Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery - Softcover

William Miller

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1880000423 ISBN 13: 9781880000427

Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2005

Synopsis

Born into slavery young Frederick dreams of the day he and his people will be free. Yet until that day comes, his only escape is through the books he reads, which take him to worlds far from his own. When a menacing overseer named Covey sees that Frederick is different from the others, he sets out to "break" the young reader. But Frederick's surprising response to Covey's brutality is an act of courage that frees forever what no person can hold captive: his spirit. In his picture book debut, fine artist Cedric Lucas a hauntingly realistic portrait of a cruel era. William Miller follows up his critically acclaimed Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree with a timeless reminder to readers of all ages and backgrounds that freedom is something to never be taken for granted.

About this title

About the Author:

William is the award-winning author of numerous books for children for LEE & LOW. Mr. Miller lives in York, Pennsylvania, where he teaches African American literature and creative writing at York College.

From Publishers Weekly:

The success of this penetrating book lies in Miller's (Zora Hurston and the China-berry Tree) ability to convincingly convey the abolitionist Frederick Douglass's thoughts and feelings during his formative years as a plantation slave; and in Miller's focus on the limited?and pivotal?period of youth. The result is a searing, personal story that is easily absorbed by young readers, introduced to Douglass as a child whose mother is sold to a distant master: "Frederick tried to understand, but when he thought of his mother, tears and more tears came into his eyes." This lyrical account underscores Douglass's compassion and concern for his peers: as he watches an overseer whip another slave, he "felt the blows on his back, on the back of all the slaves who stood beside him." In an impressive picture book debut, Lucas contributes warmly textured artwork, rendered in pastels on paper treated with pumice and gesso. These illustrations reinforce the sense of Douglass's remarkable endurance, determination and humanity. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1880000423
• ISBN 13: 9781880000427
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Cedric Lucas