Voices for Freedom
Voices for Freedom contains three stories focusing on the Underground Railroad and the 1963 Freedom March on Washington. Stories are Friend on Freedom River, Riding to Washington, and The Listeners.In Friend on Freedom River, written by Gloria Whelan, runaway slaves ask Louis to ferry them across the Detroit River to freedom in Canada. He's not sure what to do. If they are caught, it means prison for Louis. Written by Gwenyth Swain, Riding to Washington tells of one girl's journey to attend the 1963 "Great March on Washington." Janie and her father ride a bus to Washington, D.C. to hear a man named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. During the trip, Janie sees firsthand the injustices that many others endure. In The Listeners, another offering from Gloria Whelan, each night Ella May and her friends secretly listen outside the windows of their master's house. They listen to learn their fates and those of the other slaves.
| Interest Level | Grade 3 - Grade 6 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 4 |
| Dewey | FIC |
| Lexile | 670L |
| ATOS Reading Level | |
| Guided Reading Level | S |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Sleeping Bear Press |
|---|---|
| Available Formats | Paperback (9781585368860), PDF (9781627530545), Hosted ebook (9781627536127) |
| Copyright | 2013, 2014 |
| Number of Pages | 72 |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 8 |
| Graphics | Full-color illustrations |
Author: Gloria Whelan
Gloria Whelan is a poet and the award-winning author of many children's books including Homeless Bird, for which she received the National Book Award. The Listeners is her third title in the Tales of Young Americans series. Her other picture books with Sleeping Bear Press include Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers (2008 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal winner); Yatandou (a Junior Library Guild selection); and Friend on Freedom River (a Jefferson Cup honor book). Ms. Whelan lives near Lake St. Clair in Michigan where you can often find her out walking.
Author: Gwenyth Swain
Gwenyth Swain is the youngest of five sisters and the only one to live outside her native state of Indiana. She writes partly to let folks back home know that shes keeping busy through the long Minnesota winters and partly because writing is the best job she can imagine having. She enjoys weaving family stories and historical events together in fiction. Ms. Swain is the author of two middle-grade novels—Shady Grove (Indiana Historical Society Press) and Chig and the Second Spread (Delacorte)—and the historical picture book I Wonder As I Wander (W.B. Eerdmans), illustrated by Ronald Himler. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband, Vinnie, and their two children.
Illustrator: Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen
Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen was born in the Netherlands in 1951. With his seven brothers and sisters, he grew up exploring nature and his sketch pads were filled with observations from those family outings. Always drawing as a young boy, his father encouraged Gijsbert to make art his career. After high school, he attended and graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in Arnhem, Holland. Gijsbert, or "Mr. Nick" as many children affectionately call him during his school visits, immigrated to the United States in 1976 and worked as Art Director for the Michigan Natural Resources Magazine for 17 years. In 1995, he illustrated his first children's book, The Legend of Sleeping Bear, finally fullfilling his dream of illustrating children's books.Residing in Bath, Michigan, Nick and his family share their 40-acre farm with sheep, horses, dogs, cats, turkeys, rabbits, chickens, pigeons and a revolving door of orphaned and injured wild life. The family's nature journals logged 20 years of wild life rehabilitation on the farm and it is through these journals that the popular Hazel Ridge series was created. The farm, the land and the animals make great subjects for the artist to paint. Mr. Nick travels to schools and conferences to share his passion for drawing—encouraging kids to make their hobby their career.
Illustrator: David Geister
Artist Dave Geister tells stories through his historical paintings and costumed storytelling. He enjoys doing school visits almost as much as painting children’s book illustrations. Teachers and librarians often comment on the rapport that Dave establishes with children and staff and how he encourages them to do their art.Dave is married to Pat Bauer, author of his most recent book B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet.
Illustrator: Mike Benny
Mike Benny's illustrations have appeared in Time, GQ, The New Yorker, and Sports Illustrated magazines. His awards include three gold and two silver medals from the Society of Illustrators. Mike lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Mary Ann, and children, Adele and Hank. The Listeners is his second book with Sleeping Bear Press. He also illustrated America's White Table, written by Margot Theis Raven, and Oh, Brother, written by Nikki Grimes and published by HarperCollins.
| Author/Illustrator biography |
| Table of contents |
| Full-color illustrations |