Thursday, October 16, 2014

Friends for Freedom: the true story of Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass by Suzanne Slade

Friends for Freedom: the true story of Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass by Suzanne Slade. Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell. unpgd. Charlesbridge Publishing Inc., September, 2014. 9781580895682. (Finished copy courtesy of publisher for review.)

During a time when friendship between men and women was rare and friendship between a black man and white women was unheard of, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass maintained a lifelong friendship based on a mutual passion for freedom and equality. The repeated phrase, "There friendship lasted..." is used to great effect here as the two endured criticism, ridicule and even death threats in their fight for equality. Neither one was deterred and though they had a brief and public falling out when the Fifteenth Amendment was passed, the two soon reconciled and remained friends for forty-five years. 

The pale, watery illustrations convey the intensity of the two friends. There is both an Author's Note and a note from the author on research at the end, along with an illustrator's note. Detailed source notes, a selected bibliography, and timeline conclude this unique and interesting picture book biography. This could be a nice addition to either an elementary or a middle school library.

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