Frederick Douglass

Gr 9 Up—A diverse group of individuals, predominantly social activists, are presented in this series from the creators of the World Book Encyclopedia. The content is exhaustive and thoroughly researched. The writing has brevity to it, stylistically similar to the terseness found in news coverage. Though the language is not overly difficult, the breadth of content is certainly better suited to more mature audiences. The depth of personal motivations varies from subject to subject, with some individuals receiving a more meditative analysis than others. At times the focus feels narrowed to just the events, rather than the impacts of those events on these individuals. Most of the visual content derives from primary sources and includes historical prints, illustrations, newspapers, and photographs. For YA collections needing credible life narratives, this would be a suitable purchase.