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Show Way

(2006, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Written by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by Hudson Talbott)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 6; suggested age 6.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Beautiful story, from slavery to freedom.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 6 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    A slave is killed while running away. A silhouette shows a man aiming a gun at a runaway slave, who is also being chased by dogs. Several images in a collage show slaves being whipped, one with his pants pulled down. Some violent images from 60s-era civil rights conflicts.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Show Way

Parents need to know that though this is a picture book, it's aimed at middle grade kids. There are historical references that will need explaining, especially for younger kids, as will the information in the collages. There are some references to violence: a slave killed, a silhouette of the capture of a runaway, news images from protest marches.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the history. What was slavery and how did it end? What happened to the freed slaves? What was the Civil Rights era? How is life for African-Americans different now than it was even in Mom and Dad's childhood?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    bokey lover
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    I was really touched and moved

    This book has really torched me because, it tells a real story about real ppl. and it like moves u and u think like that’s sad and u want to now what happens next so u like read on cause u want to find out, if they live happily ever after or not .

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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