Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Title: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Caldecott Honor & Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award)

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Publisher & Date of Publication: Jump At the Sun, 2006

Genre: Historical fiction, Picture book, *Multicultrual

Grade Level: 2-4

Summary: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom is a historical fiction, picture book of the amazing Harriet Tubman and her journey on the Underground Railroad. The book starts with a Foreword describing slavery and giving details of slaves and slave life. The story begins with Harriet praying to God asking to be free. God speaks to her and she follows his directions. He gives her signs to look for and follow, then guides her and keeps her safe. She makes it safely to "Free Soil" and then decides to go back for her family. The whole time she is still talking to God and listening to what he tells her to do so she will stay safe. She goes back and gets her family and other slaves and takes them to freedom. They refer to her as the Moses of her people. At the end of the book there is an author's note giving more in-depth information of Harriet's life and accomplishments.

Response: I enjoyed reading this book. It is very informative and is a great book for young learners. I thought the information at the beginning and the end were good to help students understand slavery and the life of Harriet Tubman. I really liked the double page spreads because they made the story flow. Some of the words would flow from the first page to the second and I thought that was a good way to get the children's eyes to look over the whole picture. After reading it I felt more informed of Harriet's life and had a better understanding of the impact slavery had on a person. The only thing that some teachers might have trouble with is that fact that it is a spiritual book and Harriet speaks to God in it. Some teachers might be afraid to use it in their classroom. I would have no problem using it as a learning activity, because God was something Harriet believed in to gain her freedom. It was her beliefs and it is not trying to convert others with the story, it is only telling of how she believed.

Teaching Ideas: Before you read the book with the class have the students make a list of all the things they know about slavery or Harriet Tubman. Then read the book as a class. After you read the book, ask the students to make another list of the new things they learned about slavery and Harriet Tubman. Once they have made the two separate lists have them get into small groups and compare the lists they made. Have them ask each other questions like; "How did you know about that?" or "Where did you learn this?" to make the group discussion flow. After the group discussion have each group come up with a list of facts and write them on a big piece of paper. Then have the students present the combined list to the rest of the class. Once everyone has shared hang the lists up around the room so the students can look at them in their free time.