Friends for Freedom

Lizan Mitchell's emotive delivery enhances this dynamic picture of the unique friendship and vast accomplishments of civil rights activists Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Anthony and Douglass met in 1849 and maintained a forty-five-year friendship. Mitchell impeccably re-creates each character through their conversations and rousing public speeches. They spoke their minds despite being booed, out-shouted, and even threatened. Quotes from their letters and from newspapers are movingly rendered as are their ideological disagreements. Notes by the author reveal that she decided to write this book because she believes this fascinating friendship should be more well known. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Starred review from September 1, 2014
At a time when “it wasn’t proper for women to be friends with men” and “You weren’t supposed to be friends with someone whose skin was a different color,” Anthony and Douglass sought out each other based on mutual respect and a shared commitment toward equality. Tadgell’s carefully drafted and evocative watercolors capture both the past and present obstacles Anthony and Douglass faced, from Douglass’s youth as a slave to rotten eggs hurled at the two when they appeared in public together and combative differences of opinion, as when the Fifteenth Amendment proposed to give voting rights to black men but not to women. Author and artist notes and a time line conclude a powerful testament to a friendship that spanned decades as it challenged conventions and “helped America grow up, too.” Ages 6–9. Illustrator’s agent: Christina A. Tugeau.

April 1, 2015

K-Gr 3-Though it was often the object of ridicule and sometimes inspired downright hateful acts, the friendship between activists Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass lasted for over 45 years. Together, the friends worked for equal rights for women and enslaved people of African descent. Anthony and Douglass sometimes disagreed, sometimes publicly, but their friendship endured. The focus on the relationship is used to highlight some of the historical events that brought and kept Anthony and Douglass together during the turbulent 19th century. Lizan Mitchell's rich voice, effectively paced, brings the clearly crafted text to life. She also reads additional information about the subjects, research notes, and a timeline. Two soundtracks are included, one with a chime to indicate page turns. VERDICT This brief book introduces a piece of American history in a way that is accessible to younger children.-Maria Salvadore, formerly of the District of Columbia Public Library

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