Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad
Title: Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad
Author: Henry Cole
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year of Publication: 2012
Genre: Fiction
Kirkus Book Review Rating: Starred Reviewed
Summary: Without the use of words, Unspoken tells the tale of a brave girl who helps an escaped slave achieve their freedom.
Summary of Professional Reviews: During the Civil War, a farmer's daughter and a fugitive slave make an "unspoken" friendship as the girl helps him on his journey to freedom. After watching a group of confederate soldiers come through her farm the young girl continues on her chores she becomes stricken with fear knowing she has an escaped slave in the cornstalks. She does not mention their presence to her extended family and takes them food, but never sees more than their eyes. In the afterwards, Cole thinks back to his life in Virginia and his connections to the war. He also explains the reasoning to a few of the constants that are in all of his monochrome pencil illustrations throughout the book. Overall Cole's book raises the question, "What would you do if you had the chance to help someone achieve their freedom?"
Review by Terese Wylie: Without the use of words, Cole creates an exhilarating story about a young girl doing what she knows is right even if it is against the law. Set during the Civil War, a young farm girl knows that the slave hiding inside their corn stalks should not be there, but she does not reveal them to the passing Confederate troops knowing they will take them away. The suspense climaxes when the girl returns and all that is left is a doll as a thank you for keeping them safe and giving them food. In the afterward Cole reveals his childhood of hearing Civil War stories while living in Virginia. He also goes into detail as to why he included the quilt on the fence and the North Star is present in all the night pictures. With much detail made by the simple pencil drawings emotions are visible on the girl's face and color is not needed to make the story come to life.
This book would be useful when teaching…
Author: Henry Cole
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year of Publication: 2012
Genre: Fiction
Kirkus Book Review Rating: Starred Reviewed
Summary: Without the use of words, Unspoken tells the tale of a brave girl who helps an escaped slave achieve their freedom.
Summary of Professional Reviews: During the Civil War, a farmer's daughter and a fugitive slave make an "unspoken" friendship as the girl helps him on his journey to freedom. After watching a group of confederate soldiers come through her farm the young girl continues on her chores she becomes stricken with fear knowing she has an escaped slave in the cornstalks. She does not mention their presence to her extended family and takes them food, but never sees more than their eyes. In the afterwards, Cole thinks back to his life in Virginia and his connections to the war. He also explains the reasoning to a few of the constants that are in all of his monochrome pencil illustrations throughout the book. Overall Cole's book raises the question, "What would you do if you had the chance to help someone achieve their freedom?"
Review by Terese Wylie: Without the use of words, Cole creates an exhilarating story about a young girl doing what she knows is right even if it is against the law. Set during the Civil War, a young farm girl knows that the slave hiding inside their corn stalks should not be there, but she does not reveal them to the passing Confederate troops knowing they will take them away. The suspense climaxes when the girl returns and all that is left is a doll as a thank you for keeping them safe and giving them food. In the afterward Cole reveals his childhood of hearing Civil War stories while living in Virginia. He also goes into detail as to why he included the quilt on the fence and the North Star is present in all the night pictures. With much detail made by the simple pencil drawings emotions are visible on the girl's face and color is not needed to make the story come to life.
This book would be useful when teaching…
- Unspoken can be used as a writing prompt in a Language Arts lesson.
- Unspoken can be used as a way to show the silence of the people during the Civil War and the connections between the slaves and the American people.