Freedom's a-Callin Me

Sophisticated poems, often in dialect, are accompanied by haunting paintings to chronicle a group of enslaved people escaping north to freedom. Older readers will most appreciate this sometimes (necessarily) harsh portrait of escape, slave trackers, and the trek north.

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Freedom Stories

Other books by this author

“Unflinching verse and elegant imagery combine in a powerful, evocative, picture-book portrait of Coretta Scott King. As stated on the cover, Shange uses poetry to recount Coretta Scottâ€™s life, from her childhood to her marriage with Martin Luther King, Jr. On the final page, the author offers a linear, prose biography, adding context to her more abstract references in the poetry.” — Booklist

Coretta Scott

Ntozake Shange

Illustrator:

Kadir Nelson

Age Level:

6-9

Handsome illustrations of Shange’s evocative poem, “Mood Indigo,” pay homage to the many African American icons and visionaries who came to the author’s house when she was a child. From W.E.B. DuBois to Duke Ellington, the people we now know as luminaries are seen from the perspective of a young girl. This book is sure to generate discussion.