Go Free or Die : A Story About Harriet Tubman

by Jeri Chase Ferris, Karen Ritz (Illustrator)

A biography of the black woman whose cruel experiences as a slave in the South led her to seek freedom in the North for herself and for others through the Underground Railroad.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, American History, History, Biography Memoir, Childrens, African American

64 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 1988

Reviews

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:
not too graphic while still dealing with sensitive topic
well written for young readers
contains a few b/w illustrations

[Anna Mussmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short biography for young readers presents Harriet Tubman’s early years and the story of her escape from slavery. The rest of her career is covered briefly in the epilogue. It’s written in an engaging way--the best Harriet Tubman bio for kids that I've found so far--but I’m going to keep looking for a volume that spends a bit more time on Tubman’s later journeys to lead fellow blacks to freedom.

[Bunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was kinda sad and terrifing knowing how slaves were treated

[CARLA · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://celebrityreaders.com/2018/03/0...

This book was so good. I read it to my daughter for Black History Month and she enjoyed it. She said it was a bit scary because of all the bad things that happened to Harriet but she liked how she saved so many people. I learned so much about Harriet Tubman. I just thought she helped start the underground railroad, I had no idea how many people she saved or how many trips she took back and forth. Her story is amazing actually.

Harriet was a fighter. She saw past her horrid present to a future where she and her family were free and she refused to think that it wouldn’t happen. She was very patient in achieving her goals once she made them. And her perseverance was very admirable. I especially liked how she refused to give up and built trust with the conductors she worked with.

[Tami Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd – 5th Grade (Biography Reference/Independent Reading/Shared Reading)

Jeri Ferris efficiently reports Harriet Tubman’s famous journey in a capturing way for young readers. This chapter book contains illustrations by Karen Ritz, limited to 2 or 3 drawings per chapter. Ferris has neglected to add in an index, references, or a glossary, but included a short table of contents in the beginning. The audience for this book will find the real life details from Tubman’s journey inspiring. I would recommend this piece of literature to students who will be preparing any form of biography project or to introduce or accompany a history lesson on Harriet Tubman or slavery.

Social Sciences/Language Arts/Math

Lesson Plan Idea: Map out Harriet’s Travel from where her family is to safety, label each stop.

[Brittany Harper]

This biography of Harriet Tubman is not autobiographical, but is written in story format. It is very informative about the life of Harriet Tubman, from her childhood to her leading slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad, this story covers all the major events in her life that make her a historical figure. I would have students read this book independently or do literature circles with the book.

Activity: Students would do literature circles, in which each group member would have a role.

[Pewe · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like it

[Juliana Giraldo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Audrey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go Free or Die: A Story about Harriet Tubman by Jerri Ferris and illustrated by Karen Ritz is about how Harriet Tubman made it to freedom. When she was younger, she was sold to a few different people, but they ended up giving her back to her original owner due to different reasons that made her unable to do her job effectively. She realized that she could no longer act like a slave and that she could either be free or die. One day, a Quaker came up to her and gave her information about the Underground Railroad. She was able to go all the way from Maryland to Pennsylvania, where she was free. After she was free, she went back to the South 19 times between 1850 and 1861 to free almost 300 slaves. She was able to bring her brothers and her mother and father to freedom and later dedicated her life to speaking out for the rights of women and Black people. I really like this book because it shows Harriet's full journey from being a slave to being free. This is not only informational, but it also helps students to see that if you put in hard work, you are able to accomplish anything. I think this book would be great for a fourth-grade lit circle, emphasizing the history of this time period and how we can combat racism in today's society.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

We bought this book and a handful of others at a Black-owned bookstore in Baltimore. Little did I know that I needed to look up every author in the biographies section because many biographies about Black people are written by white authors. This is one of them. This biography was fairly well-written though the terminology needs updating—slaves to enslaved people, master to enslaver, etc. I did notice that the white conductors along the Underground Railroad are each briefly painted as white saviors, but the book’s focus does stay on Harriet and her will to survive. Harriet’s life after first escaping slavery is covered briefly in the epilogue. I’d like to see that written about in more depth. The writer skipped over how Harriet Tubman was the first woman to lead an armed assault in the Civil War. Overall, it’s a pretty good book, though I’ll look for more options at our library.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent children’s book to read. The author does a fantastic job of highlighting Harriett’s difficult young life, family background, escape to freedom and includes many historical facts and appropriate details. This would be a great book to introduce young readers to the history of civil war, slavery, the Underground Railroad and of course, our dear Harriet.

Of special enjoyment to me, I loved hearing how her parents and siblings were brought to freedom. In addition to learning how much she loved her parents and how she took care of the elderly. A great book to share!

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written biography for children, about one of THE most courageous Americans who ever lived. I've enjoyed everything I've ever read or seen, about Harriet Tubman; Americans must learn about what this woman did. And, for all the wear and tear on her small frame, she lived into her 90s! Touched by God, that's all there is to say.

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and true, the strong and brave Harriet Tubman strives for freedom and earns it by walking across multiple states to get it.

Features black and white illustrations throughout. Read to my elementary daughters who enjoyed learning about this amazing woman in American history.

#blm #blacklivesmatter #harriet #gofreeordie #blackgirlmagic

[Taralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 12 year old daughter recommended that I read this book because she thought it was so good. It is neat how Harriet Tubman not only made it to freedom but then went back over and over to lead other people to freedom too. What an inspiration!

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chapter book for young readers to learn about an amazing woman and hero of the American Civil War. The book mainly focuses on her own journey to freedom and there is more information about her amazing life in the epilogue.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

CURRICULUM: BFB Early American History Intermediate

[Mandee Rayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story about Harriet Tubman. What an inspiring woman.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great synopsis of a very courageous woman.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book for young readers.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about this amazing woman, who risked everything for her people, and her family. All with her faith in God, she was able to help all the people that she loved to get them out of the life of slavery. With a huge reward on her head, and everyone looking for her, she didn't stop from helping others! I loved this book, and I recommend it to other who would like to learn more about her!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Short but well-told story for kids, used for history)