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Way Up and Over Everything

(2008, Fiction - Folklore, Written by Alice McGill, Illustrated by Jude Daly)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0

  • Common Sense says

    Folktale about hope, flying, and the magic of storytelling.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    As should be expected in a book about slavery and escape, this story does refer to violence and harsh treatment by overseers with whips. 

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Way Up and Over Everything

Parents need to know that this book is about slavery and may invite questions from kids. It was given the Parents' Choice Seal of Recommendation.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about slavery and what that meant for the African people raised on the plantations. They might also discuss the magical belief in flying to escape as well as the hopeful power of an oral tradition that passed on such a story as this one.  What was life like for Jane and the others? Why did the overseer call the one young man Bob when his name was really Edet? How do you think Jane felt when the 5 new slaves escaped by flying away? Do you think that is possible? Why did the overseer tell Jane not to tell anyone? Why do you think she did? What do you think this kind of story meant to her, all the other slaves, and the generations that followed?
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