Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad [Paperback]

Ann Petry (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Born a slave, Harriet Tubman dreamed of freedom. And through hard work and her willingness to risk everything-including her life-she was able to make that dream come true.But after making her escape, Harriet realized that her own freedom was not enough. So she became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and devoted her life to helping others make the journey out of bondage. An invisible threat to plantation owners, she served as a symbol of strength and inspiration for her people. She was the legendary "Moses," delivering hundreds from the desert of slavery.With indisputable narrative skill, Ann Petry recreates the life of a woman of great strength, bravery, and unshakeable moral fiber.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This classic biography, called "unusually well written and moving" by Horn Book, is a vivid and accessible portrait of one of America's most inspiring heroes. The story of the courageous woman who guided over 300 slaves to freedom is told "with insight, style and a fine narrative skill," wrote the New York Times. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Ann Petry is also the author of Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, a 1955 ALA Notable Childrens Book and a 1955 New York Times Book Review Outstanding Book. She lives in Old Saybrook, CT.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Amistad (December 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064461815
• ISBN-13: 978-0064461818
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > United States > 1800s
  • #15 in Books > Children's Books > History > United States > 1800s
  • #27 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > United States

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courage and Faith, September 18, 2001

By 

Tamara Roberts (WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (Paperback)

Harriet Tubman is a wonderful book that begins slow but soon you won't want each chapter to end. Ann Petry has made detail part of the story. I personally stay up reading as late as my mother will let me. I highly recommend this tale of Harriet Tubman, a woman who's courage and faith in God made a difference in the world.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Devoted Heroin, March 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (Paperback)

Wow, a book that is worth hundreds of awards. Harriet Tubman comes alive in this book. Born as a slave in Tidewater maryland, Hariet grows to become a young woman whose first resistsance of slavery starts when a plantation overseer tries to punish a slave for trying to escape. Hariet adquires a huge gash on her forehead from a brick the overseer threw at the slave. However it missed and hit Harriet. Harriet's nickname Minta becomes Harriet which fits the woman she has become. Harriet's dream for freedom never ceases as her first attempt to espace is proven useles with the denial of her brothers. Then her second attempt to escape with her husband proves successful but without here husband who feared the overseers and plantation owners. the underground railroad which served as a passageway for slaves stopping at certain houses(stations) for food and support; helped Harriet escape to the North in Philadelphia.Along the way she meets a man named Thomas Garret, a Quaker who helps God's poor, or the slaves. In Philadelphia she meets William Still who helps here get settled in the North. From this, Harriet returns to the plantation to lead other slaves to freedom. Though her main mission was to free her relatives, she frees other slaves who were about to be sold to chain gangs on other plantations. She rescued babies,men,women, and children. In the end she rescued a total of over 300 fugitive slves with the help of William Still, Thomas Garret,Gerrit Smith, along with the friendly families of the undergroung railroad. Through this accomplishment she became known as Moses. In 1861-1865 during the civil war, she contributed invaluable service as a scout, spy and nurse at a fugitive slave hospital. When the slaves were freed, in 1863, and the war was over, in 1865, Harriet turned her efforts to women's sufferage, giving speeches, and becoming involved in raising money for schools. Still, Harriet would send vegetabels to different houses for work and people invited her to come in and tell them stories of her life. She would tell them about the life on the Railroad, John Brown, and General Montgomery in the civil war who commanded the Black Regiment. Two books were published about her life written by Ms. bradford but told by Harriet Tubman. When she finished with her stories, Harriet would always say she never ran her train off the track and she never lost a passenger. Harriet died on March 10, 1913 in Auburn N.Y. Her tombstone is erected with her quote at the end of her stories. I appreciate this book greatly because it brought me even closer to my heritage. It taught me the true power of a person who didn't give up even though those around her doubted it. People talk about heroes and Harriet Tubman is definetly on that list of heroes and should be first. I deeply honor and respect Harriet Tubman along with the other slaves and leaders who fought for the advancement of African Americans. Freedom and happiness is a God-given right that no man can ever take away, this is God's Law not human law. I hope hat one day I can do great things for poeple like Harriet Tubman.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, January 25, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (Paperback)

The southern United States, in the 1800's was a land of the tobacco and cotton industry, and a land of slaves. Born in 1821, Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland, and then she never thought that she would be the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. Early as a child, Harriet, or Minta, as she was called, was often sold from person to person, after getting a blow to the head from her master, because she wouldn't help capture an escaped slave. In her later years, she escaped to the north and became a free person. Then, after she beomes free, she helps the slaves that she knows from her old home escape through the hidden passes thus becoming a conductor for the Underground Railroad. All was well until a new law is passed: The Fugitive Slave Law, a law in which any runaway slave in the free states can be brought back to their original masters. Because of this, Harriet Tubman starts to take her runaway passengers to St. Catherines, Canada, where all former slaves would be free from the Fugitive Slave Law. Soon, after taking large numbers of slaves to Canada, Harriet makes a huge decision to take her parents along with her on her next journey. After a hard, back-breaking journey, they finally make it to St. Catherines. However, after transporting close to 300 runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman ended her journey and started a new one serving as a spy and a nurse. Before and after dying in 1913, Harriet Tubman was recognized as a great person and as a "Moses" to many of the escaped slaves that she rescued. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, by Ann Petry, is a great biography that has suspense, adventure, and tells a great and accurate version of Harriet Tubman and her life.

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, is an excellent historical biography, full of suspense as to what will happen to the slaves. One good example of this is when Tubman is facing her master, ordering her to catch an escaped slave, and waiting to see what will happen should she not do so. Also, when Harriet tries to rescue her parents, Old Rit and Old Ben, you can't wait to find out what becomes of them. While stealing a horse and wagon to help her parents, Harriet comes face to face with the keeper of the horse stable. The reader will wonder what will happen next. Will she escape or will the keeper catch her?

This book also had a great portion of adventure. When Harriet had started out on her journey, she wandered out into a land that she had never saw before. She never knew what lied beyond a few miles or so. She ventured out and was always on guard of being caught by the slave patrols. The hardest part of Tubman's journeys and escapes was convincing her parents to flee, but eventually they are convinced and Tubman takes them as far as Canada.

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, by Ann Petry, does a good job in accurately describing and presenting the right dialogue for Harriet Tubman. Petry described Tubman as she is known from history, a short, muscular woman who had the strenght and heart to set her people free. Being called "Moses" for setting her people free from slavery, earned her name in history. The use of dialogue from the period also served in making the book more interesting.

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, by Ann Petry, is a great biography to read for not only the history, but for the adventure, the suspense, and the satisfaction that one person can make a difference. I rate this book a total of five stars out of five.

A. Chappell