Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom
    Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom
    Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom
    Ebook35 pages12 minutes

    Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom

    By Shane W. Evans

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    One of School Library Journal's Best Nonfiction Books of 2011

    A few well chosen words and spellbinding images pack an emotion wallop not soon forgotten in this picture book for young readers about the Underground Railroad.

    A family silently crawls along the ground. They run barefoot through unlit woods, sleep beneath bushes, take shelter in a kind stranger's home. Where are they heading? They are heading for Freedom by way of the Underground Railroad.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateJan 18, 2011
    ISBN9781466814394
    Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom
    Author

    Shane W. Evans

    Shane W. Evans has created pictures for over 50 books for children, including Why?, Mixed Me!, and My Friend! He has worked with authors including Shaquille O'Neal, Andrea Davis Pinkney, and Holly Robinson Peete. His awards and honors include Jane Addams Honor Book awards for Lillian's Right to Vote and We March; and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, all of which he wrote and illustrated. Shane also received an NAACP Image Award for his collaborative work with the Peete family on My Brother Charlie. Follow him at: shaneevans.com & dreamstudio777.com

    Related to Underground

    Related ebooks

    Children's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Underground

    4.5/5

    122 ratings32 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This picture book has only a few short words, but the story it tells is immense. Each page takes us through the journey that run away slaves on the underground railroad went through starting with the initial escape and ending with the light of freedom. We learn about the dangers they faced such as slave hunters, the people who risked their lives to help them, and the joy of freedom when they finally reach the north. The last page tells explains the underground railroad and the history that surrounds it. The emotion in this book is raw. I found myself hoping and dreaming and fearing and even crying right along with the characters seen in the illustrations. The illustrations, which tell most of the story, are powerful. The dark color scheme, representing the darkness of the night, adds even more suspense. (Historical Fiction/informational)
    • 4/5
      The genre of this book is historical fiction. In this simply told story, the reader follows an African-American family on their escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Evans does a good job of highlighting the emotions that people would have felt in just a few words. This book would be appropriate for use in a 1st grade classroom.
    • 5/5
      This book used only phrases on each page to tell a powerful and chilling story about escaping slavery. Even though the phrases were no longer than 3-4 words, the author got the point across with the help of the amazing illustrations.
    • 4/5
      Shane Evans uses short, simple sentences to tell a basic story of slaves escaping to freedom. Yet again, he has found a way to communicate complex topics to little readers. The rear information page proivdes a great supplement for adults who want to branch off into larger discussions after reading.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book and think it is a really nice way to introduce this topic to younger students. It follows an African American family as they escape from slavery and run to freedom. It only has like 3 words on each page, but those words with the pictures tell a really touching story that would be an easy read for students. It may require some adult explanation as this book deals with some more complex things than a younger student may be used to.
    • 4/5
      Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom by Shane W. Evans won the 2012 Coretta Scott King award for illustration. Told in the dark blues, lavenders and grays of night, it follows a family as they try to make it to the next stop along the Underground Railroad.Have you ever walked at night without benefit of street lamps or flash light, trying to take a path you might know by heart in daylight? What about a trail that you've never visited? Now imagine having to do this quietly because your life and your children's lives depend on it.The stark illustrations, really nearly abstract drive the experience home. There is danger and urgency in the eyes of this family. The only break in the monochrome pallet is the light in the cabin, signally arrival and safety.Underground can be used as a visually stunning introduction to an important part of U.S. history and help children think about what it might have been like to take the Underground Railroad.
    • 4/5
      Interesting story to describe the underground railroad to young children. I think this is a great book that can elicit questioning of our history in the United States.
    • 5/5
      This book is quite interesting in the way it is written. While each page has a very simple sentence, those sentences pack a punch of meaning. Children of many ages will appreciate this book about the underground railroad. It could accompany any lesson about slavery in different ways.
    • 3/5
      There are only a few words on each page, but with the illustration it helps to clarify that it is slaves reaching out for freedom. It is the path many slaves had to travel through to see the light. light represent freedom. This is a very good book to read to children when teaching a history lesson on slavery.
    • 3/5
      In Underground a family crawls along the ground in search for freedom. This book uses minimal words but the choice of words along with the pictures make the search for freedom memorable. I would read this book to students beginning to learn about slavery. The reading level of this book is easy but the meaning is much more important.
    • 4/5
      Deceptively simple text and illustrations pack a powerful emotional punch in Evans' story of the Underground Railroad.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful story that takes the reader along on a past journey with a group of slaves attempting to escape. The simple text and dramatic illustrations depict the challenges and danger of escaping slavery.
    • 5/5
      This is a great historical fiction book to share with very young children. The text is very simple but has a dramatic affect. The story is carried by the illustrations which makes it easy for young children to follow along and use their imagination. The tone is very clearly depicted through the combination of text and illustrations, mostly use of color.
    • 5/5
      This is a very strong book, but one that can still be used in a 2nd-4th grade classroom. It uses the pictures to tell the story and does not rely on the words, which there are very few of. The colors of the pictures portray the mood. Each page has one, two or three words. This is a great book to use to introduce younger children to the historical events of the Underground Railroad.
    • 5/5
      This book talks about slavery and how people escaped. The illustrations were done in dark colors to depict the sadness during the escapes, and light when the characters became free. I would use this book for U.S. History and Black History Month.
    • 5/5
      A work of stunning simplicity.
    • 5/5
      Underground by Shane W. Evans is a short picture book appropriate for children grades K-3. The book is beautifully illustrated and is a great book for children to read when they are learning to read. Some of the pages only contain one word, so it would be useful in teaching children to read so that they can enjoy the story on their own. It would also be useful in introducing the concept of historical struggles in America to younger children who might not yet be able to understand a detailed history lesson
    • 3/5
      Interesting read. There are very few words in the book so the pictures do a great deal of the story telling. I think I would use this book to encourage students to make infeences about what is going on. The goal would be to teach students to look beyond what is explicitly stated in the text to find deeper understandings. The reading level is kindergarten or 1st grade children, because as long as a student can read a few basic words, they can read the book.
    • 5/5
      This is a story about the underground railroad and a families journey to freedom. The illustrations tell most of this story because each page only has a few words. It doesn't explain the underground railroad, but from the few words and mainly the pictures, the reader will see how hard life really was for slaves to reach freedom. The illustrations are amazing and really portray the heart of the people in search of freedom. Genre critique: This is a good example of historical fiction because although it's not based on a real family, the characters are portrayed in a historically accurate setting. The underground railroad is a major part of civil rights history and this book does a very effective job of displaying this time in history. Media: pencil/colored pencil
    • 5/5
      Shane Evens did an excellent job illustration this children's book. The pictures lead the reader through the book, explaining peoples struggles to freedom.
    • 5/5
      Phenomenal. This book is moving. It's a beautiful take on a dark subject. Underground gives readers a look at the Underground Railroad from the perspective of the runaway slaves. It's not a book with detailed accounts of anything that happened, but you still get a crystal clear picture of the struggles the runaways slaves were faced with. Shane Evans gets readers to come along on their journey by giving us detailed images paired with an average of three words per page. That's right, three words. An example of this minimalistic approach to writting is seen on page two. We are shown three individuals creepping away from a building in the dead of night. The caption for that illustration reads "the escape". That's all readers need. With just those three words and the picture, we can visualize the walk those indivduals took that night. Tjis is one of the best books i've seen for children that explains this topic. It's a necessary part of our history and should be taught in a way that children will understand. This is that way. Amazing job. Details: This story was written to interest children in grades K-3 and is on a 0.6 reading level.
    • 3/5
      I wanted to like this more. Packed with emotion, but with no information. It is cataloged as a nonfiction book, but the pictures and the words work better as a story.
    • 5/5
      Much like Mo Willems, Evans does a lot with simple, evocative images and words. The theme of traveling from darkness to light is a great one, and kids will enjoy discovering it on their own. The additional story of the mother giving birth while escaping is powerful, as well.
    • 4/5
      A simplistic set of line drawing images created this picture book. The beginning art work is on dark blue paper using on black lines and some white to depict stars and the moon. As the storyline progresses to the middle of the book the images become lighter and some yellow/orange is introduced as the fire torches. As the slaves come closer and closer to freedom the pages depict the feeling by becoming lighter and brighter. The sun is introduced to shed light and happiness of the promise freedom land is within reach. The text is written in simple two to three word sentences. The words are powerful and the illustrations help the reader get a sense of fear and hope as the slaves take a brave step towards freedom.
    • 5/5
      Noteable LA. Very powerful with very few words. Beautiful artwork.
    • 5/5
      This is a picture book about the time of black slavery and the underground railroad. This book is very minimal in words.
    • 4/5
      This was a really simple book about the journey a family of slaves took to escape slavery. This book was effective in that the pictures did most of the talking but putting the words and pictures together created a whole making the book very effective.
    • 4/5
      The author does an amazing job of making the escape of one group of slaves which are depicted throughout the book relate the larger story of all of the African-Americans who fled via the Underground Railroad before slavery was abolished. Sparse wording and evocative folk art styled illustrations allow the author to show a powerful story.
    • 4/5
      Pictures employ light and dark colors to portray the fear, sadness, anticipation, and hope felt by slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad. Moving and awe-inspiring for young and older readers.
    • 5/5
      This book's striking illustrations and minimalist text make for a powerful book to use with students young and old when teaching about slavery in America. Also great for teaching tone.

    Book preview

    Underground - Shane W. Evans

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1