Free at Last!: Stories and Songs of Emancipation

Beautifully written and depicted, this book outlines the history of African Americans in the United States from the Civil War to school desegregation in the 1950's. Twenty-four events are described and illustrated. The great thing about this book is it is written for children to read and understand in terms they will be familiar with. However, children will need a strong background in order to read this book independently or used as a discussion tool. The author conveniently incorporates songs, poetry, and stories of famous African Americans. This allows for greater understanding of the event being described and offers the chance to take different perspectives. It is important to note, Doreen Rappaport reports accurate information on the more serious occurrences that took place during emancipation. For example, the Klu Klux Klan and lynchings are mentioned and described in the book and are accompanied by illustrations. This book also describes the "white violence" towards the African Americans. It is critical the children are mature enough and have enough background knowledge to understand the seriousness of the information being discussed. I believe this book should be a staple in every classroom! The illustrations, stories, songs, and events give accurate historical information and are written simply so children understand and enjoy. Please do not hestiate to make this book part of your classroom library!

An award-winning team, author Doreen Rappaport and illustrator Shane W. Evans present Free At Last!: Stories And Songs Of Emancipation, a captivating picture book surveying the history of African-Americans since the Civil War. This is a serious account suitable for young readers in covering such elements of the African-American experience as fear, violence, institutionalized injustice, lynchings, as well as the courageous acts of others, including those who spoke out against segregation and dared to make a difference. Strong, bold color illustrations add an unforgettable contribution to Free At Last!, an educational picture book about difficult struggles and which carries the absolute highest recommendation for both school and community library collections.