(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kayla Stark. Keller incorporates Frederick Douglass's own words (indicated in bold type) throughout this first-person perspective text, which explains how young Douglass learned to read and write despite laws prohibiting slave literacy. After seven years of trying, he succeeded, and knew he would be free. A mix of vignettes and full- or double-page illustrations nicely paces the story. Appended with more on Douglass's life and an author's note. Bib.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 The life and evolving political and philosophical views of Frederick Douglass are chronicled in this thoughtfully arranged biography. Relevant quotes about Douglass are prominently featured throughout. Reproductions of primary source material from the time, along with many captivating photographs of Douglass, his colleagues, and family, elevate the familiar details of his life and help provide a nuanced portrait. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Captured History series. This excellent series examines the history and context of a photo or series of photos and its impact on culture. Berne looks at how Frederick Douglass's daguerreotype portrait helped counteract racist portrayals of African Americans. A biography of Douglass works together with background on the abolitionist movement and the history of photography in the thoughtful, engaging text. Timeline, reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These level-two biographies (for "reading independently") provide chronological accounts of their subjects' lives and cursorily touch on obstacles faced by Douglass and Keller. "In Her/His Own Words" boxes spotlight quotes from the subjects themselves. Captioned photos and illustrations help break up the serviceable texts. In both, a several-page timeline footer, unaligned with the narrative, starts toward book's end. A quiz is appended. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles: Helen Keller and Frederick Douglass.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. In this laudatory biography, each double-page spread covers one event in Douglass's life, such as his determination to learn to read, his work as a caulker while still enslaved, his escape to freedom, and his advocacy for voting rights. The strongest segments concern his early life. Cooper's powerful portraits consistently place Douglass in the foreground of historical settings. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sean Qualls & Selina Alko. Sitting down to tea, real-life friends Anthony and Douglass discuss their ideas and plans for action. An accessible text gives a broad picture of each civil rights leader's work; striking mixed-media and collage illustrations depict scenes from their lives. Though they fought separately for freedom and voting rights, the book captures the unifying themes of combating injustice. An informative author's note is included. Bib.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) K-3 Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Doug Jones. Cub Reporter "interviews" American figures who overcame challenges to achieve their goals. Each subject responds to simplistic questions about his or her complicated life (e.g., "What did you think about being a slave?" in Douglass) in a hokey first-person voice. Cartoons of a microphone-holding bear cub alternate with captioned photos or illustrations that extend information. The premise may work for reluctant readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans titles: What's Your Story, Amelia Earhart?, What's Your Story, Paul Revere?, What's Your Story, Susan B. Anthony?, and What's Your Story, Frederick Douglass?.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(2) K-3 Illustrated by London Ladd. There are many longer books that detail the events of Douglass's life, but this one, in picture-book form, manages to synthesize those details just as well as a longer work might. This is due to Rappaport's carefully chosen primary source quotations and Ladd's paintings, which alternate between moments of violence and times of reflection--all resulting in a portrait that is fiery yet dignified. Author's and illustrator's notes are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2016

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell. Anthony, a former school teacher, and Douglass, an escaped slave, were unlikely friends in the mid-nineteenth century. Their relationship was cemented by belief in common causes, including the struggle for equal pay and voting rights for women and black men. Stiff watercolor illustrations reflect the text. Notes from the author and illustrator provide background and more details. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) YA Essential Critiques series. These volumes introduce critical theory and provide instructions for understanding historic speeches and works of four famous Americans. Lightly annotated essays modeling the application of criticism through different approaches are included. Each book leads readers through key steps of analysis and encourages readers' own critiques. These are suitable overviews of historic interpretation and essay construction. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Critiques titles: How to Analyze the Works of Frederick Douglass, How to Analyze the Works of Abraham Lincoln, How to Analyze the Works of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and How to Analyze the Works of George Washington.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. Vibrant acrylic and oil paint illustrations accompany this story of Frederick Douglass's childhood from plantation life to city life in Baltimore, where his owner's kind wife taught him the alphabet and introduced him to literacy and the idea of freedom. The powerful narrative provides a solid introduction to Douglass and the topic of slavery.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(2) 4-6 Despite meeting only three times, Lincoln and Douglass formed a lasting friendship based on mutual admiration, respect, and trust. Through this friendship--an extremely effective structure--Freedman surveys the tenor of the times regarding slavery, abolition, the Civil War, and emancipation. Included are period illustrations and a generous assortment of the subjects' own words. Notes. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Colin Bootman. This poignant story, based on Frederick Douglass's childhood, tells how his mother, a slave, would walk twelve miles at night for a brief visit with her son. Soothing text describes how she overcomes the monotony and loneliness through songs (joyful and sad), the solace of prayer, and love. Emotional paintings capture moods, especially the joy of reunion that wipes away weariness.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) 4-6 This well-researched volume recounts, in fluid prose, the life of Frederick Douglass, from tortured slave (finally escaping in 1838), to world renowned orator, statesman, and heroic leader of the abolitionist movement. Throughout the text, Adler incorporates Douglass's own words, reinforcing the message of freedom and education for today's readers. Many photographs, sketches, historical documents, and newspaper clippings illustrate the volume. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) YA Civil Rights Leaders series. These texts tell the life stories of two vocal nineteenth-century abolitionists: one a Boston journalist (Garrison) and the other an author and former slave (Douglass). The volumes describe how each man made important personal and professional contributions that helped shaped the anti-slavery movement; their lives also intersected in interesting ways. Many archival images support the solid narratives. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Civil Rights Leaders titles: The Liberator, and Unbound and Unbroken.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Nicely laid-out and easy to read, these informative, if bland, biographies provide historical context as well as personal information about their subjects. Many sidebars, pull-quotes, and photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Americans--The Spirit of a Nation series. Archival photographs, maps, primary sources, and sidebars combine with dry but informative texts to provide well-documented biographies of two American icons. These balanced titles successfully sort fact from fiction and demonstrate the passion and determination that established both Douglass's and Barnum's places in history. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Americans--The Spirit of a Nation titles: Frederick Douglass and P. T. Barnum.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) K-3 Primeras biografías series. These books offer some insight into the lives of people important to United States history. Mayer provides brief background information on each person, along with why he or she should be remembered, though the Spanish texts are oversimplified and by no means comprehensive. Photographs, watercolors, and period illustrations accompany the texts. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Primeras biografías titles: Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Tecumseh, and Thomas Jefferson.

Reviewer: Alissa C. Salamone

(4) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Attractive layouts and well-chosen images including photographs, paintings, documents (e.g., the police report on Rosa Parks's arrest), etc. make for accessible, if adulatory, biographies of six noteworthy African Americans. Sidebars flesh out historical contexts and important contemporaries. Malcolm X is the most riveting, both because of the subject's criminal past and his controversial beliefs. Across the volumes, quotations aren't cited. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biographies titles: Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Marian Anderson, and Frederick Douglass.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 First Biographies series. One or two easy-to-read sentences on each page accompanied by well-chosen pictures (mostly artwork reproductions) introduce young readers to the lives of prominent figures in American history. Though they are oversimplified and by no means comprehensive, these accessible books effectively highlight significant events in their subjects' lives and explain their legacies using a simple but informative format. Timeline. Glos, ind. Review covers these First Biographies titles: Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, and Thomas Jefferson.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear