The Underground Railroad

November 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-Except for Potato Famine, the people in these books are fleeing violence. Most of the volumes follow a specific person throughout his escape, using that narrative as a framework for explaining the historical and cultural context that led up to the horror. While stories of Holocaust escapees are common, the young men profiled in Perl's title not only escaped from Auschwitz, but also made it their duty to tell the world about the atrocities they witnessed. Lost Boys and Khmer Rouge are both particularly strong entries in the series, in part because the conflicts they cover are less familiar to most readers. Potato Famine departs from the narrative structure of the other volumes since no particular escapee takes a major role in framing the book. The primary-source quotes and period imagery throughout are well chosen and amplify the texts.

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