Abraham Lincoln

September 1, 2013
Grades 5-8 Covering both well- and lesser-known abolitionists, these entries in the Voices for Freedom: Abolitionist Heroes series provide an extensive view of the nation's anti-slavery movement. While the books touch upon the subjects' childhood, education, and career successes and failures, they differ from traditional biographies as they focus on each individual's role as an abolitionist. Abraham Lincoln offers a thorough background on slavery in the U.S. and how it grew to divide the country. The book also looks at Lincoln's changing views on the end of slavery (which may surprise some readers) and his fight, once he decided that a gradual end to slavery would not work, to draft the Emancipation Proclamation and lobby for the Thirteenth Amendment. Each title concludes with the subject's legacy on race relations. Archival photos, reproductions, maps, and copious back matter add to the richness of this valuable series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)