Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist Hero

by Meryl Henderson

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. He was separated from his family when he was young, worked day and night, and was beaten for no other reason than the color of his skin. How could anyone ever overcome such overwhelming odds? But Frederick eventually became a famous abolitionist, author, statesman, and reformer. Read all about how one of the most prominent figures in African American history triumphed over impossible obstacles, and paved the way for others to achieve their own freedom!

Genres: History, Biography, Childrens

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Chris Ebochs Haunted series includes The Ghost on the Stairs and The Phantom Pilot. Haunted follows a brother and sister who travel with a ghost hunter TV show and try to help the ghosts. The series, for ages 8-12, features three books per year.
Chris is also the author of The Well of Sacrifice, a middle grade Mayan drama, used in schools. Her 8 other books include two inspirational biographies, Jesse Owens: Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier, written as M.M. Eboch."

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to the life of Frederick Douglass. His autobiography was a bit heavy for my 11-year-old but this biography, while not shying away from the hard parts of his life, described them in an age-appropriate way.

[Alexandra Duca]

Title: Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist Hero
Author: George E. Stanley
Illustrator: (if different than author)
Genre: Biography 3-5
Theme(s): American History, Overcoming obstacles
Opening line/sentence: “One cold February morning in 1818, an old midwife delivered a baby and announced, “It’s a boy, Miss Hariet!”’
Brief Book Summary: This biography is the story about Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery. The chapter book, accompanied with some illustrations, portrays how Douglass overcame his obstacles and eventually became an abolitionist, author, statesman and reformer.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Books a Million: The childhood biography of one of the foremost leaders in the abolitionist movement--now with a brand new COFA look that strikes a perfect balance between classic and modern.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: n/a

Response to Two Professional Reviews: I was only able to find one professional recommendation or review for this biography about Frederick Douglass. I’m not sure why there are not more because I felt it to be a very good book that discusses the ills of slavery and the life of Douglass in an appropriate aged chapter book. However, I do agree that the book is a great balance between classic and modern.

Evaluation of Literary Elements: Stanley’s book encompasses the obstacle filled life of Frederick Douglass. His use of vivid detail allows for the readers to really understand his story and what he went through. In addition, the various illustrations throughout the book enhance the story, bringing it to life and allowing the readers to identify with him even more.

Consideration of Instructional Application: This biography of Frederick Douglass would fit nicely into an instructional unit on slavery and black history. Children can read this book during black history month and do reports on Frederick Douglass. This book goes into depth on slavery, which is an important aspect of our country’s history children need to be exposed to. Children can learn about overcoming obstacles from this book as well.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-written, I learned a lot.

[Pam Vass]

This book is about the life of Frederick Douglas and it opens with his mother giving birth to him on a plantation as a slave woman. It takes the reader through his influential life and ends when he collapses while at a meeting in Washington D.C. and when he was taken home, he died. This book is an authentic biography that is told in words that a young child can understand. A good biography is one where the style is clear, direct, and appropriate for the audience and the author takes good care of the words he uses considering the fact that Douglass is beaten and someone else in the story gets shot. A complete biography takes the reader from the person’s birth to death and this book completes that in a tasteful manner. Any child from 8-12 could pick up this book and learn several historic facts.

[Esther May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not know much about Frederick Douglass before reading this book, but now I have a huge appreciation for who he was. I hate hearing about the way that some people justified being horrible to other people. I hate hearing that some people were not even considered people, but it is good to have a little understanding of what happened to slaves so that it never happens again. This book is hard to read in many parts because it deals with such a horrible topic.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty intense description of slavery if you are reading it to younger kids. It made me feel sick inside. But if you're looking to really help them feel the yuckiness of slavery, it does a good job.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done, for a children's bio.

[Charissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read that our family all enjoyed and felt inspired by!