Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

Gr 7 Up—This thoroughly researched biography is packed with information about Tubman's life, the ins and outs of slavery laws, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War. After the slave-born Harriet, then called "Minty," suffered a serious head injury, she began to have biblically inspired visions that contributed to her lifelong mission, sustained by religious fervor, to help those in need and free as many slaves as she could. Tubman made many trips to and from the South and was always proud that she "never lost a passenger." During the Civil War, she worked as a laundress and nurse to black Union soldiers and became good friends with William Seward, Lincoln's Secretary of State, who insured that her voice was heard by politicians. In her old age, Tubman established a house for "infirm" blacks. Many readers will find this biography, which is densely packed with facts and a few unexciting images, too dry to read from beginning to end. The content, however, is outstandingly researched and reflects the most recent information available about Tubman; students will find it useful during history or biography units. Teachers may use this book to teach lessons on researching: Adler scrupulously notes where historians disagree (such as on the total number of people Tubman led to freedom), sources each direct quote, and includes an extensive index and a selected bibliography. For more gripping reading along similar subject lines, try Susan Campbell Bartoletti's They Called Themselves the KKK (Houghton Harcourt, 2010) or Scott Reynolds Nelson and Marc Aronson's Ain't Nothing but a Man (National Geographic, 2007).—Allison Bruce, Bank Street Library, New York City