The Horn Book Guide

YOUNGER FICTION

Hopkinson, Deborah

A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers

32 pp. | Atheneum/Schwartz | January, 1999 | Trade ISBN 0-689-81062-8 $$16.00

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Raul Colon. Founded for former slaves in 1866, Fisk School (now Fisk University) had to struggle to survive its early years. Hopkinson tells the fictionalized story of Ella Sheppard, pianist for the Jubilee Singers, who went on tour to raise money for their school and were instrumental in introducing spirituals to the world. ColÃ³n's illustrations capture the dignity of the Singers and the eloquence of their performance.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1999