What Was the Underground Railroad? (What Was?)

by Yona Zeldis McDonough (Author) Lauren Mortimer (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4^th − 5^th Grade

Series: What Was?

No one knows where the term Underground Railroad came from--there were no trains or tracks, only "conductors" who helped escaping slaves to freedom. Including real stories about "passengers" on the "Railroad," this book chronicles slaves' close calls with bounty hunters, exhausting struggles on the road, and what they sacrificed for freedom. With 80 black-and-white illustrations throughout and a sixteen-page black-and-white photo insert, the Underground Railroad comes alive!

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Yona Zeldis McDonough

Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of many books for children, including Sisters in Strength, Anne Frank, and Louisa: The Life of Louisa May Alcott. Ms. McDonough lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Jennifer Thermes is the author and illustrator of When I Was Built and Sam Bennett's New Shoes, which was a Bank Street College Best Children's Book. Her books as illustrator include the middle-grade novel Maggie & Oliver and The Iciest, Diciest, Scariest Sled Ride Ever! Jennifer also creates illustrated maps for magazine and book publishing clients.

Classification

Non-fiction

ISBN-13

9780448467122

Lexile Measure

710

Guided Reading Level

Publisher

Penguin Workshop

Publication date

December 26, 2013

Series

What Was?

BISAC categories

Library of Congress categories

History
19th century
United States
Underground Railroad
JUVENILE NONFICTION / Social Issues / Prejudi
JUVENILE NONFICTION / History / United States
Antislavery movements
Fugitive slaves
JUVENILE NONFICTION / People & Places / Unite

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