Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

Written by Michael Martin

Narrated by Susan Spain

When Harriet Tubman was born a plantation slave in 1820, her parents hoped she could learn a trade and be spared from working in the fields. But because she defended a slave against an overseer, she became a field hand anyway. As she learned to survive in the woods and find her way by the North Star, she dreamed of freedom. When she was almost 30, she finally made her escape-but securing her own freedom wasn't enough. Risking life and limb, she became a conductor on the Underground Railroad to help other slaves flee to safety. A symbol of strength and hope, this legendary 'Moses' led over 300 of her people to freedom and a new life. In an ALCS Notable Recording, Peter Francis James' dynamic narration enhances the poignancy of Ann Petry's lilting prose and helps inspire millions with the compassion, bravery, and moral integrity of a true American hero. "An unusually well-written and moving life of the 'Moses of her people.'"-Horn Book Magazine "[In 1955] Ann Petry brought the world to its feet with the artistry in this painfully honest and wrenching novel. Once again a standing ovation is due for this American classic."-Philadelphia Inquirer

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781501938719

Michael Martin

Michael Martin, a Mennonite pastor turned blacksmith, is founder and executive director of RAWtools Inc. and blogs at RAWtools.org. RAWtools turns guns into garden tools (and other lovely things), resourcing communities with nonviolent confrontation skills in an effort to turn stories of violence into stories of creation. RAWtools has been featured in the New York Times and on Inside Edition and NPR. Martin lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Reviews for Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

[quondame · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This short graphic telling of Harriet Tubman's life and achievements is more an inspirational pamphlet than a narrative. A bit dull in language and art, it is very basic.

[teacherlibrarian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Martin, Michael. (2005). Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press.This is a simplified biography of Harriet Tubman presented in graphic novel format. It tells about Tubman’s life as a slave, including the time an overseer threw a heavy weight and hit her on the head, causing headaches and blackouts for the rest of her life. It also tells what prompted her to escape slavery in the first place and how she hid at stations along the Underground Railroad on her way to freedom in Pennsylvania. The biography shows the events that led her to help others escape and relates a sampling of other trips to show what kinds of dangers she had to overcome on the19 trips she took on the Underground Railroad over nine years to lead over 300 people to freedom.This is a good simplified biography suitable for upper elementary students from 4th-6th grade. It is an accurate account of key events in the life of an enduring American heroine. Knowing about Tubman and her work to help slaves escape gives older elementary children a wider perspective about American leaders and heroes than they usually get from school, where they often study the accomplishments of White men. The accuracy of the biography is assured by the extensive bibliography. It is clear Martin intends that his readers learn about Tubman from this biography since he provides a table of contents, glossary, and index. He also provides a list of books and websites about Tubman where the reader can extend his or her study of Tubman. The book presents accurate facts in a graphic novel format. The facts are presented as the plain narration on each page. Interest is added by the detailed color illustrations and dialogue bubbles, which bring immediacy to the events of Tubman’s life and make her feel more personal to the student. This is where her “character” has life and emotion and seems realistic. Tubman is seen as a well-rounded person who feels despair and joy. She is seen as a person who can risk her own safety to help others time and time again but who can also point a gun at a person she’s leading to safely to prevent him from turning back because she knows that when he’s captured he’ll be forced to reveal the whereabouts of the stations he’s seen on the Underground Railroad. Children who read this biography will come away knowing of Tubman’s compassion and bravery and understanding the strength and courage of those people she led to freedom.

[naisy_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This graphic novel is a good presentation of true events surrounding Harriet Tubman's mission to free slaves in Maryland. Excellent graphics and succinct information for intended audience (grade 4-6). Would be good to use as introductory material, additional resource if inquiring about slavery and/or women's rights.