Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass

A thought-provoking portrait of celebrated human-rights activist Frederick Douglass by the acclaimed author of To Dare Mighty Things and Martin's Big Words.

Frederick Douglass was born a slave. He was taken from his mother as a baby, and separated from his grandparents when he was six. He suffered hunger and abuse, but miraculously, he learned how to read. Frederick read newspapers left in the street, and secretly collected spellings from neighborhood children. Words, he knew, would set him free. When Frederick was twenty, he escaped to the North, where he spread his abolitionist beliefs through newspaper articles, autobiographies, and speeches. He believed that all people-regardless of color or gender-were entitled to equal rights. It is Douglass's words, as well as his life, that still provide hope and inspiration across generations.

In this installment of the critically acclaimed Big Words series, Doreen Rappaport captures Frederick's journey from boy to man, from slavery to freedom, by weaving Frederick's powerful words with her own. London Ladd's strong and evocative illustrations combine with the text to create a moving portrait of an extraordinary life.

Author: Doreen Rappaport
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 11/03/2015
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 11.60h x 9.90w x 0.30d
ISBN: 9781423114383
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.4
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 177756 / Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2015
School Library Journal 10/01/2015 pg. 130
Booklist 10/15/2015 pg. 40
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2016 pg. 115
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2016

About the Author
Doreen Rappaport has written numerous award-winning books for children, including Freedom Ship and The School Is Not White (both illustrated by Curtis James); Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book illustrated by Bryan Collier; and John's Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon, also illustrated by Bryan Collier.

London Ladd has illustrated a number of children's books, including the award-winning March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World by Christine King Farris, Under the Freedom Tree by Susan VanHecke, and Lend a Hand by John Frank. He teaches art at an inner-city after-school program, and hopes to one day open an art center so that families can develop projects of their own. He lives and creates in Syracuse, New York. Visit him at londonladd.com.