History Smashers: The Underground Railroad

History Smashers #7

by Kate Messner, Gwendolyn Hooks, Damon Smyth (Illustrator)

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about the Underground Railroad and Black Americans' struggle for freedom. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

Before the Civil War, there was a crack team of abolitionists who used quilts and signal lanterns to guide enslaved people to freedom. RIGHT? WRONG! The truth is, the Underground Railroad wasn't very organized, and most freedom seekers were on their own.

With a mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels, acclaimed author Kate Messner and coauthor and Brown Bookshelf contributor Gwendolyn Hooks deliver the whole truth about the Underground Railroad.

Discover the nonfiction series that smashes everything you thought you knew about history!

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Middle Grade, Historical, Graphic Novels, Childrens, Juvenile

224 pages, Library Binding

First published May 17, 2022

About the author

KATE MESSNER is the New York Times bestselling author of more than eighty books for young readers. Her titles include award-winning picture books like Over and Under the Snow,The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story, and Axolotl-Ella; novels like All the Answers, The Trouble with Heroes, and Keep the Ghost Light On; graphic novels like Camp Monster; and the Ranger in Time and Wildlife Rescue chapter books. Kate also writes the popular History Smashers graphic nonfiction series and leads the multi-author team behind The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class series.

Kate's titles have been honored with the American Booksellers Association Indies Choice Award, the E.B. White Read Aloud Award, the NAIBA Book of the Year Award, SCBWI's Golden Kite and Crystal Kite Awards and many state book awards. She's a frequent speaker at conferences, schools, and libraries around the world.

When she's not traveling, Kate lives on Lake Champlain with her family and spends her free time hiking, kayaking, and listening to way too many Broadway cast recordings.

Reviews

[Manybooks]

I really love love love with regard to Kate Messner's History Smashers books that ALL of the series titles I have encountered to date are very nicely accessible for young readers, are never condescending (never talking down), are always engagingly, interestingly penned by Messner and her diverse co-authors (like African American educator and author Gwendolyn Hooks for this here tome, for the 2022 The Underground Railroad) and thankfully and fortunately without ever textually resorting to annoying silliness and artificial humour, and also, and yes indeed, how there is with the History Smashers series equally still plenty to learn for adult readers as well (which for me personally, I have noticed especially and most profoundly with those History Smasher books that focus very specifically and primarily on American history, such as the tome on the Mayflower and now on the Underground Railroad).

But while admittedly, the graphic novel parts of the History Smashers books are indeed kind of annoying and frustrating for my ageing eyes (as their font sizes are much smaller and thus at least for me also much more difficult to easily read than the nicely large print of the rest of the featured texts), yes, the combination of text and graphic novel parts is great for the young readers for which the History Smashers books have been conceptualised (with lots of images, graphics and quotations), is presented in a way that is easy to follow and reading interest engendering and retaining (and with The Underground Railroad certainly doing this in every way as successfully as I have noticed in the other History Smashers books I have perused thus far and with Damon Smyth's artwork delightfully both mirroring and expanding on what Kate Messner and Gwendolyn Hooks are writing).

And yes, with The Underground Railroad, I in particular very much appreciate (and as such also hugely enjoy) how The Underground Railroad has Messner and Hooks not just smashing misconceptions about the Underground Railroad, but about abolition itself and in general (with me in particular being delighted by Messner and Hooks very specifically pointing out that being against slavery and pro abolition did not automatically mean that one was also and naturally so not a racist and that many abolitionists in fact were still very much racially intolerant and considered African Americans as a group and in general as being lesser, childlike and even persons of ridicule), and that the majority of people who risked themselves helping slaves escape to freedom seem actually and in fact to have been other African Americans (which definitely makes sense, although many textbooks and also many Underground Railroad "stories" are always very keen on profiling and showcasing Caucasians, and in particular Quakers as being the main movers and shakers in and of the Underground Railroad, although that appears to have not really been the truth of the matter all that much, and I therefore am sure majorly glad and ecstatic that in The Underground Railroad this myth is very roundly and soundly being smashed and shredded).

Combined with the fact that I simply adore Kate Messner and Gwendolyn Hooks in The Underground Railroad refusing to use the automatically tinged with negativity and criminal wrongdoing terms of fugitives or runaways to describe slaves escaping or trying to escape, but instead using the term freedom seekers, yes, the combination of text and images as well as the excellent bibliographic resources make The Underground Railroad solidly for stars for me and also highly recommended for both at home and in class use, but that sadly, I could also and easily see hate groups like Mums for Liberty, but which should instead and in my not at all humble opinion be labelled and called Mums for Stalinism or Mums for Naziism as well as dicktatorial (sic) US governors like Ron DeSantis et al challenging, censoring and banning The Underground Railroad and likely the entirety of the History Smasher series. And well, and finally, the only reason for my rating for The Underground Railroad not quite being five stars is that I do kind of wish that Messner and Hooks would be a bit more critical and not so inherently positive and laudatory regarding Canada in their text (since it is for me certainly not sufficiently shown and pointed out in The Underground Railroad that while in what is now Canada, slavery was illegal by the mid 1800s and thus a natural and to be expected final goal for escaping slavery African Americans, this did not of course mean there was no racism, no segregation etc. happening there, so that escaped slaves could basically find freedom in British North America but not necessarily be completely if not even mostly free from harassment and bigotry).

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden)]

I love this nonfiction series! Accessible for young readers but not condescending, and still plenty to learn for adults as well. And the format is really well-done and engaging: lots of images and graphics and quotations, all laid out in a way that is easy to follow and very interesting.

I loved the way this one covered not just the misconceptions about the Underground Railroad, but abolition itself. And I really appreciate that the authors will point out that even though there might not be a written record of one of these stories, that doesn't mean it didn't happen, and will use it as an opportunity to talk about the vital role of oral and family history for African Americans.

And I can't believe I never learned (well, I can) that the majority of people who risked themselves helping Black people get to freedom were other Black people. That definitely makes sense, but you probably wouldn't know it from most textbooks!

There were a couple little things in this book I wish had been done / worded differently - like, I wish the repeated emphasis on how brave and clever enslaved people had to be to escape (which is very true!) was followed up with some acknowledgment that not escaping didn't mean you weren't smart or brave or determined enough. I definitely think that's not the tone of the book! it just stood out to me in a book where the overall language is so thoughtful. (Ex: I really love the way the book refused to use the words "fugitives" or "runaways", because it makes enslaved people sound like rule-breaking troublemakers rather than people determined to live free like they deserve. And though initially I wondered if "freedom seekers" might be kind of clunky, I actually think it worked really well as a substitute.)

CW: Slavery, racism, family separation, grief

[Chan Fry]

Like the previous ‘History Smashers’ books I’ve read (at the prompting of my 11-year-old daughter), this one is clearly aimed at children — “tweens”, I think — but could still be useful to adults. Though I do prefer more academic histories, I know many adult readers don’t, and this contains enough information to be useful outside the given age range.

[Alex]

I am so in love with this series!

This one had a lot of information that I never knew, and I learned a ton from this book. I hope there are more to come!

[Melinda]

I like that this one is a little snarkier. “Right now you’re probably thinking ‘Wait a minute…some people thought it was better to ship people across an ocean instead of dealing with their own racism?’ The answer is pretty much yes. That’s what they thought.”

[Susan Taylor]

My first History Smasher; I'll definitely read ALL the others. The various elements—photos and drawings, snippets of primary sources, and short "graphic novel-ish" pages, make a significant and sensitive topic accessible to our younger readers. However, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to a YA and adult audience.

[Melinda Billingsley]

As an adult reader, this book was informational, engaging, and accessible to read but didn't feel too juvenile. Great presentation of information for young and old readers!

This could be read independently by elementary readers and above. With clearly outlined sections and plentiful illustrations, this could also be read aloud or in a group a little at a time.

[Annie]

Why do I keep torturing myself with this author’s books? Her basic premise with this whole series is that if you can’t prove it happened, then it didn’t actually happen.
That is faulty reasoning.

[Cheryl]

Best of the lot. A little different - more about elaborating than smashing. A surprising number of primary sources were found, and a discussion of the validity of oral history is included. I learned a lot and highly recommend this book to *all.*

" in this book unless we're using the word' slave' as historical language in a quote from a primary source, that's how we'll talk about them, as people. They were not slaves. They were people who were enslaved. We'll also avoid using the word 'runaway' and 'fugitive' to describe those who escaped from slavery. Those words make people sound like criminals simply because they rejected the idea that it was fine for one person to own another."

One thing I am thrilled to learn is how many uprisings and other actions were taken by those who were enslaved. I was never taught that; I was schooled in an era that talked of them as if they were passive victims, and in the decades since I've always wondered why they didn't fight back. Well, now I wonder why I wasn't taught that they did.

There was also a southern Underground Railroad, so to speak. Mexico welcomed and sheltered freedom-seekers after they abolished slavery in 1829. These people were also safer in the Bahamas, and among the Native peoples in Florida, for example.

But most had to escape on their own. The UR was a good thing, sure, run by good people, but not in any way strong or effective enough to assist nearly as many people as attempted to run away as is implied in some casually written histories.

Another thing that I found interesting is that the Fugitive Slave Act was seen, even at the time, by an awful lot of people, as a Very Bad Thing. People would even take up arms against the bounty hunters.

Just a fascinating book, sure to make any African-American child feel pride in their ancestry, and everyone to feel respect & empathy.

[Julie Suzanne]

This is not about Tubman and the network of safe-houses and Tubman-led escapes as one might expect from the title. It's a collection of stories and facts about how enslaved people freed themselves (in the U.S.) and the context for each situation. You'll go way back to thriving African nations and the start of the transatlantic slave trade to the abolishment of slavery and a bit after.

Much of the smashing takes the white-savior-centered narrative of the Underground Railroad and focuses on enslaved people's efforts to escape the chains of slavery. It was interesting but not more than a 3-star book for me, probably because there was almost nothing new to me. Students will learn a lot, though!

[Amanda]

An honest look at what the Underground Railroad was really like.

This reminds me of the Pearl Harbor book in the series since it's so all over the place, and barely features the Underground Railroad. I was expecting more about the myths and truths about the journey people went on trying to escape slavery. (And yes, I know there aren't many records due to people protecting one another's privacy, but I still expected more about what they went through or how the system was started, etc). This book tries to cover every aspect about slavery instead of just focusing on the Underground Railroad and it just felt very confusing and scatter brained.

[Pam]

Part of the History Smashers series.
Though the title states Underground Railroad, this volume covers so much more. Messner takes readers to the start of slavery in the United States and reaches back farther in time to show how long slavery has been part of human history. She then brings readers through the time just prior to the Civil War. From there, she shares the post war strife through some of the modern issues.
Though she did acknowledge that oral history is important, I was bothered by her rejection of so much of it in this volume.

[Janet]

What we’ve always known about the Underground Railroad is a somewhat “romanticized” version of what it really was. This book shares valuable information about who really helped these freedom seekers (mostly other black people, not always white “saviors”) and what was actually involved.

It was interesting to learn that so many of these people kept journals of dates, people and circumstances of who they helped. But with the Fugitive Slave Act, many got scared of being found out and burned their journals so as not to implicate themselves. How devastating to have all that valuable history lost!

[Melissa Brooks]

I learned a lot about the underground railroad. Interesting book but to me the author felt sort of pushy. African American were important on the underground railroad and enslaved people were resilient and were not Passive. Freedom Seeker sounds great and I think it should be used more often.

[Talia]

I liked this one; I appreciated the care going into the research, and liked the accessibility towards young readers. Listened to this one with my 3 kids (5,9,12), so can't speak to any of the illustrations, but the various chapters were still engaging.

[Tressa]

Another excellent addition to the History Smashers series.

[Kim]

Another good installment in the History Smashers series. Even though it's aimed at children, I still enjoy learning about what was myth and fact from my own studies as a child (and later).

[Rebecca Lowe]

Middle school appropriate. An engaging writing style that makes learning history interesting and accessible. Not as fun as Horrible Histories but not all history is or should be funny.

[wildct2003]

Very informative with lots of good resources at the end

[Becky]

Really interesting and fun read with my son. Learned a lot.

[Holly]

Good one! Has many of the same messages and facts as books like _Stamped_, etc., so hopefully more kids will read about these true histories.

[Rachel]

It seems as though the Underground Railroad was an afterthought in this book because of the majority of the book wasn’t even about the Underground Railroad.

[Cecile]

p. 14-

[Susan]

My favorite history series for kids! It's informative and enjoyable for adults, too. I wish there was one for every period of history, including world history.

[Laura]

A good history of chattel slavery — I learned several details I had been previously unaware of.

[Jan Gustafson]

Interesting book that deals with the Underground Railroad!!

[Brenda]

Audiobook

This series was great! It provided a clear explanation of the historical events and why they are different in textbooks.

[Mindy Christianson]

I love these books, and so does my second grader. We are both learning so much!

[Jena Courtney]

I loved this book about history.

[Sarah Shafer]

Excellent overview of the underground railroad/slavery and freedom seeking. This was possibly our favorite out of all these books so far! Very well done.