One Bad Thing About Father, illustrated by Rocco Negri.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 9, 1970)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060243309
• ISBN-13: 978-0060243302
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,227,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two different Worlds, May 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad (I Can Read Book 3) (Paperback)

This tale of the underground railroad told from the perspective of young, mischievious Tommy Fuller, blends history with a compelling adventure story. Tommy discovers a runaway slave family hiding in his father's barn. Little Jeff is Tommy's age but has had a very different life as a Southern child of slavery. The adventure is how Tommy and his father, Deacon Fuller, help this family escape to Canada and freedom. Includes a simple discussion between Tommy and his father about the fact that they have broken a law and that sometimes laws cannot be obeyed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my favorite children's books, April 7, 2009

By 

thatblueeyedgirl (Florida) - See all my reviews

This book is beautifully written, and it made a big impression on me as a child for why it's important to be involved in the important things in life. It also impressed upon me that social and justice issues aren't about the grandness of arguments--they're about the lives of people who are at the center of debates (although I certainly wouldn't have articulated it at the time).

I like it so much that I bought it now even though I don't have any kids because I want my future children to be able to experience it. These are the kinds of books that help children to have a broad view of the world.

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book, November 8, 2011

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad (I Can Read Book 3) (Paperback)

This book is about a boy named Tommy which does very funny things. He saves black men from becoming slaves. I enjoyed reading this book because it was very exciting and it taught me about the underground railroad and slaves. By James -age 8