Who Traveled the Underground Railroad?

April 1, 2014

Gr 6-10-Using a question-and-answer organizational format, each book begins with an account of a dramatic incident, followed by chapters that ask and answer questions about the subject's background, main events, and historical significance. Although most of the topics are American history, authors discuss their relevance to world history. "History Detectives" sidebars introduce readers to the basics of primary source research, such as how to find, critically evaluate, and use sources. Maps, charts, and large illustrations and photos add interest, while sidebars introduce important figures, excerpt documents, or pose critical thinking questions. This set differs from "Everything Has a History" (Heinemann-Raintree, 2014) because it offers single-topic histories with additional information about primary source research. Similar topics have received wide extant coverage, but these titles provide enough material and research guidance to be good supplementary report choices.

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July 1, 2014
Senker provides a straightforward, question-and-answer-format overview of the Underground Railroad. The various archival images are well chosen, while sidebars call attention to primary source materials used and pose thoughtful, balanced questions regarding the historical reliability of memoir and personal interviews. Slim and focused, this could serve as an introduction to the subject or a guide for further research. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

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