Friday, June 3, 2011

Allen Jay and the Underground Railroad written by Marlene Targ Brill illustrated by Janice Lee Porter

This book is written from the perspective of an eight year old Quaker boy, with special needs, who helps slaves escape to freedom despite his fear of being caught.  Honestly, the book is not fabulous and the illustrations are less than captivating but I believe this book is important because it allows young readers to connect with the characters and offers a different perspective from many of the other children's books on the Underground Railroad.  I also believe that this book sheds light on the fact that children with special needs can overcome their personal struggles and accomplish great things. 

Allen Jay and the Underground Railroad is another book I would use with Reader's Theater.  I would also use this book as a basis for a discussion on morality and ethical dilemmas.  This is a book that incorporates authentic language for the time period and depicts real historical events which could be used as a writing example for many written assignments on the topic of the Underground Railroad.

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