5,000 Miles to Freedom : Ellen and William Craft's Flight from Slavery by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin

The remarkable story of William and Ellen Craft's daring escape from slavery comes alive in this exciting account of their lives and adventures. Ellen Craft's father was her white master and she could "pass" for white. She dressed as a Southern gentleman while her husband William posed as her slave. Together they made their perilous way to the North and then to England, returning to the United States only after the Civil War was over. The Fradins succeed in conveying the fear the Crafts felt and the danger they were in during the journey north. The book also gives a good description of their lives once they lived on free soil. Always in danger of being captured by slave hunters who were sanctioned by the Fugitive Slave Acts, these brave souls traveled and lectured extensively about slavery and its evils. There is dialogue in the book which is taken directly from their own book about their escape. Also included are period photographs, drawings and engravings, and actual newspaper accounts about the Crafts. Well-researched and well written, this book belongs in every middle school collection. It correlates well with the 8th grade social studies curriculum and is perfect for Black history studies. An ALA Notable Book.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

A fictionalized account of Harriet Tubman's real and spiritual journey North to freedom. Weatherford's prose flows like poetry. A foreword offers background information on slavery and the author's note at the end gives factual information about Tubman's life. Nelson's illustrations vary from hazy silhouettes to detailed scenes in a way that gracefully enhances the text. NCSOS tie-ins are at Second, Third and Eighth Grade Social Studies. There's enough sub-text here for it to be appropriate at all those grade levels, and even through high school. SLJ starred review.