William Still and His Freedom Stories

Starred review from October 1, 2020

Gr 1-5-In gentle and straightforward prose, Tate describes the extraordinary life of Black abolitionist William Still. Still's father, mother, and siblings were enslaved on a Maryland farm in the 1700s. Still's father, Levin, purchased his freedom and headed north. Still's mother, Sidney, later escaped with her two daughters. After the family settled in Washington Township, NJ, they changed their last name from Steel to Still in order to protect themselves from slave catchers. Their family grew to 15 children. In 1821, Still was born. As a young boy, Still helped enslaved people escape by guiding them through the woods. As an adult, he secured a job as the office clerk for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. He worked hard to earn the respect of his employers and one day became the manager. Still was instrumental in the abolitionist movement. His home served as a "station" on the Underground Railroad, and he recorded the stories of people who were enslaved in order to reunite them with their families. The text recounts the oppression and dehumanization of slavery but is not too graphic for the target age demographic. Near the end of the narrative, readers will be pleased to learn about a surprise family reunion that was the direct result of Still's work. Tate's expressive, colorful illustrations work well with the text to convey this important part of American history. VERDICT This inspirational true story combines fact with a very readable narrative, spotlighting a pivotal figure in the abolitionist movement. A book that deserves a place on school and public library shelves.-Margaret Nunes, formerly at Gwinnett County P.L., GA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2020
William Still's chance encounter with his long-lost brother changed the course of his life and those of many other African Americans striving for freedom. When Sidney Still escaped slavery in Maryland to join her husband, Levin, in New Jersey with their two daughters, she left their two sons behind. There, the family grew until William was born in 1821, youngest of 15. Tate's economical, urgent narrative lays out these facts before recounting how young William struggled to balance education with chores and Northern racism, At 26, he landed an office-clerk position at the Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia and eventually opened his home as a "station" along the Underground Railroad. Finally meeting his older brother Peter during the latter's escape inspired Still to gather identifying information and stories of the runaways he assisted, work that was instrumental in reuniting families who had become separated and that became a chronicle of "slavery's nightmare." Tate's sentences are often short, underscoring Still's effort and drive; when they occasionally lengthen, they land with a punch: "With three dollars in his pocket, and a billion dollars in pride, William planted himself north of the Delaware River in east Philadelphia." His paintings often likewise play out in vignettes that capture action over time then linger lovingly on the expressive faces of his characters. Brings deserved attention to the life of a man who dedicated himself to recording the lives of others. (timeline, author's note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

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November 1, 2020
Grades 2-5 The sixteenth child of a couple who had left slavery behind and settled in New Jersey, William Still grew up in poverty but seized every opportunity for education. As a boy, he helped a man escape from slave catchers. Years later, he worked hard at the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and made his home a "station" on the Underground Railroad. In hopes of reuniting families, he kept records of the "passengers" he met, and while interviewing one man, he discovered that they were brothers. Later, he left the society to start his own business, but he never lost his sense of purpose. And when Still became wealthy, he used his resources to help his people. The digital illustrations portray him effectively from infancy to old age. In a creative use of source documents, pages from Still's journal appear on the front endpapers, while the back ones carry paler copies, superimposed with a printed transcription of the original cursive writing. In this concisely written, informative picture-book biography, Tate introduces a man who deserves to be more widely known.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from November 16, 2020
Author-illustrator Tate (Swish!: The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters) profiles abolitionist William Still in this clear, comprehensive narrative. Graceful free verse opens on Still’s family history: Levin and Sidney Steel escaped enslavement in Maryland—the former by buying his freedom, the latter by escaping with the couple’s two daughters—but their two sons were left behind. Reuniting and changing their name to Still, the couple grew their family in New Jersey, until William was born in 1821 as the youngest of 15. Tate concisely details Still’s schooling, his hiring at age 26 as the office clerk for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, and a fortuitous meeting with an Underground Railroad passenger that led Still to transcribe the stories of each freedom seeker he met. Textural digital illustrations and expressive characters punctuate the affecting text (“Peter’s story was sad. Tragic./ Miraculous. And extraordinary./ And Peter’s story restored his family”). An illuminating picture book biography of a lesser-known hero. Back matter includes a timeline, an author’s note about the book’s inspiration, and a bibliography. Ages 6–10.