Skip to main content

Overground Railroad


Written by: Lesa Cline-Ransome 
Illustrated by: James Ransome
New York: Holiday House, 2020. Picture Book.

Many of us have heard of the Underground Railroad that happened in the 1800's around the time of the Civil war but have you ever heard of the Overground Railroad or the Great Migration? This story is based on the Great Migration of people leaving behind what was familiar and heading towards new possibilities.  Slavery may have been a thing of the past but many African Americans were still chained to the sharecropper system in the south in the 1900's. This system kept many African Americans shackled to the land and its owners by keeping them in debt year after year and making it illegal for them to leave without the landowners permission. As a result many escaped this form of bondage by leaving on trains bound for the north where they would be free from oppression. 

In the Overground Railroad, Ruth Ellen tells the story of how she and her parents boarded a train in the early morning, and headed for New York. Each stop along the way brings new passengers who are heading north. As she stares out the window she see's the cotton fields, the working fields, the crooked shacks and the blue ridge mountains fading away as the Delaware River comes into view. The north offers freedom, education and hope. In the words of the author, Lesa Cline-Ransome "Overground Railroad is inspired by just one of the many stories of people running from and running to at the same time." 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.

Dragon Run

Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013.  336 pgs.  Fantasy      Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life.  He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines.  Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...

Review: Growing Home

Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship.  This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...