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Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #5
The Underground Abductor
Araminta Ross was born a slave in Maryland in the early 19th century. Slavery meant that her family could be ripped apart at any time, and that she could be put to work in dangerous places and for abusive people. But north of the Mason-Dixon line, slavery was illegal. If she could run away and make it north without being caught or killed, she’d be free. Facing enormous danger, Araminta made it, and once free, she changed her name to Harriet Tubman. Tubman spent the rest of her life helping slaves run away like she did, every time taking her life in her hands. Nathan Hale tells her incredible true-life story with the humor and sensitivity he’s shown in every one of the Hazardous Tales—perfect for reluctant readers and classroom discussions.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2015
394 people are currently reading
2233 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Hale
99 books839 followersNathan Hale is the New York Times best-selling author/illustrator of the Hazardous Tales series, as well as many picture books including Yellowbelly and Plum go to School, the Twelve Bots of Christmas and The Devil You Know.
He is the illustrator of the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel, Calamity Jack. He also illustrated Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody, The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas, Animal House and many others.
(He is not the author of Extinction Earth or the other apocalyptic titles listed. That's a different Nathan Hale. If someone with "librarian" status would disambiguate those titles for me, I'd appreciate it.)
Learn more at www.spacestationnathan.blogspot.com
He is the illustrator of the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel, Calamity Jack. He also illustrated Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody, The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas, Animal House and many others.
(He is not the author of Extinction Earth or the other apocalyptic titles listed. That's a different Nathan Hale. If someone with "librarian" status would disambiguate those titles for me, I'd appreciate it.)
Learn more at www.spacestationnathan.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
January 26, 2021
Best Harriet Tubman bio I've ever read. With every new Hazardous Tale, I notice something else that Nathan does really well. In the WWI book, it was graphic presentation of complicated information. In this one, it's the reactions of the narrators, and the way that those reactions validate the reader.
Often when reading history, you can get a little confused by context. "Whoa!" you might think, reading about John Brown's massacre. "Well, maybe it was pretty common for people to get hacked to death with swords back then," you might then shrug. But when the hangman pops into the panel to exclaim, "Whoa!" that's the author telling us, "No, you were right in the first place - getting hacked to death with swords was not at all common at the time." Thanks, hangman!
Often when reading history, you can get a little confused by context. "Whoa!" you might think, reading about John Brown's massacre. "Well, maybe it was pretty common for people to get hacked to death with swords back then," you might then shrug. But when the hangman pops into the panel to exclaim, "Whoa!" that's the author telling us, "No, you were right in the first place - getting hacked to death with swords was not at all common at the time." Thanks, hangman!
May 30, 2021
This is my favorite of the NHHT series so far. The tremendous accomplishments of Harriet Tubman are clearly presented along with her faith. Her people knew her by one name--Moses. She led them away from slavery and to the promised land of freedom. How was she successful when so many others were not -- most certainly God was with her and provided a hedge of protection. This book shows briefly how Harriet worked with the Union army to free hundreds of slaves from plantation during the Civil War. For adults and teens who want to read more about this time in her life, I commend The Tubman Command to you for more about Harriet.
May 5, 2015
It's great when book series I love are doing well. Well enough that the series continues. That doesn't always happen, which makes me hesitate to put all my lovin' into one particular franchise. Happily, one of the current hits among history-based-graphic-novels-for-middle-grades is "Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales." The series is written by to-me local guy Nathan Hale, and he's finding a wider audience than you'd expect for such a narrow piece of the market. The audience is coming because the books are good. Having tackled subjects like the Revolutionary War, Civil War, the Donner Party, and World War I, he's gone back to the 19th Century for his fifth book, "The Underground Abductor."
"The Underground Abductor" is the story of Harriet Tubman, and is the first in the series that's a biography of a single person. It's a break in the formula that Hale has established, but is still able to use one woman's story as an exemplar of what's happening in the wider story of American History. In this case, slavery and the abolitionist movement in the antebellum South.
The format is the same as the other books in this series: American patriot/spy Nathan Hale is at the gallows, about to be executed by a Hangman and British Provost. As he's about to die, he's able to magically see all of American History, and entertains the Hangman and Provost with the tales, Sheherazade-style. At the beginning of this story, the Provost (stuffy, very British) says essentially "all of these stories are about how America is so great, so special, the best country ever..." which Hale admits to, but does say that the country has made many mistakes, and that slavery is one of the worst.
Hale (the author) does a good job of laying out the history of slavery quickly getting us up to the 1830s, when Harriet Tubman was a young girl. Back then she was "Araminta Ross," and she keeps that name for the half of the book before she escapes to freedom. Her story gives us a good look at what the institution of slavery was like in the south at the time...in a word, terrible. Hale is able to do this in a way that honors the pain and condemns the horrors of slavery, but is still appropriate for the target audience of 5th - 8th graders. I wouldn't say it's sanitized; he gets into the fugitive slave laws, and punishments including hobbling. He describes and shows the beating of Araminta and other slaves, and there are passages that are a hard read because of that. Throughout, Hale's cartoony style of illustration is able to convey the humanity of these people, but soften some of the harder edges of history.
In the middle of telling Harriet Tubman's story, Hale takes two small detours to tell other stories that fit into the same time period and subject: the Nat Turner Rebellion and the story of Frederick Douglass. He's able to tell both succinctly, and their inclusion gives us a broader view of what was happening outside of Tubman's relatively small world.
If you're into history, or graphic novels, or have kids who are, this is an excellent entry into one of the best current series for middle grade readers.
"The Underground Abductor" is the story of Harriet Tubman, and is the first in the series that's a biography of a single person. It's a break in the formula that Hale has established, but is still able to use one woman's story as an exemplar of what's happening in the wider story of American History. In this case, slavery and the abolitionist movement in the antebellum South.
The format is the same as the other books in this series: American patriot/spy Nathan Hale is at the gallows, about to be executed by a Hangman and British Provost. As he's about to die, he's able to magically see all of American History, and entertains the Hangman and Provost with the tales, Sheherazade-style. At the beginning of this story, the Provost (stuffy, very British) says essentially "all of these stories are about how America is so great, so special, the best country ever..." which Hale admits to, but does say that the country has made many mistakes, and that slavery is one of the worst.
Hale (the author) does a good job of laying out the history of slavery quickly getting us up to the 1830s, when Harriet Tubman was a young girl. Back then she was "Araminta Ross," and she keeps that name for the half of the book before she escapes to freedom. Her story gives us a good look at what the institution of slavery was like in the south at the time...in a word, terrible. Hale is able to do this in a way that honors the pain and condemns the horrors of slavery, but is still appropriate for the target audience of 5th - 8th graders. I wouldn't say it's sanitized; he gets into the fugitive slave laws, and punishments including hobbling. He describes and shows the beating of Araminta and other slaves, and there are passages that are a hard read because of that. Throughout, Hale's cartoony style of illustration is able to convey the humanity of these people, but soften some of the harder edges of history.
In the middle of telling Harriet Tubman's story, Hale takes two small detours to tell other stories that fit into the same time period and subject: the Nat Turner Rebellion and the story of Frederick Douglass. He's able to tell both succinctly, and their inclusion gives us a broader view of what was happening outside of Tubman's relatively small world.
If you're into history, or graphic novels, or have kids who are, this is an excellent entry into one of the best current series for middle grade readers.
November 16, 2017
This is a fantastic story about Harriet Tubman. I thought I knew about her life and I really didn't. Why isn't there a movie about this amazing story. It's ripe for the Hollywood treatment - it has everything.
This book keeps the serious subject light and gives you an overview of this woman. I didn't know she meet Frederick Douglas. She was in the Civil War. I didn't know this. She went by many names, but her given name is Araminta Ross. I need to do some deeper study into this because she is fantastic. This is a brave woman, who was meant to free salves.
Talk about Girl Power. Harriet went into the heart of the south time and again and always came out. What an incredible story.
The art is not great, but the storytellers are rather funny and help to keep the tone light. I do recommend this story to people. I learned a lot and I was entertained.
This book keeps the serious subject light and gives you an overview of this woman. I didn't know she meet Frederick Douglas. She was in the Civil War. I didn't know this. She went by many names, but her given name is Araminta Ross. I need to do some deeper study into this because she is fantastic. This is a brave woman, who was meant to free salves.
Talk about Girl Power. Harriet went into the heart of the south time and again and always came out. What an incredible story.
The art is not great, but the storytellers are rather funny and help to keep the tone light. I do recommend this story to people. I learned a lot and I was entertained.
June 30, 2017
4.5
This was one of those books that I absolutely loved. I enjoyed the format a lot but it was the amount of knowledge I gained about Harriet Tubman that really increases my enjoyment of this book. Harriet Tubman is easily one of the most amazing people in history!! I highly encourage people who don't know her story to pick up a title like this one to learn about this amazing figure.
This was one of those books that I absolutely loved. I enjoyed the format a lot but it was the amount of knowledge I gained about Harriet Tubman that really increases my enjoyment of this book. Harriet Tubman is easily one of the most amazing people in history!! I highly encourage people who don't know her story to pick up a title like this one to learn about this amazing figure.
April 30, 2015
With all their magic wonderlands and scary dystopias and Minecraft - uh - places, I sometimes despair that my kids will ever be interested in actual History. So I'm a little obsessed with Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, a series of graphic books that are perfect for graduates of the Magic Treehouse. Instead of time-traveling tots, we have Nathan Hale stalling for time on the gallows by regaling a British officer and a Ninja Turtlesque hangman with stories from his encyclopedic knowledge of history. (For the set-up, see the first installment, One Dead Spy.) These three characters provide just enough goofy/snarky middle-grade humor to focus attention on, instead of distracting from, the facts and themes of each thrilling episode.
NHHT has been getting more ambitious over time: one of the first books was the perennial creep-out adventure, The Donner Dinner Party (hehe); the second to last was an overview of WW1, Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood. The most recent, The Underground Abductor, addresses NHHT's most serious subject so far - American slavery. In telling the amazing tale of Harriet Tubman, NH, as aways, streamlines but never softens the facts. "The 'land of the free' was a prison for many." Kids learn what happened, what it meant and why it matters ...IN REAL LIFE! (Ages 8-12)
NHHT has been getting more ambitious over time: one of the first books was the perennial creep-out adventure, The Donner Dinner Party (hehe); the second to last was an overview of WW1, Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood. The most recent, The Underground Abductor, addresses NHHT's most serious subject so far - American slavery. In telling the amazing tale of Harriet Tubman, NH, as aways, streamlines but never softens the facts. "The 'land of the free' was a prison for many." Kids learn what happened, what it meant and why it matters ...IN REAL LIFE! (Ages 8-12)
October 31, 2015
Writer and illustrator Nathan Hale has a vision, a passion and a talent for making historical narratives accessible and entertaining. "The Underground Abductor", a graphic biography of Harriet Tubman, is a book both kids and adults can enjoy and learn from. The premise of the Hazardous Tales series is that Nathan Hale of Revolutionary War fame, is about to be executed and is delaying the execution by telling stories (he can see all of time, or something like that) to his executioners (a kind of One Thousand And One Nights with no Scheherezade and king type romance, and history lessons instead of folk tales.)
Hale (author) is very attentive to the details of Tubman's life and the lives of her family members and while he offers us something of an intimate look into Tubman's life experiences, he also presents some of the greater historical context. He is able to ntroduce some of the horrors and complexities of the times, while still tailoring the book for a middle-grade-ish audience. He gets a bit silly with the narratorial humor at times but it's never just for the sake of a gag. He's both telling the story and reflecting on it at the same time and letting readers know that if they are surprised or confused or scared, they are not alone.
Hale (author) is very attentive to the details of Tubman's life and the lives of her family members and while he offers us something of an intimate look into Tubman's life experiences, he also presents some of the greater historical context. He is able to ntroduce some of the horrors and complexities of the times, while still tailoring the book for a middle-grade-ish audience. He gets a bit silly with the narratorial humor at times but it's never just for the sake of a gag. He's both telling the story and reflecting on it at the same time and letting readers know that if they are surprised or confused or scared, they are not alone.
August 24, 2022
4.5
Wow I really learned a lot! I honestly am ashamed to say I did not know next to anything about Harriet Tubman. It was so interesting to learn more about her in such an accessible way. I really like how this was Told because it added some humor to it. I would highly recommend this. I just found it so interesting how she had visions and that she changed her name to Harriet.
Wow I really learned a lot! I honestly am ashamed to say I did not know next to anything about Harriet Tubman. It was so interesting to learn more about her in such an accessible way. I really like how this was Told because it added some humor to it. I would highly recommend this. I just found it so interesting how she had visions and that she changed her name to Harriet.
January 30, 2016
Lots of good historical information in a graphic novel, but very distracted by the three narrators that kept popping up to give opinions and "add background information."
May 4, 2015
Nathan Hale is back—still on the gallows and procrastinating his hanging by entertaining his executioners with tales from American history. This time he teaches about Harriet Tubman.
This is an impressive addition to the series. Tubman generally merits a paragraph in history textbooks, if even that, though most people will recognize her name and connect her to the Underground Railroad. Yet the awesomeness of this woman goes largely untold.
Hale starts at the beginning, with the slave Araminta Ross (Harriet Tubman’s given name) struggling to please her owners and longing for freedom. A head injury inflicts Araminta with narcolepsy, and when she sleeps, she has visions. Along with her status as a sort of prophetess, Araminta possesses an impressive physical strength and endurance, both of which enable her to make an escape along the Underground Railroad. Determined to bring her family to freedom, Araminta (now known as Harriet Tubman) returns to the south and starts guiding slaves to the north. She makes this dangerous journey several times.
Along with Tubman’s story, readers are introduced to Nat Turner’s rebellion, John Brown’s attempted rebellion, and Frederick Douglass’s escape to freedom.
Throughout the story, readers will relate to the reactions from Nathan Hale’s audience. There isn’t a lot of room for the comic relief that pervades this series, so instead the relief is offered in the form of Hale’s executioners saying things that the reader is likely thinking. I felt a bit of camaraderie with them.
• No harsh language
• No sexual situations
• Violence includes discussion of Nat Turner’s rebellion, Tubman’s head injury, and threats against the slaves by their masters
• No drug/alcohol use
This is an impressive addition to the series. Tubman generally merits a paragraph in history textbooks, if even that, though most people will recognize her name and connect her to the Underground Railroad. Yet the awesomeness of this woman goes largely untold.
Hale starts at the beginning, with the slave Araminta Ross (Harriet Tubman’s given name) struggling to please her owners and longing for freedom. A head injury inflicts Araminta with narcolepsy, and when she sleeps, she has visions. Along with her status as a sort of prophetess, Araminta possesses an impressive physical strength and endurance, both of which enable her to make an escape along the Underground Railroad. Determined to bring her family to freedom, Araminta (now known as Harriet Tubman) returns to the south and starts guiding slaves to the north. She makes this dangerous journey several times.
Along with Tubman’s story, readers are introduced to Nat Turner’s rebellion, John Brown’s attempted rebellion, and Frederick Douglass’s escape to freedom.
Throughout the story, readers will relate to the reactions from Nathan Hale’s audience. There isn’t a lot of room for the comic relief that pervades this series, so instead the relief is offered in the form of Hale’s executioners saying things that the reader is likely thinking. I felt a bit of camaraderie with them.
• No harsh language
• No sexual situations
• Violence includes discussion of Nat Turner’s rebellion, Tubman’s head injury, and threats against the slaves by their masters
• No drug/alcohol use
March 24, 2016
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=6457
I love this entire series! Nathan Hale has taken history and made it accessible (with a dash of humor!). If you don’t the concept of the series, it revolves around Nathan Hale the Revolutionary War spy who, in the first book, was eaten by a history book so now knows all that has happened in history and is sharing it with the hangman and British officer who are guarding him before he is executed. The first book is Hale’s own story and then each of the following are his telling of different times in history.
This installment of Hale’s graphic novel series may be my favorite so far. I found it to be the most intense of his stories even though it is up against stories of wars, but Harriet Tubman’s story is one of one person’s resilience in the face of pure doom. Although it is evident through any story you hear of Harriet how truly brave she was, Nathan Hale’s story immerses you into Harriet’s life and shows you how much she truly did and faced.
To access the teaching guide I wrote for Abrams, please visit their website: http://www.scribd.com/doc/271840108/N...
I love this entire series! Nathan Hale has taken history and made it accessible (with a dash of humor!). If you don’t the concept of the series, it revolves around Nathan Hale the Revolutionary War spy who, in the first book, was eaten by a history book so now knows all that has happened in history and is sharing it with the hangman and British officer who are guarding him before he is executed. The first book is Hale’s own story and then each of the following are his telling of different times in history.
This installment of Hale’s graphic novel series may be my favorite so far. I found it to be the most intense of his stories even though it is up against stories of wars, but Harriet Tubman’s story is one of one person’s resilience in the face of pure doom. Although it is evident through any story you hear of Harriet how truly brave she was, Nathan Hale’s story immerses you into Harriet’s life and shows you how much she truly did and faced.
To access the teaching guide I wrote for Abrams, please visit their website: http://www.scribd.com/doc/271840108/N...
May 27, 2015
Good. Really explained that slavery was hard on Harriet, or Araminta.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2016
Tubman was a BAD. ASS.
October 30, 2016
True, totally crazy story.
Perfect.
The kids are fighting over who gets to read it next.
Perfect.
The kids are fighting over who gets to read it next.
August 25, 2015
The Underground Abductor
By-Fahrudin Alic
Author-Nathan Hales
Genre-Graphic Novel
I read the book called The Underground Abductor and it is about a famous person named Harriet Tubman. At the beginning of the story, Araminta was a small child who was six years old and already had a job as a slave. When she had a job to complete, she could never do it. She would always get punished for doing these things and she did not like it at all. When she was still young, a man threw a bottle of lead straight at her forehead and made a huge hole in her head. After she recovered a little bit, something strange started happening to her. About ten to fifteen times a day, she would just fall asleep out of nowhere and start having weird visions of the future. This strange thing helped Araminta do lots of things while growing up and helped her become a savior.
As she was growing up, she hated everything about slavery. She hated seeing her friends and family get sold to other white men. She also hated being abused and watching other slaves be abused. Just like a normal person would do, Araminta got married to a man named John Tubman. Even though she was married, she still had to do the hard slave work. She worked hard everyday trying to earn enough money so she can free her mother. She pushed herself too hard and got very sick. While she was sick, she kept having illusions of her getting sold by her owner, Mr.Brodess. There was something special about Araminta. Everytime she fell asleep out of nowhere, she would have a connection with the lord. She could talk to him and everything she needed help with, she got help from the lord. She wished that she would not get sold by Mr.Brodess and her wish came true. A week later when Araminta was feeling better, her husband told her that Mr.Brodess was dead and Araminta was very sad. Since Mr.Brodess died with lots of debts, his slaves had to pay for them.
Araminta did not want to pay for Mr.Brodess’ debts. So one day she had enough, she decided that she wanted to go north, where there is freedom. So on a Saturday night Araminta and her two brothers Ben and Henry start to escape. While heading north, they started to hide from the authorities and then all of a sudden, Araminta falls asleep. Ben and Henry start to panic and they pick up Araminta and they head home. Her mother got mad because they could have been captured and Araminta was really upset. Then one night, Araminta was heading north by herself and she walked one hundred miles. Along the way, she met up with lots of quakers. These were people who were against slavery and helped slaves with their escape to the north. They provided her with food and a place to spend the night. After the long walk, Araminta finally made it to Philadelphia. She was now a free slave, so she had to change her name. Her new name was Harriet Tubman.
While Harriet was in Philadelphia, she worked really hard to earn a lot of money. She used this money for helping other slaves from the south escape to the north and be free. Before she went and rescued her family and friends, she had to prepare. She bought a revolver from someone on the street and she would use it in emergencies. Harriet Tubman rescued some of her family members,friends,and even some strangers. In total, Harriet Tubman made 19 trips back to the south and rescued 300 slaves and led them to freedom. This is why Harriet Tubman is remembered in history and always will be. R.I.P-Harriet Tubman
My opinion on The Underground Abductor is that it was a really good and adventurous book. Harriet Tubman did not like how her people were being treated so she took a stand and decided to help. She had the courage and bravery to travel to the north and south many times and avoided the authorities. I think this is a good book for someone who wants to see a real life action that took place to help other people.
By-Fahrudin Alic
Author-Nathan Hales
Genre-Graphic Novel
I read the book called The Underground Abductor and it is about a famous person named Harriet Tubman. At the beginning of the story, Araminta was a small child who was six years old and already had a job as a slave. When she had a job to complete, she could never do it. She would always get punished for doing these things and she did not like it at all. When she was still young, a man threw a bottle of lead straight at her forehead and made a huge hole in her head. After she recovered a little bit, something strange started happening to her. About ten to fifteen times a day, she would just fall asleep out of nowhere and start having weird visions of the future. This strange thing helped Araminta do lots of things while growing up and helped her become a savior.
As she was growing up, she hated everything about slavery. She hated seeing her friends and family get sold to other white men. She also hated being abused and watching other slaves be abused. Just like a normal person would do, Araminta got married to a man named John Tubman. Even though she was married, she still had to do the hard slave work. She worked hard everyday trying to earn enough money so she can free her mother. She pushed herself too hard and got very sick. While she was sick, she kept having illusions of her getting sold by her owner, Mr.Brodess. There was something special about Araminta. Everytime she fell asleep out of nowhere, she would have a connection with the lord. She could talk to him and everything she needed help with, she got help from the lord. She wished that she would not get sold by Mr.Brodess and her wish came true. A week later when Araminta was feeling better, her husband told her that Mr.Brodess was dead and Araminta was very sad. Since Mr.Brodess died with lots of debts, his slaves had to pay for them.
Araminta did not want to pay for Mr.Brodess’ debts. So one day she had enough, she decided that she wanted to go north, where there is freedom. So on a Saturday night Araminta and her two brothers Ben and Henry start to escape. While heading north, they started to hide from the authorities and then all of a sudden, Araminta falls asleep. Ben and Henry start to panic and they pick up Araminta and they head home. Her mother got mad because they could have been captured and Araminta was really upset. Then one night, Araminta was heading north by herself and she walked one hundred miles. Along the way, she met up with lots of quakers. These were people who were against slavery and helped slaves with their escape to the north. They provided her with food and a place to spend the night. After the long walk, Araminta finally made it to Philadelphia. She was now a free slave, so she had to change her name. Her new name was Harriet Tubman.
While Harriet was in Philadelphia, she worked really hard to earn a lot of money. She used this money for helping other slaves from the south escape to the north and be free. Before she went and rescued her family and friends, she had to prepare. She bought a revolver from someone on the street and she would use it in emergencies. Harriet Tubman rescued some of her family members,friends,and even some strangers. In total, Harriet Tubman made 19 trips back to the south and rescued 300 slaves and led them to freedom. This is why Harriet Tubman is remembered in history and always will be. R.I.P-Harriet Tubman
My opinion on The Underground Abductor is that it was a really good and adventurous book. Harriet Tubman did not like how her people were being treated so she took a stand and decided to help. She had the courage and bravery to travel to the north and south many times and avoided the authorities. I think this is a good book for someone who wants to see a real life action that took place to help other people.
October 21, 2015
In this volume, the British officer supervising Nathan Hale's execution demands a story where America doesn't look so good. Hale tells a tale from the days of slavery, specifically about Harriet Tubman. She was one of the most successful abductors on the Underground Railroad, a system that smuggled slaves out of southern states before the American Civil War (and a bit during the war). The slaves went as far as Canada to ensure their freedom.
This story starts with her as a child. She was born Araminta Ross and her whole family was owned by Edward Brodess, a land owner on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She had many varied tasks as a child, none of which she was very good at. Her owners were hard on her, even causing a head injury that seems to have caused narcolepsy, the condition where people unexpectedly and suddenly fall asleep. During this unnatural sleep, she had strange visions of the future, including nearby dangers. This ability comes in very handy (sort of--she does fall asleep at unexpected moments) in her life. Later she married the free black man John Tubman.
She fled to Philadelphia when her family was starting to be "sold South," i.e. her siblings sold to plantation owners who lived further south where conditions were much worse. After establishing herself as a free women, she changed her name to Harriet. She then began working to get the rest of her family out of Maryland. She also led anyone else willing to escape from slavery. When the war broke out, she worked as a spy for the Union and freed about 800 slaves in a daring raid on the Combahee River in South Carolina. She went on to a "happily ever after" life of retirement with her family in New York.
The book chronicles her exploits in an exciting and engaging manner. There aren't as many jokes as in other Hazardous Tales books but it still has a light enough touch that things are never too grim to put off readers. The Underground Abductor is another great book in the series.
This story starts with her as a child. She was born Araminta Ross and her whole family was owned by Edward Brodess, a land owner on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She had many varied tasks as a child, none of which she was very good at. Her owners were hard on her, even causing a head injury that seems to have caused narcolepsy, the condition where people unexpectedly and suddenly fall asleep. During this unnatural sleep, she had strange visions of the future, including nearby dangers. This ability comes in very handy (sort of--she does fall asleep at unexpected moments) in her life. Later she married the free black man John Tubman.
She fled to Philadelphia when her family was starting to be "sold South," i.e. her siblings sold to plantation owners who lived further south where conditions were much worse. After establishing herself as a free women, she changed her name to Harriet. She then began working to get the rest of her family out of Maryland. She also led anyone else willing to escape from slavery. When the war broke out, she worked as a spy for the Union and freed about 800 slaves in a daring raid on the Combahee River in South Carolina. She went on to a "happily ever after" life of retirement with her family in New York.
The book chronicles her exploits in an exciting and engaging manner. There aren't as many jokes as in other Hazardous Tales books but it still has a light enough touch that things are never too grim to put off readers. The Underground Abductor is another great book in the series.
July 31, 2015
This is the fifth book in the well-researched graphic novel series by Nathan Hale. This time the focus is on the life of Harriet Tubman and her work as an abductor for the underground railroad. Hale does not soft pedal Tubman's biography or the ill treatment of the slaves; he tells the story in a straightforward objective manner with only the Hangman providing commentary and some (rather dark) comic relief. But this book is much more than a biography about Tubman, it is also a description of slavery and the people working to free slaves -- some peacefully, other violently, but all risking their lives to rescue slaves from horrible abuse. Although some of this tale may be disturbing for young readers, Hale tells an important story about a true American hero.
May 12, 2017
This graphic novel is done very well. I loved learning about Harriet Tubman's life and multiple journeys to help others obtain freedom from slavery. Another well done historical novel by Nathan Hale. (Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book about an interesting woman)
June 23, 2019
I like books by Nathan Hale. He gives information in a different stye than most people do.
September 1, 2015
Underground Abductor is a very well written and illustrated Graphic Novel telling the story of Harriet Tubman. The illustrations are clear so that it is easy to tell each character apart from the others. I found the executioner and the British Officer added a level of humor to this story that I was not expecting. My only concern is that Harriet's story is being told my Nathan Hale (the spy) who was executed in 1776 - so it requires a suspension of belief that he would be telling a story about someone who lived after his live ended. However, as long as you understand the dates don't line up I don't see it as an overwhelming issue. This is probably the best biography of Harriet Tubman I can remember reading.
June 29, 2016
Excellent graphic novel bio of Harriet Tubman/Araminta Ross. I remember reading a lot about her as a kid, but not much since. I'd forgotten her brain damage, for example. Fabulously written and illustrated, as always, and I appreciate how it's age appropriate but doesn't shy away from the horrors.
Also, I tend to think of Millard Fillmore as one of the forgotten presidents, fairly neutral, but he should be pretty well villainized for signing the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 that not only penalized people helping slaves, but fined slave catchers if they don't arrest any black person suspected of being a runaway. Awesome.
Also, I tend to think of Millard Fillmore as one of the forgotten presidents, fairly neutral, but he should be pretty well villainized for signing the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 that not only penalized people helping slaves, but fined slave catchers if they don't arrest any black person suspected of being a runaway. Awesome.
February 11, 2019
I'm surprised how much I liked this book. The author didn't try to sugar-coat anything in it. Harriet Tubman threatened the lives of any slaves who wanted to turn back (the only reasonable choice left to her.) Nat Turner's rebellion killed women and children. There are lots of other little historical truths that could have easily been left out in favor of making history a little neater, a little less grey area but that was not done. There were even instances where the author pointed out that we don't know exactly what happened but these reports say one thing and another report says another. That's really amazing and it gives kids a lot of credit, which is something I am 100% behind.
July 15, 2015
Another great entry in the Nathan Hale series. This is only my second one (my first was the WWI book) but Nathan Hale does such a good job at presenting complicated situations (and very dark ones) with clarity and ease. We read Mud, Blood, Spies etc for a graphic novel book club that our branch does, and we'll probably do this one as well.
And if you're not sure if your little one should read it on the back there is a content warning on the back. I would say best for ages 8+, but it depends on the kid.
And if you're not sure if your little one should read it on the back there is a content warning on the back. I would say best for ages 8+, but it depends on the kid.
May 7, 2015
Nathan Hale (the illustrator, not the Revolutionary War spy) strikes again, this time with the tale of Harriet Tubman. With humor and style, Hale tells the tale of the famous Underground Railway guide, in a manner that's accessible to everyone from young readers up to adults. I thought I knew quite a bit about Tubman, but there was so much more to her story, and it is fascinating.
Love this series, so glad they're topping bestseller lists and winning awards, because they deserve them!
Love this series, so glad they're topping bestseller lists and winning awards, because they deserve them!
December 16, 2016
Have you ever had questions about the underground railroad or wanted a better look into the life of Harriet Tubman? Well look no further because this is the book for you. In this unique graphic novel you will be transported to the time when slavery was popular. You will learn the history that brought freedom and abolished slavery. You will also learn about key people who helped change this world's story. Come along and learn history in an exciting way. Pick up this book today!
February 2, 2017
This one was even better than the last I read in this series.
Harriet Tubman was a total badass. I actually learned much more about her from this graphic novel than I ever did while I was in school.
The content of this one was a bit less disturbing than Donner Dinner Party. Would be great supplemental reading for kids who are doing project for school, but would also just be good for those kids that like graphic novels and are looking for something other than Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Harriet Tubman was a total badass. I actually learned much more about her from this graphic novel than I ever did while I was in school.
The content of this one was a bit less disturbing than Donner Dinner Party. Would be great supplemental reading for kids who are doing project for school, but would also just be good for those kids that like graphic novels and are looking for something other than Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
July 26, 2015
Usually, when an author writes series, the quality weakens. Not this series. Every title is absolutely terrific. Kids will love the history-as-story, the illustrations and the characters. The story of Harriet Tubman is presented in a way that is historically accurate, doesn't soften the grimmer aspects of slavery and yet is accessible to kids.
January 8, 2016
One of my favorites of the Nathan Hale series. Quick pacing, fascinating characters, engaging storytelling. My one tiny quibble is that this volume doesn't quite explain the Nathan Hale conceit as well as others in series, but I think kids will still catch on quickly and that this title can stand alone.
February 18, 2017
Book five in the NHHT graphic novel series. Great story about Harriet Tubman.
interesting quotes:
"Where there are humans, there will always be suffering." (p. 5)
"It just goes to show: you can be a great historical hero, and your mom will probably still yell at you." (p. 106)
interesting quotes:
"Where there are humans, there will always be suffering." (p. 5)
"It just goes to show: you can be a great historical hero, and your mom will probably still yell at you." (p. 106)
March 5, 2017
Incredibly entertaining and interesting graphic novel on Harriet Tubman's life. Even though this is a children's book, it kept adult me entertained. I'm ashamed to say that I learned so much about slavery and the underground railroad from this kids' book. Can't wait to read the rest of this series.
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