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matt315's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
stenaros's review against another edition
4.0
The story of Biddy Mason, who was a slave taken to California where she "spoke up" for her freedom.
I like how this series gives us the factual stuff. Words are defined on the page they are introduced and the layout is great with photos, illustrations and other supports. There's very good back matter.
The one thing I wonder about is the alternating verse/nonfiction prose setup. While the verse is good for people who like stories told in verse, and the nonfiction is good for people who like fact-based books, I wonder if tumbling them both together might dilute the entire book?
I like how this series gives us the factual stuff. Words are defined on the page they are introduced and the layout is great with photos, illustrations and other supports. There's very good back matter.
The one thing I wonder about is the alternating verse/nonfiction prose setup. While the verse is good for people who like stories told in verse, and the nonfiction is good for people who like fact-based books, I wonder if tumbling them both together might dilute the entire book?
erine's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciated the approach taken with this: while Biddy Mason's whole story remains unknown, the author takes known facts and historical context, creates a reasonable storyline while explaining why it's reasonable, and offers plenty of opportunity for the reader to reflect how Mason's story connects to their own life.
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