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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Frederick Douglass?
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was determined to gain freedom--and once he realized that knowledge was power, he secretly learned to read and write to give himself an advantage. After escaping to the North in 1838, as a free man he gave powerful speeches about his experience as a slave. He was so impressive that he became a friend of President Abraham Lincoln, as well as one of the most famous abolitionists of the nineteenth century.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2014
79 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
April Jones Prince
18 books28 followersApril Jones Prince is a children's book author specializing in history and books for the very young.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
March 17, 2017
I love the "Who Was" books and I made it my goal to read as many as my library has :)
This book was exceptional! I learned so much about Frederick Douglass. Sadly to say, I didn't know a ton before hand. However, this book was a great way to read about him in a short, easy way!
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was very lucky to have a master that taught him how to read. This made Douglass aware that there was more in the world and he was determined to gain his freedom. He knew that knowledge was power and taught many slaves how to read. They risked getting 40 lashes for it. Douglass even taught himself how to write to give himself an advantage. Douglass escaped to the North in 1838 by using a free man's ID card. When he got to the North he discovered abolitionists and he started going to their meetings. This made him aware of the Underground Railroad. His house became the last stop the escaping slaves had till they reached freedom in Canada.
He spoke about the horrors of slavery (but never shared how he escaped just in case other slaves wanted to escape the same way). He soon became the head speaker of the anti-slavery moment. He was making such a difference that he became a good friend of President Abraham Lincoln.
Douglass was very honest and open with Lincoln and told him that African-Americans should be able to fight in the Civil war. Black people are just as good of fighters as white people. Lincoln agreed and allowed African-Americans to fight. However, Douglass noticed that they weren't treated as well. They were getting paid less and had less training. Also, they weren't allowed to hold any special positions in the army. Douglass approached Lincoln again and shared all those problems. Lincoln agreed that it was not fair and slowly, but surely things changed. African-Americans were given the same amount of training and by the end of the war they were making the same amount of money for fighting. They could even hold a special position in the army!
This was a fantastic book and I am so glad I read it and learned more about Frederick Douglass.
I know these books look like they are children's books but they are also great for adults! They are fast, short reads that carry a ton of information in them.
This book was exceptional! I learned so much about Frederick Douglass. Sadly to say, I didn't know a ton before hand. However, this book was a great way to read about him in a short, easy way!
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was very lucky to have a master that taught him how to read. This made Douglass aware that there was more in the world and he was determined to gain his freedom. He knew that knowledge was power and taught many slaves how to read. They risked getting 40 lashes for it. Douglass even taught himself how to write to give himself an advantage. Douglass escaped to the North in 1838 by using a free man's ID card. When he got to the North he discovered abolitionists and he started going to their meetings. This made him aware of the Underground Railroad. His house became the last stop the escaping slaves had till they reached freedom in Canada.
He spoke about the horrors of slavery (but never shared how he escaped just in case other slaves wanted to escape the same way). He soon became the head speaker of the anti-slavery moment. He was making such a difference that he became a good friend of President Abraham Lincoln.
Douglass was very honest and open with Lincoln and told him that African-Americans should be able to fight in the Civil war. Black people are just as good of fighters as white people. Lincoln agreed and allowed African-Americans to fight. However, Douglass noticed that they weren't treated as well. They were getting paid less and had less training. Also, they weren't allowed to hold any special positions in the army. Douglass approached Lincoln again and shared all those problems. Lincoln agreed that it was not fair and slowly, but surely things changed. African-Americans were given the same amount of training and by the end of the war they were making the same amount of money for fighting. They could even hold a special position in the army!
This was a fantastic book and I am so glad I read it and learned more about Frederick Douglass.
I know these books look like they are children's books but they are also great for adults! They are fast, short reads that carry a ton of information in them.
May 28, 2019
Frederick Douglass was an awesome human being. I'm overjoyed to read this book and learning so much about a great American, who I didn't know. And for a person who is learning English, the book's vocabulary is relatively simple and easy.
February 17, 2017
Frederick Douglass really did do many bigly, great things. Read about him, and then write a letter to our 45th president so that he may be enlightened.
December 30, 2020
This is an excellent entry in the Who Was series of biographies for young readers. I have long admired Frederick Douglass. I read his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, in a college history class and it really impacted me. Literacy is a passion of mine, so his story of how learning to read and write put him on the path to freedom has always inspired me. Narrative is a powerful book that should be read by everyone, in my opinion. If you read it, you will come to understand the full brutality he faced in slavery, details that are obviously somewhat toned down for the young audience of Who Was Frederick Douglass?.
I am happy to have this biography for students to introduce them to this great man and hopefully encourage them to learn more about him and eventually read his own words. For me, reading this book makes me want to revisit Narrative and made me realize I still need to read his other two autobiographies. The bibliography in the back also points to other books about Douglass for young readers that I will be checking out.
I am happy to have this biography for students to introduce them to this great man and hopefully encourage them to learn more about him and eventually read his own words. For me, reading this book makes me want to revisit Narrative and made me realize I still need to read his other two autobiographies. The bibliography in the back also points to other books about Douglass for young readers that I will be checking out.
February 10, 2015
I like these small glimpses of big people. This book was displayed on top of the shelves at the library, so I checked it out. He taught himself how to read! When he could have taken his family to Europe where color wasn't an issue, he chose instead to stay in America and fight for equality. I am inspired when one person will take a stand against much evil opposition defend the right.
January 31, 2018
(This was written by my 11 year old)
Who Was Frederick Douglass? by April Jones Prince made me really think about the cruelty of slavery in America and the current predicament of our President Trump and black rights. Frederick Douglass was a great man because of his large role in abolishing slavery.
Douglass was determined, strong-minded, and humorous. It was said that he brought humor and education to his speeches. When he was a little boy he had a dream that slavery would be no more and he stuck to that dream until it was accomplished. He saw that black soldiers were not treated as fairly as white soldiers he knew he needed to talk to the President of the time, President Lincoln. While they were talking, not only did he succeed in convincing Abraham Lincoln that black soldiers should be treated as equal as white soldiers, he also formed a friendship with Lincoln.
The book made me feel pain for all the black slaves who were punished in the past, worry for the black rights predicament under our current leader and hope for the near future. I feel hopeful despite how this is a bad time for us, I have a feeling that someday we will live out Frederick Douglass's dream to the full extent.
Who Was Frederick Douglass? by April Jones Prince made me really think about the cruelty of slavery in America and the current predicament of our President Trump and black rights. Frederick Douglass was a great man because of his large role in abolishing slavery.
Douglass was determined, strong-minded, and humorous. It was said that he brought humor and education to his speeches. When he was a little boy he had a dream that slavery would be no more and he stuck to that dream until it was accomplished. He saw that black soldiers were not treated as fairly as white soldiers he knew he needed to talk to the President of the time, President Lincoln. While they were talking, not only did he succeed in convincing Abraham Lincoln that black soldiers should be treated as equal as white soldiers, he also formed a friendship with Lincoln.
The book made me feel pain for all the black slaves who were punished in the past, worry for the black rights predicament under our current leader and hope for the near future. I feel hopeful despite how this is a bad time for us, I have a feeling that someday we will live out Frederick Douglass's dream to the full extent.
February 18, 2020
This is the second of the "Who Was?" series that my kids and I have read together, and it's hard to imagine any of them not being extremely helpful and fun to read. They move quickly, are full of good information, and are interesting enough to keep my kids engaged. They were fascinated by Douglass' story, and asked all sorts of good questions about slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War. A great into to a great man.
September 3, 2019
My daughter gave this one five stars.
This series never ceases to surprise me, from which ones that my daughter selects from the shelf to the ones she thinks she won't enjoy but does. I thought this would be one that she would only want to read a chapter at a time, but she kept encouraging me to keep reading. I wish I had been this interested in history at her age. I am enjoying it with her now.
She's reading some of them on her own now, because they are easily within her reading level. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm afraid I'm missing out.
This series never ceases to surprise me, from which ones that my daughter selects from the shelf to the ones she thinks she won't enjoy but does. I thought this would be one that she would only want to read a chapter at a time, but she kept encouraging me to keep reading. I wish I had been this interested in history at her age. I am enjoying it with her now.
She's reading some of them on her own now, because they are easily within her reading level. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm afraid I'm missing out.
May 16, 2019
The whole “Who was” series is awesome for kids! Great illustrations and well rounded summaries of the lives of famous people. The inserts describing important events and people connected to the main characters of the books are also well done and feel like a bonus. As an adult reader I have found these short books to help fill me in on people and events that I only have surface knowledge of. I only wish they had had this series when I was very young.
May 5, 2022
Easy to understand and read for middle schoolers. I did not know anything about Mr. Douglas so I'm glad I came across this and am happy that there is an extensive series of historical figure books written for this age group. Many are available at my online library.
Frederick Douglas was a man born into slavery who realized at a young age that knowledge is power and taught himself to read. He was truly a self-taught man. He moved to the north and became a traveling speaker. Along the way, He and President Lincoln met. Lincoln was at first skeptical of this man's ideas but they became friends, influenced each other, and changed the course of our history.
Encourage kids to learn history. These are so easy that if you are a skeptic about what is being taught then it is easy to preview.
Frederick Douglas was a man born into slavery who realized at a young age that knowledge is power and taught himself to read. He was truly a self-taught man. He moved to the north and became a traveling speaker. Along the way, He and President Lincoln met. Lincoln was at first skeptical of this man's ideas but they became friends, influenced each other, and changed the course of our history.
Encourage kids to learn history. These are so easy that if you are a skeptic about what is being taught then it is easy to preview.
March 19, 2019
2 stars for the adaptation from his autobiographies, 5 stars for the interesting life of Frederick Douglass as a topic worthy of further review. Decent biographical overview of Frederick Douglass told from a, sometimes, condescending viewpoint. The book opens:
"Frederick Douglass was born a slave. Just like a horse or a plow, he was the property of a white man."
Frederick Douglass was not a slave, he was enslaved. Stealing something does not make it the property of the person who stole it. We should be careful in how we interpret and communicate history because it shapes the way we think now. Careful when reading this book to your children. They are better off reading the actual story told by Douglass himself, who was an eloquent orator and gifted writer that described the true ugliness of this period of American history as it should be told.
"Frederick Douglass was born a slave. Just like a horse or a plow, he was the property of a white man."
Frederick Douglass was not a slave, he was enslaved. Stealing something does not make it the property of the person who stole it. We should be careful in how we interpret and communicate history because it shapes the way we think now. Careful when reading this book to your children. They are better off reading the actual story told by Douglass himself, who was an eloquent orator and gifted writer that described the true ugliness of this period of American history as it should be told.
May 23, 2015
My 4th graders love this series, and this book would be especially great for 5th grade students studying the Civi War and slavery in America.
I learned a lot about Frederick Douglass in this quick read. All throughout his life he fought against slavery and oppression. He learned how to read in secret, taught others how to read in secret, planned escapes, fought back against a cruel foreman, successfully escaped from slavery, became an avid speaker and writer in both the U.S. and Europe, campaigned for President Lincoln, campaigned for the addition of black men to the Union Army, supported the Women's Rights Movement, served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, was a friend and confidant of Abraham Lincoln, and eventually worked for the U.S. government. WOW!
I learned a lot about Frederick Douglass in this quick read. All throughout his life he fought against slavery and oppression. He learned how to read in secret, taught others how to read in secret, planned escapes, fought back against a cruel foreman, successfully escaped from slavery, became an avid speaker and writer in both the U.S. and Europe, campaigned for President Lincoln, campaigned for the addition of black men to the Union Army, supported the Women's Rights Movement, served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, was a friend and confidant of Abraham Lincoln, and eventually worked for the U.S. government. WOW!
January 10, 2019
105 pgs. This book was well-written, full of sketches, facts and additional information to explain the life of a famous American. There are extra pages on topics such as slavery in America, William Lloyd Garrison, Women Suffrage, Harriet Tubman, reconstruction, Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as several detailed maps. This book would be great for a report or just general biography reading. Highly recommended for Grades 4-5.
June 6, 2019
Decent narrative of Douglass' life though quite a lot of his life was slathered with a veneer or implausibility due to its being aware of writing for children. What I had hoped to inspire in my kids to see injustice, they just couldn't hold weight to because the experience documented in the text didn't seem so unjust as to warrant a revolution.
January 9, 2015
I love these books. I love biographies but don't have time to read as many as I would like. I can sit down and read one of these in 30 minutes and I feel like I'm gaining valuable knowledge. It piques my interest in an era of time and history and leads me to research other topics.
May 17, 2017
Who Was Frederick Douglass by April Jones Prince is a good book and a great biography. Frederick Douglass is the "father" of the civil rights movement. He was born into slavery so he knew first hand how others felt. After trying to escape once and failing, he tried a second time and got away! He knows what it's like to be a slave so he can tell others and hopefully they will side with him and stop slavery. Frederick Douglass lived a great life after getting away. He was famous, he got to talk with Abraham Lincoln when he was president, and so much more.
This was a great biography in my opinion. It had all of the sad times and all of the great times. From being a slave baby to signing up black troops to fight in the civil war, it really showed us his WHOLE life. He also was a first in many categories for black people. Mostly involving politics and starting out the equality movement. So, in my opinion, this book had all of the things it needed.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It has so many things to learn about and all while keeping you engaged and on the edge of your seat. I now know a lot about Frederick Douglass.
This was a great biography in my opinion. It had all of the sad times and all of the great times. From being a slave baby to signing up black troops to fight in the civil war, it really showed us his WHOLE life. He also was a first in many categories for black people. Mostly involving politics and starting out the equality movement. So, in my opinion, this book had all of the things it needed.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It has so many things to learn about and all while keeping you engaged and on the edge of your seat. I now know a lot about Frederick Douglass.
April 3, 2019
I think that ” Who Was Frederick Douglass” by April Prince is a great book recommended for people 10 years and up. This book is about Frederick Douglass’ life. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born in 1818. So already at the age of 6, he starts working for his master, Aaron Anthony. Soon after Frederick is traded to another master 2 years later to work for Hugh Auld. After being a slave for many years he attempts to escape but is put in jail for doing so and failing. That is until he escapes by dressing up as a sailor and changing his name to Frederick Douglass and marries Anna Murray and moves to Massachusetts. Then at the Anti-Slavery society convention he gave a speech. Then soon after he moves to England for safety and his friends there raised money to purchase his freedom. He then speaks at the woman's rights convention and then he campaigns for the presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln and helps recruit soldiers for the war. Then he campaigns for the presidential candidate Ulysses A. Grant and marries his second wife Helen Pitts and sadly does at the age of 77 years of age because of a heart attack on February 20th.
December 22, 2020
I have recently found this nice series of biographies for young readers. Various authors have contributed to this series, which now includes over 160 books. Each book is short (about 100 pages) and gives a good summary of a historical figure. The list of people includes explorers, scientists, painters, authors, musicians; there is a good balance between males and females demonstrating the importance of both genders in the accomplishments of mankind.
Born in 1818 as a slave in Maryland, Frederick Douglass secretly learned to read and write. After escaping to the North in 1838, he began making speeches about his experience as a slave, becoming one of the most outspoken abolitionists in the country.
Born in 1818 as a slave in Maryland, Frederick Douglass secretly learned to read and write. After escaping to the North in 1838, he began making speeches about his experience as a slave, becoming one of the most outspoken abolitionists in the country.
May 28, 2022
This is a really awesome touching book this person worked with Abraham Lincoln to stop slavery and he taught himself to read and write and was a young man who escaped to freedom in the North and the father of the Civil Right Movement he was a good helper and Abraham Lincoln with Abraham Lincoln but he thought that maybe he was it was because of him that the scary stuff not because of Abraham Lincoln but it's true that I think Frederick Douglass gets a bit more work or maybe equal work I am not sure and four lessons how did he know how to just do it well it's because he traded he traded for bread and in return for lesson to give bread to the person and the person would give him a lesson so that's also another way learned
December 4, 2019
This was a great book and it is good for any grade student who is able to read full sentences on their own. Not only did I get a refresher on who Frederick Douglass was but I also learned some new things that I was never taught before (or really don't remember.) This book is from a series of "Who Was/Who Is" which is all about famous figures from long ago until current. This book can be used as an independent read, a reference/research book, and in various units about Civil Rights or influential people. Rating 5 because I enjoyed the book, learned new information, and can see it fitting well in any classroom or library.
February 6, 2020
I have previously read a longer and much more detailed book about Frederick Douglass and knew his story. But as part of Black History Month, I'm reading a number of books from the "Who Was..." series and started with Who Was Frederick Douglass? by April Jones Prince. As with almost all of the books in this series, the author captures the major facts and presents them in a very readable format. It kept my interest and was a great refresher for what I had previously read about him. Short, concise, loaded with facts, and a great refresher or, for those who haven't already read about Frederick Douglass, a good way to get the basics and decide if you want to read further.
April 9, 2020
This book is a great introduction to some of the harder points in history for the US- and a decent glimpse into the life of Frederick Douglass.
Art was interesting too.
Great for kids who are early readers. I read it to my kindergartener and he could follow along just fine. More importantly it opened the airwaves so to speak, for some deeper questions.
All of that being said, if you want to learn about Frederick Douglass and his life/ works you should absolutely read his autobiographies. They are incredibly valuable first hand condemnations of slavery.
He was an amazing writer and the primary authority on his life, so just read his actual words.
Art was interesting too.
Great for kids who are early readers. I read it to my kindergartener and he could follow along just fine. More importantly it opened the airwaves so to speak, for some deeper questions.
All of that being said, if you want to learn about Frederick Douglass and his life/ works you should absolutely read his autobiographies. They are incredibly valuable first hand condemnations of slavery.
He was an amazing writer and the primary authority on his life, so just read his actual words.
March 20, 2021
Who Was Frederick Douglass? by April Jones Prince
Published December 26, 2014
<3
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was determined to gain freedom—and once he realized that knowledge was power, he secretly learned to read and write to give himself an advantage. After escaping to the North in 1838, as a free man he gave powerful speeches about his experience as a slave. He was so impressive that he became a friend of President Abraham Lincoln, as well as one of the most famous abolitionists of the nineteenth century.
Published December 26, 2014
<3
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was determined to gain freedom—and once he realized that knowledge was power, he secretly learned to read and write to give himself an advantage. After escaping to the North in 1838, as a free man he gave powerful speeches about his experience as a slave. He was so impressive that he became a friend of President Abraham Lincoln, as well as one of the most famous abolitionists of the nineteenth century.
December 22, 2021
Who Was Frederick Douglas is an excellent introduction for young readers and a good refresher for seasoned readers. The author does a beautiful job providing well-known facts and includes lesser-known details about Mr. Douglas's slavery struggle, schooling other slaves, newspaper, friendship with Lincoln. The book lightly addresses slavery, split families, abolition, poverty, and would encourage readers to persevere through adversity. The book is light-hearted and has significant elements that should solicit questions from the reader.
July 2, 2020
This was a great family read-aloud and conversation book, helping us to have discussions about the history of Black Lives in America. Frederick Douglass has always been one of my heroes from history. One of the things I like about Douglass is that he was a wordsmith, and a very good and old example of how valuable even a little bit of education can be for opening up worlds. The retelling of his story here is both gentle enough for young ears and deep enough to provoke difficult conversations.
December 17, 2021
Frederick Douglass was one heck of a man. I can't believe how powerful one man's words could be; the effect it could have on so many people. His strength of character was amazing to read about. The fact that despite being treated so badly, he still had a heart to forgive? It really shocked me that he was willing to visit Thomas Auld, despite the fact that he had been running away from him and fearing him for so long! Being able to forgive like that is truly very incredible.
February 11, 2024
Another great book in this series! We listened to the audio as part of a Black History set (also Jackie Robinson and the Underground Railroad). It also talked about some things that I'd like to explore more (like how Douglass didn't feel the same negative stigma as a Black man when he traveled to Great Britain and how there were 16 Blacks elected to the legislature soon after the Civil War but then things went backwards when the Union soldiers pulled out of the South).
December 17, 2025
I am twelve and currently in 6th grade; I enjoyed this book very much and would've given it 5 stars if I was two years younger. I felt the vocabulary was written for a younger age, but I still learned new things and gained a greater appreciation for the injustice that Fredrick fought to abolish. I would recommend this read to 2nd-4th grade students. I hope you find this review helpful and hope you enjoy the book! :)
April 2, 2019
In this book you learn about somebody, for this book they chose Frederick Douglass. A civil rights leader who was a slave and had a challenging life. This book gives lots of information that I never knew about. It also explains how he escaped, but got caught. Then also explains how he successfully escapes out of slavery. He had made a difference in history and his name is known.
September 23, 2019
Frederick Douglass is one of my heroes of the week so I already knew most of the information in here. I did not realize that he'd written more than one memoir. I also didn't realize that he'd gotten married again after his wife died, and that he married a white woman twenty years his junior.
Frederick Douglass is an impressive man. I always enjoy reading about him.
Frederick Douglass is an impressive man. I always enjoy reading about him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews