In Their Own Words: Sojourner Truth [Paperback]

Peter Roop (Author), Connie Roop (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

This unique biography of Sojourner Truth tells the exciting story of her life using personal recollections, as well as letters and articles written by those who knew her.

"I am pleading for the mothers, Who gaze in wild despair, Upon the hated auction-block, And see their children there."

With these words Sojourner Truth sang about the pain that women slaves felt when their children were sold away from them. Sojourner Truth was born a slave in New York. Her son Peter was taken away from her and she went to extraordinary lengths to get him back. Through hard work and the help of her friends, Sojourner freed herself and her children from slavery. As a free woman, she traveled across the country speaking against slavery and in favor of women's rights.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-The Roops make use of recollections, historical photos, letters, and newspaper articles to reveal the personality behind Truth's famous rousing oratory, "Ain't I a Woman?" The biography covers the subject's birth into enslavement through her tireless travels across the country speaking out against slavery and fighting for social reforms, and her death at age 86 in 1883. The final chapter highlights Truth's induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1981. This book gives a complete picture, providing facts and insight into the woman's character and convictions. Black-and-white photos and reproductions are scattered throughout. Younger and reluctant readers will appreciate the large font and straightforward yet compelling narration.
Ajoke' T. I. Kokodoko, OaklandPublic Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. "Born a slave, she refused to remain one." Without being condescending or simplistic, this small, readable paperback, with spacious type and occasional black-and-white prints, brings the extraordinary Sojourner Truth life story to a middle-grade audience. The biography is part of the In Their Own Words series, but since Sojourner Truth was illiterate, the authors tell her story by quoting extensively from her speeches and from the autobiography she dictated to a friend, explaining in their fine introduction how they used primary and secondary sources. Quietly told, the horrifying facts of slavery are personalized in the account of her family's separation. There's also a strong sense of her courage and determination. The chapters about her many years of working as abolitionist and as an active supporter of women's rights introduce the history and the issues she so passionately supported. For reading aloud and for reports, this will be welcome in the history classroom. A chronology, a bibliography, and a list of Web sites and museums, and further readings are appended. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439263239
• ISBN-13: 978-0439263238
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #928,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)