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New Book on Frederick Douglass

6/7/2012

20 Comments

 
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Today I’m helping celebrate the new book Frederick Douglass For Kids by Nancy I. Sanders. Join the launch party at Nancy’s blog where she’s giving away prizes, including a free critique of your manuscript’s first page. As the bestselling, award-winning author of over 80 books for kids, I’m pretty sure she knows how to hook a reader with that first page .

Back to Frederick Douglass. He’s one of those people-  -you want a spark from his fire.

Born on a plantation, Douglass escaped slavery and helped others to freedom via the Underground Railroad. He became a bestselling author, an outspoken newspaper editor, a brilliant orator, a tireless abolitionist, and a brave civil rights leader. He was famous on both sides of the Atlantic in the years leading up to the Civil War, and when war broke out, Abraham Lincoln invited him to the White House for counsel and advice. Whew!

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I wanted to know if Nancy learned anything surprising during her research on this important American leader.

I had mistakenly thought that the Civil War was just a white-man’s war, says Nancy. I thought that it was mainly fought to reunite the Union and that the issue of slavery was just kind of added on toward the end.

When war broke out between the South and the North, Frederick Douglass hurried to his newspaper office and published articles urging the nation to free the slaves forever and to enlist black troops to fight. He knew the war was about ending slavery and would not be successfully won unless both these conditions were met.

I also learned that it wasn’t until black troops were allowed to fight for the Union that the North finally began to experience victory. Black troops were very, very influential in bringing an end to the fighting. In my book, Frederick Douglass for Kids, highlight the achievements and influence black leaders and black troops had on our nation during these crucial years.

Frederick Douglass For Kids: His Life And Times With 21 Activities is great for teachers to use in the classroom. Besides the wide range of subject matter, timeline and resources for further study, the author offers ideas for bringing history alive. Kids can learn how to form a debating club, cook a meal similar to the one Douglass shared with John Brown, make a civil war haversack and experience the power of microlending.

But most importantly, kids reading this book can follow the footsteps of this American hero and see how to turn adversity into courage. 


Remember to drop by Nancy's blog for a chance to win a prize during her Book Launch Party. Tell her I sent you.


20 Comments
Doraine Bennett link
6/8/2012 03:39:28 am

I'm enjoying this party and learning a lot, too. Thanks Mary and Nancy.

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nancy I. Sanders link
6/8/2012 04:19:29 am

Thanks for joining in on the journey, Doraine!

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Nancy I. Sanders link
6/8/2012 04:18:44 am

Mary, it's a joy to be here on your site today. Thank you for being a part of my book launch party!

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Mary link
6/8/2012 06:33:59 am

Hi Doraine, thanks for stopping by. Nancy, thanks for including me in your Launch Party. I've really enjoyed learning about all the research you did. And so interesting to hear about your trip to the plantation where FD was a slave and to see the photos. Amazing it still looks the same as in slave days and owned by the same family.

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Monica
6/8/2012 06:47:59 am

Wow. This looks like a fantastic book to have in a classroom. These are parts of history I didn't learn about until my adult life. Working in a diverse elementary school classroom in California, I find it so important that kids learn about history from all points of views. As a kid, I remember doing unit after unit learning about white male american heroes. These memories drive me crazy now.
So I'm so glad to see accurate historical books for kids.

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Nancy I. Sanders link
6/11/2012 02:27:41 am

Monica, I'm the same as you. I never learned these things until an adult. That's one of the reasons I have a passion to write nonfiction for kids and help set history straight so teachers can incorporate books like this in the classroom!

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Marlene A Hibbard link
6/8/2012 07:18:59 am

Thanks so much for the email, Nancy, and for all the info I've gleaned regarding Frederick Douglas. I worked in a school here in Rochester, NY bearing his name yet haven't studied his life. I'm inspired to do so by your work. I will head right to Amazon and purchase in order to share with others also. Congratulations on a job well done.
Marlene

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Nancy I. Sanders link
6/11/2012 02:31:13 am

Marlene, that is so amazing that you worked in Rochester at a school with Douglass's name! The one place we weren't able to visit on our tour was Rochester, but I had a couple of very helpful people who really assisted me in filling in the gaps about this important time of life when Douglass lived there. And thanks for getting my book! I can hardly wait for you to read it and learn about this amazing American hero. Learning about Douglass has really changed my life and my perspective about many things. He truly believed one person can make a difference in our world.

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Paula Emick
6/8/2012 04:11:49 pm

This looks like a great book for the classroom. I didn't stay awake for most of the history lessons in my childhood. Now I find it interesting. Nancy's book gives a lot of interesting detail to Douglass's story.

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Nancy I. Sanders link
6/11/2012 02:32:17 am

Paula, thanks so much for joining in the tour and for your kind words! It's great to see you here on Mary's site!

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Lyle Cronk
6/9/2012 03:50:24 am

I read Fredrick Douglass's autobiography when I started teaching. He is a fascinating character.

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Nancy I. Sanders link
6/11/2012 02:33:34 am

That's great, Lyle! His autobiography is so powerful...thanks for sharing!

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Mary link
6/9/2012 03:14:41 pm

Marlene, so glad you're buying the book! I think you'll enjoy it.
Paula, thanks for stopping by.
Lyle, great to hear from you.

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Joanne
6/10/2012 05:06:11 am

I want to read this book! It sounds like great information to spread and especially for kids at this age.

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Nancy I. Sanders link
6/11/2012 02:35:34 am

Thanks, Joanne! One of the things this publisher has discovered is that even though the book is written for kids 9 years old and up, many adults like to read this series of books, too. There are so many pictures and the nonfiction is written in such a conversational style that it really helps make history come alive...for kids and adults alike! I hope you have the chance to read this book soon!

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Evelyn Christensen link
6/10/2012 09:30:34 am

Interesting information about Frederick Douglass. I'm learning a lot from your blog tour, Nancy. The sample of activities from your book also sounded like fun and just the sort of things teachers or homeschoolers would love to share with students. Thanks for hosting, Mary.

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Nancy I. Sanders link
6/11/2012 02:36:31 am

Thanks for your support, Ev! It's so great to have you join in the celebration.

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Mary
6/11/2012 08:11:13 am

Thanks for stopping by, Evelyn. Nice to "meet" you.

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Lisa Ahn link
6/25/2012 04:07:28 am

Wow - this looks like a fantastic book. My daughters and I just finished another book in this series, Marco Polo for Kids. It also has 21 activities -- and we did most of them. Can't wait to check out this new title as well. Thanks.

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Mary
6/25/2012 01:25:55 pm

Thanks for stopping by, Lisa. I did not know about the Marco Polo one. I'd love to see it. I don't remember much about Marco Polo. :)

Reply



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    Author

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    I'm an award-winning author of Children's/YA books and former journalist with a passion for stories about people facing adversity with courage.

    My books have been named Notable Social Studies Book for Young People, SPUR Award for Best Juvenile Fiction about the American West, Bank Street College List of Best Children's Books, and NY Public Library Best Books for Teens. My journalistic work has received numerous awards for excellence from the Society of Professional Journalists and two Emmy nominations.
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