Underground by Shane Evans

Evans, Shane. Underground, 32 pages. Roaring Brook Press; 1 edition, 2011. $16.99. Language-G; Violence-G; Sexual Content-G. Inside cover: “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.” This story about a journey on the Underground Railroad tugs at the heartstrings. It’s hard to imagine being “owned” by another person. Children and adults today need to be reminded of this tragic part of history and appreciate their own freedom. There are many applications for use in the classroom in all grades, even though the book has very few words. EL (K-3), EL. Middle School. High School. ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: SL