Blog Example:

Blog Example: 

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

 

Title: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Medium: Watercolor painting

Genre: Picture Book – Biography

Theme: Strength, perseverance, spirituality, slavery, Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman

Other Relevant Information: This book won the Caldecott Honor Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award.

Summary: This book is about how Harriet Tubman first escaped slavery to freedom. It describes her reasoning and where she found the strength to escape. This book also discusses Harriet Tubman’s involvement in the Underground Railroad, and how she helped many other people escape slavery.

Literary Elements: 

This book is an interpretive biography In that specific parts of Harriet Tubman’s life are arranged to tell a story (not necessarily in chronological order). The setting of this story is mostly the outdoors. It shows the time period as well as the mood of the situation. In the illustrations Harriet Tubman is shown working as a slave, hiding in the woods, and helping other people escape from slavery. The setting (especially in the illustrations) enhances the already poignant storyline. The reader is able to discover Harriet Tubman’s bond and relationship with God through this story. Carole Boston Weatherford fully develops Harriet Tubman’s character in this book. I think the reader is able to learn about her compassion towards other people and her resilience. This book is told in an omniscient point of view through dialogue between Harriet Tubman and God. There is a lot of narration in this story. This story follows an episodic plotline highlighting significant events in Harriet Tubman’s life. Carole Boston Weatherford uses free verse and lyrical text to convey this story. It is almost as if you are reading a poem. The way that the text is laid out (different size fonts) shows emphasis and also creates almost a call and response feel to the text.

Evaluation: 

The illustrations in this book are incredible. Kadir Nelson enhances the text and actions in this story through his illustrations. The illustrations look like a real person, not a cartoon. I think that this makes Harriet Tubman more real and allows students to connect with her more. Kadir Nelson is able to show Harriet Tubman’s expressions clearly in her face. I also liked how Carole Boston Weatherford was able to show the importance of religion in Harriet Tubman’s life without making it seem like you needed to adhere to those religious beliefs. Carole Boston Weatherford also adds a foreword to this book that briefly explains what happened during slavery. She also included a section in the end of the book that outlines Harriet Tubman’s life. I think that this book adequately portrays the sense of the harsh life of slavery. I like how this biography did not follow the typical step-by-step storyline that typically accompanies biographies.

Social Justice Element: Social Movement and Social Justice:

The book represent well on the social movement and social justice element. Tumban was an activist and a leader who helped many runaway slaves to freedom. She strongly felt her people were treated unfairly and poorly and that they deserve their freedom. 

Follow-Up Activity:

Students can explore the lyrical and poetic text in the book and use it as an inspiration to write their own poems about a scene in the book. Collection of poems could be published into a book for other students and their families to read and learn about the injustice that the African American people experienced during that time. 

By Sierra Meyers