To Be a Slave
Penguin Young Readers Group · Paperback · December 18, 2000
A Newbery Honor Book What was it like to be a slave?
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- Who it’s for
- First-person words bring the lives and longing for freedom of enslaved people into focus.
- Themes
- Slavery and dehumanization, Forced journey from Africa, Freedom and human resilience
- Genres
- 19th Century U.S., Civil War Era (U.S.), African American Life (U.S.)
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A Newbery Honor Book What was it like to be a slave? Listen to the words and learn about the lives of countless slaves and ex-slaves, telling about their forced journey from Africa to the United States, their work in the fields and houses of their owners, and their passion for freedom. You will never look at life the same way again.
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"The dehumanizing aspects of slavery are made abundantly clear, but a testament to the human spirit of those who endured or survived this experience is exalted."—Children's Literature
Voices of Freedom
First-person words bring the lives and longing for freedom of enslaved people into focus.
Come here for
- Accounts of forced journeys, labor, and the passion for freedom
- A direct encounter with the human costs of slavery
Expect
- A straightforward presentation centered on enslaved and formerly enslaved people’s words
- A sobering, humane reading experience
Where it sits
| African American Life (U.S.) | 48% |
|---|---|
| 19th Century U.S. | 41% |
| Civil War Era (U.S.) | 39% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- African American Life (U.S.)
- 19th Century U.S.
- Prejudice & Racism
- Authors
- Julius Lester
- Publisher
- Penguin Young Readers Group
- Published
- December 18, 2000
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Slavery and dehumanization · Forced journey from Africa · Freedom and human resilience
- Reading lane
- African American Life (U.S.)