Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad

I ordered this book to use as a read aloud with my fifth grade's class study of the Civil War. Little did I know that it would be a valuable tool for teaching point of view. This is a wonderfully suspenseful short of a young slave's escape through the woods on his way to the first stop on the Underground Railroad. What makes this story unique is that it is told from the forest animals' perspective. Well written, well illustrated, and destined to become a classic. Wendy

As a fifth grade teacher, I am always looking for a book to entice my students and help them to gain background knowledge. This book is a phenomenal find. It puts the reader/listener right into the fear and terror of being a runaway slave from the very first sentence. But, more than that, is the unique way the author has chosen to present the story. I can think of no better book to present the topic of point of view. Not only is the story told from the point of view of the forest animals that the runaway encounters, but the illustrations NEVER alter the affect. Each picture shows the runaway from the eye level/view of the animal that is reacting to his presence. It is a very powerful book.This story has generated intense discussions as to whether or not they believe the animals consciously helped the barefoot escape the heavy boots, or whether the occurrences were merely coincidental. The students embrace the tone of the book and will often discuss how they originally did not care for the illustrations because they were too dark and made it difficult to see the details, but soon realized that they mimic what the barefoot is seeing -- a potent tool in immersing them in the story.The students were so enthralled by the way the point of view of the story was presented that they asked to write their own stories based on the point of view of our classroom pet, S'mores the Guinea Pig. Some choose to write from their own pet's point of view. Each and every one of the stories were wonderful to read, and though some may have been lacking in conventions and spelling, EVERY one of them shouted with an author's voice that was astounding.

This beautifully illustrated story of the Underground Railroad is written so even second and third grade students can read it. In spite of the fact they are too young to understand the complex problem of slavery and the Underground Railroad, this is a wonderful introduction to those sensitive issues. At the same time, older elementary students find is very appealing. From the first page, students will be fascinated by the story and the pictures. As I shared it with students in the school library, they sat in suspense. Who is Barefoot? Where is he going? Why is is running at night? What are the noises he hears? Will the house be safe? How will be know?I highly recommend that the book be used by an adult who can answer the questions which may arise when the book ends. This is a book which should be on the shelves in every schol library in the country.

While I was searching for books to use in a story hour project for my Children's Literature class at Kent State University, my daughter's kindergarten teacher suggested Barefoot. She had used it successfully with her kindergartners during Black History Month. My classmate and I had chosen the Underground Railroad as our theme for our story hour for second graders. They, too, enjoyed this book. I'm a little surprised that some other readers have reviewed it as being appropriate for grades 5 & 6 because the text is so simple. Children in first or second grade could conceivably read it on their own, so I think the publisher's reading age of 4-8 is accurate. However, the topic of slavery is, of course, a sensitive one, one that deserves adult explanation. The author's note on the last page explaining the Underground Railroad and some of the signals of "safe houses" along its route is helpful. The illustrations are quite dark, making the book a little bit difficult to use with as large a group as we had (24 children). Some of them complained that they could not see the pictures. I believe the dark colors combined with the glare from the light fixtures created this problem. We took time to allow the students a closer look at these intricate drawings. The illustrations are complex and would probably best be used in a small group or with an individual child. Many of the children identified with the fireflies in the story and later included fireflies in drawings we asked them to do depicting their feelings about the story hour. I was surprised that the children we spoke to were so knowledgeable about slavery and the idea of runaway slaves escaping to freedom. Our story hour, including Barefoot, served to reinforce these topics as well as to teach them that the Underground Railroad was neither underground nor an actual railroad. Barefoot presents a creative, unique approach to historical fiction. Although it is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator, it allows the reader to experience the fear of "the barefoot" runaway as well as to experience the natural cycle of animal life (day and night), even as humans ("the Barefoot" and the "Heavy Boots" or slavecatchers) disrupt their existence.

The book's illustrations call out to the reader. When you add the story of woodland animals knowingly, or not, aiding a runaway slave you have a wonderful historical fiction for children. The images are so clear that you can feel the tension and hear the noises of the night forest.I used this book to review the Underground Railroad with my 6th grade history students in September. They begged to hear it over and over!