annebennett1957's review against another edition
5.0
I've read other books by and about Frederick Douglass and this one is the best, by far. It is full of photos of Douglass and other people he associated with. It shows examples of his newspapers, photos of his homes, even items within the home. Bolden makes a big deal that Frederick Douglass was so much more than just "an escaped slave who went on to lecture a lot." I highly recommend this book to readers, middle grades through adults.
tracyfeye's review against another edition
2.0
I just didn't like the way the book was structured. It seemed to disjointed to me. I read it to preview for my students and I think they would like a more linear approach as well.
mrsjhasbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I am SO GLAD I randomly grabbed this book off my shelves before leaving for the summer (Although how many of us SPS staff have been in our schools since June 4? AmIRight?)
I purchased this book after my great nonfiction purge last year, but it hadn't been checked out yet. The cover is meh, but after reading it, the contents are anything but. The summer of 2017, my family took an epic road trip and visited Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York, where Frederick Douglass is buried. I knew very little about him, having only taught excerpts from his "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," and other than the fact that he was a suffragist and a freed slave, I hadn't spent much time learning about his incredible life.
Tonya Bolden's beautiful book paid homage to the unbelievable work that Douglass did to advance the rights of black men and women in this country. To simply call his legacy as that of a "freed slave" does not do justice to the lifetime he spent cultivating friendships and alliances that would aid him in having the plight of the black man heard by people in power. His ability to gain the ear of powerful men helped him work toward both the abolishment of slavery and their eventual right to vote.
His life's work is captured in this beautiful book, complete with incredible photographs and artwork that reveal the life of a man who many of us have heard about but know only a fraction of his accomplishments. Our visit to his gravesite was humbling, but after reading this book, I feel even more compelled to share with others what an incredible man Frederick Douglass truly was. Pick this book up, and you will not be disappointed. It is a speedy read, and the gorgeous pages will have you oohing and aahing over the book's structure as well. A must read for history lovers, civil rights lovers, and those who yearn to know more about distinguished Americans.
I purchased this book after my great nonfiction purge last year, but it hadn't been checked out yet. The cover is meh, but after reading it, the contents are anything but. The summer of 2017, my family took an epic road trip and visited Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York, where Frederick Douglass is buried. I knew very little about him, having only taught excerpts from his "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," and other than the fact that he was a suffragist and a freed slave, I hadn't spent much time learning about his incredible life.
Tonya Bolden's beautiful book paid homage to the unbelievable work that Douglass did to advance the rights of black men and women in this country. To simply call his legacy as that of a "freed slave" does not do justice to the lifetime he spent cultivating friendships and alliances that would aid him in having the plight of the black man heard by people in power. His ability to gain the ear of powerful men helped him work toward both the abolishment of slavery and their eventual right to vote.
His life's work is captured in this beautiful book, complete with incredible photographs and artwork that reveal the life of a man who many of us have heard about but know only a fraction of his accomplishments. Our visit to his gravesite was humbling, but after reading this book, I feel even more compelled to share with others what an incredible man Frederick Douglass truly was. Pick this book up, and you will not be disappointed. It is a speedy read, and the gorgeous pages will have you oohing and aahing over the book's structure as well. A must read for history lovers, civil rights lovers, and those who yearn to know more about distinguished Americans.
toad_maiden's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this engaging, YA-friendly biography format, and Bolden's writing is illustrative and engaging. I found it difficult sometimes to follow her timeline, especially in the first few chapters of the books, though. Still, this is an excellent, accessible biography of one of America's greatest and most interesting men, whose philosophies and life still resonate today.
crystalisreading's review against another edition
5.0
I'd read Frederick Douglass' memoirs before, but no books about him by another author. I'm totally mesmerized not just by his story (as many white people of his time were), but by the man himself. He sounds like an amazing person, and I've been working up to reading one of his many giant biographies when I saw this book pass through the library, I snapped it up right away, of course, and I'm so glad I did.
Our library classified it as YA, although I didn't feel like the writing was dumbed down. I learned things about Douglass I didn't know before, such as the alleged affair between himself and the woman who translated his works into German and was "close friends" and a frequent house guest with the Douglass family. or about the fact that Frederick addressed environmental issues in his first publication, among the many other issues he cared about. I also didn't realize the extent of the wealth Frederick accumulated by the time he died. I also appreciated more information about both of his wives, who Frederick barely mentioned in his books. There's still not enough information about them in this book for my taste, but this is a book about Frederick, not them, and had limited space to tell his vast story, so I guess I can deal.
I enjoyed the formatting. The parchment colored pages were easier on my eyes than bleached white, and I enjoyed the quotations strewn throughout the narrative, often by contemporaries of Douglass or newspapers of his time. There were also more photographs of Douglass than I'd seen before, and photos of many other important people in his life. The visuals and the echoes of the voices of those around Frederick were not only fascinating, but helped gain an even greater sense of the man Frederick Douglass.
I'll be adding this book to my collection of books by/ about Frederick Douglass, and I highly recommend this book to anyone--the storytelling and formatting are engaging enough for even teens, but the content, including less common photos of Frederick, is worthwhile reading for any adult as well, for an easy and engaging primer on the life of a great American. I think everyone should know more about his life, and this is an easy place to start.
Also, I've been saying this for years, but WHEN are we going to get a movie about Frederick Douglass? If ever an American historical figure deserved one, you think it'd be him.
Our library classified it as YA, although I didn't feel like the writing was dumbed down. I learned things about Douglass I didn't know before, such as the alleged affair between himself and the woman who translated his works into German and was "close friends" and a frequent house guest with the Douglass family. or about the fact that Frederick addressed environmental issues in his first publication, among the many other issues he cared about. I also didn't realize the extent of the wealth Frederick accumulated by the time he died. I also appreciated more information about both of his wives, who Frederick barely mentioned in his books. There's still not enough information about them in this book for my taste, but this is a book about Frederick, not them, and had limited space to tell his vast story, so I guess I can deal.
I enjoyed the formatting. The parchment colored pages were easier on my eyes than bleached white, and I enjoyed the quotations strewn throughout the narrative, often by contemporaries of Douglass or newspapers of his time. There were also more photographs of Douglass than I'd seen before, and photos of many other important people in his life. The visuals and the echoes of the voices of those around Frederick were not only fascinating, but helped gain an even greater sense of the man Frederick Douglass.
I'll be adding this book to my collection of books by/ about Frederick Douglass, and I highly recommend this book to anyone--the storytelling and formatting are engaging enough for even teens, but the content, including less common photos of Frederick, is worthwhile reading for any adult as well, for an easy and engaging primer on the life of a great American. I think everyone should know more about his life, and this is an easy place to start.
Also, I've been saying this for years, but WHEN are we going to get a movie about Frederick Douglass? If ever an American historical figure deserved one, you think it'd be him.
frumiouslyalice's review against another edition
5.0
I've decided to change my mind and give this book five stars, because for what it is it fits the mold perfectly. Douglass is not a character talked enough about in American history, and I didn't feel that the book overly deifies him, though why for the life of me anyone would be surprised by that in American history (particularly one aimed at children) is bizarre to me (or is it, because this one is about a black icon). The book is remarkably good at portraying divides in abolitionist movements at the time and for what reasons. It brings up certain follies of Lincoln that go severely under-discussed, and highlights the change from abolitionism to black suffrage. I really appreciate all the photos in the book, and most importantly I realized that most of the photos were not necessarily of the people that the book discusses, but other black figureheads and abolitionists from the time. It doesn't give a face to the vicious racists who railed against him, and though it was a small note, I found it a welcome underlying statement of the book.
Overall a really strong children's biography with more to admire than its flaws, which are more common in kid's nonfiction than people ever seem to give credit for.
Overall a really strong children's biography with more to admire than its flaws, which are more common in kid's nonfiction than people ever seem to give credit for.
amdame1's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Frederick Douglass was able to escape slavery while still a fairly young man. He had been taught to read and one of his books was a book of speeches. Douglass was a gifted orator and he spoke vehemently against slavery. He was much sought after and was paid well. He also wrote and ran several newspapers. He was married and had several children. He was an important figurehead and voice for the black people. He also really liked photography and there are many pictures of him at various times in his life; they are shown throughout the book. An enjoyable read and engrossing - except for all the parentheticals! They really should have been made part of the narrative. There was one typo: Santioned instead of sanctioned. Pages were very glossy. Lots of pictures and photographs and maps throughout. Engaging. Important topic. Extensive timeline with annotations.
Frederick Douglass was able to escape slavery while still a fairly young man. He had been taught to read and one of his books was a book of speeches. Douglass was a gifted orator and he spoke vehemently against slavery. He was much sought after and was paid well. He also wrote and ran several newspapers. He was married and had several children. He was an important figurehead and voice for the black people. He also really liked photography and there are many pictures of him at various times in his life; they are shown throughout the book. An enjoyable read and engrossing - except for all the parentheticals! They really should have been made part of the narrative. There was one typo: Santioned instead of sanctioned. Pages were very glossy. Lots of pictures and photographs and maps throughout. Engaging. Important topic. Extensive timeline with annotations.
bethmitcham's review
3.0
This introduction to the life of Frederick Douglass is enhanced by the many reproductions of photographs of both him and people in his life. This bring him to life and show how he changed and developed through the years physically in addition to philosophically and emotionally. Bolden describes the path of his life and touches on the ramifications of some of this, leaving me interested and hoping to seek out a more detailed discussion.
glyptodonsneeze's review
5.0
This is a fantastic book.
There's a scene in Underground where Cato, the evil guy, walks up to Frederick Douglass himself (technically an actor playing Frederick Douglass in 2016) and says, "Your first autobiography was remarkable but I haven't had a chance to crack the second one." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maoi2sHILtE This is a profound slap in the face to one of the greatest Americans we've had so far; something akin to walking up to Bill Clinton and saying, "I appreciate your work towards a more equitable America but that Monica Lewinsky thing was a huge mistake." You think that, but you don't do that. Never! You don't say that to person you're thinking the thing about because they're venerable, but it's true, and Tonya Bolden explains why Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is one of the most important books in American history but you haven't quite gotten around to My Bondage and My Freedom.
And I never thought I could be so cheesed off at William Lloyd Garrison.
This is a young adult non-fiction book, and since I'm not that familiar with Douglass' later life, I'm inclined to assume that it had some complexity that Bolden only brushed up against because this book is intended for eighth graders, but whatever she missed by not writing a doorstop biography is replaced by a wonderful feel for Douglass himself and his struggles and reality that is not bogged down in minutia or hagiography. (Apparently Lincoln didn't even remember meeting Douglass later on, although he did.) Read this, and then maybe get to all three of Douglass' biographies, because you haven't yet.
There's a scene in Underground where Cato, the evil guy, walks up to Frederick Douglass himself (technically an actor playing Frederick Douglass in 2016) and says, "Your first autobiography was remarkable but I haven't had a chance to crack the second one." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maoi2sHILtE This is a profound slap in the face to one of the greatest Americans we've had so far; something akin to walking up to Bill Clinton and saying, "I appreciate your work towards a more equitable America but that Monica Lewinsky thing was a huge mistake." You think that, but you don't do that. Never! You don't say that to person you're thinking the thing about because they're venerable, but it's true, and Tonya Bolden explains why Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is one of the most important books in American history but you haven't quite gotten around to My Bondage and My Freedom.
And I never thought I could be so cheesed off at William Lloyd Garrison.
This is a young adult non-fiction book, and since I'm not that familiar with Douglass' later life, I'm inclined to assume that it had some complexity that Bolden only brushed up against because this book is intended for eighth graders, but whatever she missed by not writing a doorstop biography is replaced by a wonderful feel for Douglass himself and his struggles and reality that is not bogged down in minutia or hagiography. (Apparently Lincoln didn't even remember meeting Douglass later on, although he did.) Read this, and then maybe get to all three of Douglass' biographies, because you haven't yet.
tinkeringlibrarian's review
3.0
This book is well-researched but a little too dry. I think the author overcorrected in not conjecturing about Douglass' emotions and sticking solely to facts and correspondance, which leaves the reader cold. You do not get the same sense of what Douglass was going through as you do through other biographical works of civil rights leaders like March.
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