(2) K-3 Illustrated by John Holyfield. Alex asks Miz Pettway why a mule, Belle, is allowed to eat collards from her garden. Turns out Belle is a civil rights hero who helped transport African Americans to vote; she also pulled the wagon holding Dr. King's coffin through the streets of Atlanta. Soft acrylics, textured to look antiqued, are effective in illustrating this little-known true story of the civil rights movement.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin Susanne Bennett. A young girl and her father combine the code embedded in a patchwork quilt pattern with several clues on their journey to guide them to freedom. The well-written first-person narrative and somber oil illustrations sensitively portray the dangerous trip. The code is illustrated and explained within the text; the afterword provides background information that adds authenticity to the story.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cedric Lucas. Five years after emancipation, Little Bit and her family are still enslaved. Nine-year-old Little Bit narrates this story of their dangerous escape to freedom. Understated illustrations in pastels enhance the history revealed in the story, but the text is overlong and sometimes difficult to read against the dark artwork.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu. His relatives have all come to celebrate the harvest, but Jack Henry is too preoccupied to join in the dancing: he's seen a large snake in the barn where he will be sleeping that night, and he's afraid. Stroud's text adeptly fleshes out the conflicting emotions of the main character while providing ample excitement and a fitting conclusion. Warm autumn light permeates the dramatic double-page watercolors.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin