If you are looking for primary sources on slavery, look no further. Author Julius Lester provides context for what is basically a compilation of quotations by and about slaves. Some of these are incredibly harsh, with explicit language intact. In the introduction, Lester makes an argument that younger children can handle this harsh reality and that it does in fact make them into more compassionate people who will value truth over lies. This may be too much for children under the age of 12, but it's an indispensable resource for exposing young adults to the realities of this country's past.

By chance, I read this right before the movie "Twelve Years a Slave" is due out and so I noticed that book heavily quotes Solomon Northup, on whose autobiography the movie is based. ( )

Very affecting personal stories of slaves in American history. ( )

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306.3

This is a book about how it felt to be a slave. It is told in the words of men and women who lived through slavery. Their stories are stories of long ago. But the power of their emotions will go on forever.