Kids Books: Underground Railroad

What Was the Underground Railroad?

by Yona Zeldis McDonough, Illustrated by Lauren Mortimer

No one knows where the term Underground Railroad came from–there were no trains or tracks, only “conductors” who helped escaping slaves to freedom. Including real stories about “passengers” on the “Railroad,” this book chronicles slaves’ close calls with bounty hunters, exhausting struggles on the road, and what they sacrificed for freedom. 8-12 years

William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad

By Don Tate

William Still’s parents escaped slavery but had to leave two of their children behind, a tragedy that haunted the family. As a young man, William went to work for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, where he raised money, planned rescues, and helped freedom seekers who had traveled north. And then one day, a strangely familiar man came into William’s office, searching for information about his long-lost family. Could it be?

Motivated by his own family’s experience, William began collecting the stories of thousands of other freedom seekers. As a result, he was able to reunite other families and build a remarkable source of information, including encounters with Harriet Tubman, Henry “Box” Brown, and William and Ellen Craft. 6-9 years

History Smashers: The Underground Railroad

By Kate Messner and Gwendolyn Hooks, Illustrated by Damon Smyth

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Underground Railroad and Black Americans’ struggle for freedom. Before the Civil War, there was a crack team of abolitionists who used quilts and signal lanterns to guide enslaved people to freedom. RIGHT? WRONG! The truth is, the Underground Railroad wasn’t very organized, and most freedom seekers were on their own. With a mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels, this book delivers the whole truth about the Underground Railroad. 8-12 years

Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary

By Jerdine Nolan, Illustrated by Shadra Strickland

It is 1852 in Alexandria, Virginia. Eliza’s mother has been sent away. It is Abbey, the cook, who looks after Eliza, when Eliza isn’t taking care of the Mistress. Eliza has the quilt her mother left her. And the memory of the stories she told her to keep her close. The Mistress’s health begins to fail. Eliza overhears the Master talk of her being traded. She takes to the night.

She follows the path and the words of the farmhand Old Joe, “ … travel the night … sleep the day. Go East. Your back to the set of the sun until you come to the safe house where the candlelight lights the window.” All the while, Eliza recites the stories her mother taught her along her Freedom Road from Maryland to St. Catherine’s, Canada. 8-12 years

Freedom’s a-Callin’ Me

By Ntozake Shange, Illustrated by Rod Brown

Fleeing on the Underground Railroad meant walking long distances. Swimming across streams. Hiding in abandoned shanties, swamps, and ditches. And always on the run from slave trackers and their dogs. 

The Underground Railroad operated on secrecy and trust. But who could be trusted? There were free black and white men and women helping. They risked their lives too. Because freedom was worth the risk. 6-10 years

If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad

By Ebony Joy Wilkins, Illustrated by Steffi Walthall

What if you lived in a different time and place? What would you wear? What would you eat? How would your daily life be different? How did the Underground Railroad get its name? Why is it called a railroad? How did people find it? Who operated it? Ebony Joy Wilkins answers all these questions and more in this guide to the Underground Railroad. 7-10 years

Underground

By Shane W. Evans

A family silently crawls along the ground. They run barefoot through unlit woods, sleep beneath bushes, take shelter in a kind stranger’s home. Where are they heading? They are heading for freedom by way of the Underground Railroad. 4-8 years

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

By Ellen Levine, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Henry Brown doesn’t know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom. But that dream seems farther away than ever. He is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. 

Henry grows up and marries. But he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows what he must do. He will mail himself to the North in a crate. After a long journey, Henry finally has a birthday. It’s his first day of freedom. 5-9 years

The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom

By Bettye Stroud, Illustrated by Erin Susanne Bennett 

Hannah’s papa has decided to make the run for freedom. Her patchwork quilt is not just a precious memento of Mama. It’s a series of hidden clues that will guide them along the Underground Railroad to Canada. 5-8 years

Unspoken

by Henry Cole

A farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding in the barn. She is at once startled and frightened. But the stranger’s fearful eyes weigh upon her conscience. She must make a difficult choice. Will she have the courage to help him? 8-11 years

Under the Quilt of Night

by Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by James E. Ransome

A runaway slave girl spies a quilt hanging outside a house. The quilt’s center is a striking deep blue. This is a sign that the people inside will help her. But can she navigate the Underground Railroad? Can she lead her family to freedom? 5-10 years

The books descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.

If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author

You may like: Harriet Tubman https://barbaralowell.com/harriet-tubman

Books For Kids: Harriet Tubman https://barbaralowell.com/books-for-kids-harriet-tubman

Books For Kids: Sojourner Truth https://barbaralowell.com/books-for-kids-sojourner-truth

Underground Railroad https://www.ducksters.com/history/civil_war/underground_railroad.php

Books For Kids — Abe Lincoln

Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books

by Kay Winters, Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

In a tiny log cabin a boy listened with delight to the storytelling of his ma and pa. He traced letters in sand, snow, and dust. He borrowed books and walked miles to bring them back. When he grew up, he became the sixteenth president of the United States. His name was Abe Lincoln. He loved books. They changed his life. He changed the world.

My Little Golden Book About Abe Lincoln

By Bonnie Bader, Illustrated by Viviana Garofoli

Bright pictures and a simple story capture the essence of one of our most popular presidents. Little ones will enjoy key anecdotes about Lincoln, beginning with young Abe’s love of reading. Fun facts at the end—such as Lincoln’s declaration of the final Thursday in November as Thanksgiving day—round out this nonfiction book full of Little Golden Book charm. 2-5 years

Abe’s Honest Words

By Doreen Rappaport, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

From the time he was a young boy roaming the forests of the unsettled Midwest, Abraham Lincoln knew in his heart that slavery was deeply wrong. A voracious reader, Lincoln spent every spare moment of his days filling his mind with knowledge, from history to literature to mathematics, preparing himself to one day lead the country he loved towards greater equality and prosperity. 

Despite the obstacles he faced as a self-educated man from the back woods, Lincoln persevered in his political career, and his compassion and honesty gradually earned him the trust of many Americans. As president, he guided the nation through a long and bitter civil war and penned the document that would lead to the end of slavery in the United States. 8-12 years

Lincoln Clears a Path: Abe’s Agricultural Legacy

By Peggy Thomas, Illustrated by Stacy Innerst

Throughout his life, Abraham Lincoln tried to make life easier for others. Then during the darkest days of the Civil War, when everyone needed hope, President Lincoln cleared a path for all Americans to a better future.

As a boy, Abraham Lincoln helped his family break through the wilderness and struggle on a frontier farm. When Lincoln was a young man, friends made it easier for him to get a better education and become a lawyer, so as a politician he paved the way for better schools and roads. President Lincoln cleared a path to better farming, improved transportation, accessible education, and most importantly, freedom. Author Peggy Thomas uncovers Abraham Lincoln’s passion for agriculture and his country while illustrator Stacy Innerst cleverly provides a clear look as President Lincoln strives for positive change. 7-10 years

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Lincoln Tells A Joke: How Laughter Saved The President (And The Country)

by Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by Paul Brewer

Poor Abe Lincoln! His life was hardly fun at all. A country torn in two by war, citizens who didn’t like him as president, a homely appearance — what could there possibly be to laugh about? And yet he did laugh. Lincoln wasn’t just one of our greatest presidents. He was a comic storyteller and a person who could lighten a grim situation with a clever quip.

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 What Lincoln Said

by Sarah L. Thomson, Illustrated by James E. Ransome

This is the story of one of America’s most revered presidents in his own words.

“I could scarcely believe my eyes. By honest work I had earned a dollar.” Abraham Lincoln resolved always to work hard and be honest. With much perseverance, he became a lawyer and a politician. 

“Just think of such a one as me as president!” He laughed when his wife said he could lead the country. But Lincoln had great changes he wanted to make. He campaigned saying, “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.” And he won the election in 1860.

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Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend)

by Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by John Hendrix

The year is 1816. Abe is only seven years old, and his pal, Austin Gollaher, is ten. Abe and Austin decide to journey down to Knob Creek. The water looks scary and deep, and Austin points out that they don’t know how to swim. Nevertheless, they decide to traverse it. I won’t tell you what happens, but let’s just say that our country wouldn’t be the same if Austin hadn’t been there to help his friend.

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Who Was Abe Lincoln

by Janet Pascal, Illustrated by John O’Brien

Born to a family of farmers, Lincoln stood out from an early age — literally! He was six feet, four inches tall. As sixteenth President of the United States, he guided the nation through the Civil War and saw the abolition of slavery. But Lincoln was tragically shot one night at Ford’s Theater — the first President to be assassinated.

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Abe Lincoln’s Dream

by Lane Smith

When a schoolgirl gets separated from her tour of the White House and finds herself in the Lincoln bedroom, she also discovers the ghost of the great man himself. Together they embark on a journey across the country to answer Lincoln’s questions and quiet his concerns about the nation for which he gave his life. This wholly original tale is signature Lane Smith; Abe Lincoln’s Dream is funny, touching, and surprising in a way only possible from this master picture book creator.

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Looking at Lincoln

by Maira Kalman

Abe Lincoln was an unforgettable man. He is on your five-dollar bill and on your pennies. And when you see a tall hat, who but Abe Lincoln comes to mind? And our country is still the United States because he helped hold it together. But who was he, really? Maira Kalman’s charming text and bold artwork make Abraham Lincoln come alive in a fresh and exciting way.

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Abraham Lincoln

by Ingri & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

This is the 75th Anniversary edition of the d’Aulaire’s 1940 Caldecott Medal Winner. Abe Lincoln continues to stand as America’s most beloved president. Of our nation’s historical icons, Lincoln is the quintessential embodiment of American possibility in his mythic-like rise from rail-splitter to Chief Executive and Emancipator of the oppressed. The admiration felt by Americans for Lincoln’s humble integrity, his noble statesmanship, and his keen sense of justice, is beautifully captured in the d’Aulaire’s art and prose.

The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.

If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author

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