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Rating: 
Summary: Freedom's Children is a testament to enduring dignity
Review: An interactive book featuring historical photographs & removable documents charting the course of the people of American slavery after the Civil War.This is a solemn book written & composed by an ordained minister & creator of the Black Holocaust Exhibit in Atlanta. In it Velma Maia Thomas refers to slaves & freedpeople as "my people" [which I must surround in quotation marks because I am an immigrant from the other side of the Atlantic.] Freedom's Children has envelopes, slots & pouches out of which the reader can withdraw facsimiles of railroad tickets to Colorado, newspaper clippings about Black Senators & pages from letters & speeches. Other pages are illustrated by sepia tinted photographs of wilderness pioneers, personal advertisements requesting the whereabouts of loved ones & a miniature copy of the Freedman's Third Reader. Open the flaps to find special sections on college education, historical photographs & information on such luminaries as Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois or the Black cowboys' way of life. A beautifully profound book, worthy of repeated readings for its myriad & fascinating details, its enduring determination for peace & a life of equality & its dignified & idiosyncratic presentation & language.
Rating:
Summary: Freedom's Children is a testament to enduring dignity
Review: An interactive book featuring historical photographs & removable documents charting the course of the people of American slavery after the Civil War. This is a solemn book written & composed by an ordained minister & creator of the Black Holocaust Exhibit in Atlanta. In it Velma Maia Thomas refers to slaves & freedpeople as "my people" [which I must surround in quotation marks because I am an immigrant from the other side of the Atlantic.] Freedom's Children has envelopes, slots & pouches out of which the reader can withdraw facsimiles of railroad tickets to Colorado, newspaper clippings about Black Senators & pages from letters & speeches. Other pages are illustrated by sepia tinted photographs of wilderness pioneers, personal advertisements requesting the whereabouts of loved ones & a miniature copy of the Freedman's Third Reader. Open the flaps to find special sections on college education, historical photographs & information on such luminaries as Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois or the Black cowboys' way of life. A beautifully profound book, worthy of repeated readings for its myriad & fascinating details, its enduring determination for peace & a life of equality & its dignified & idiosyncratic presentation & language.
Rating:
Summary: A Vibrant Educational Tool
Review: Having read Ms. Thomas's first interactive African American History book titled, "Lest We Forget", I was quite anxious to peruse this second masterpiece. It was all that I expectd. Clearly informative,the photos reach out to touch you with the the reality of what it was like to be black and a slave in America--on the verge of Freedom. The documents and other materials contained in the book are arranged with the text and photos in such a manner that one is literally pulled into living through that time period. The book represents an excellent mechanism for teaching young people about the trials and tribulations--as well as the exhilirating journey of African Americans finding their way onto the landscape of Freedom.
Rating:
Summary: A Vibrant Educational Tool
Review: Having read Ms. Thomas's first interactive African American History book titled, "Lest We Forget", I was quite anxious to peruse this second masterpiece. It was all that I expectd. Clearly informative,the photos reach out to touch you with the the reality of what it was like to be black and a slave in America--on the verge of Freedom. The documents and other materials contained in the book are arranged with the text and photos in such a manner that one is literally pulled into living through that time period. The book represents an excellent mechanism for teaching young people about the trials and tribulations--as well as the exhilirating journey of African Americans finding their way onto the landscape of Freedom.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Historical Account
Review: This part 2 of the series was not nearly as comprehensive and informative as the first book...but still a worthwhile investment if you have the first book...I felt that it left me wanting more...More information, more photos, more documents (like the first book did...it might have been helpful to have had more old newpaper clippings, or articles written during the period, journal entrys, letters, etc. The content should be commensurate with the price...I personally felt, it wasn't. Again, it left me wanting more.
Rating:
Summary: Brings History to Life!
Review: This sequel to Velma Maia Thomas' interactive slavery primer focuses on the post-slavery era, when blacks first began migrating from the south. It touches on migrations from the farm to city, the roads west and the pioneer towns that blacks established, and the discrimination from a south unprepared for free Africans. This book brings history to life in a way no textbook, no teacher, no video can. My daughter loved the miniature school text, particularly because it was readable. Likewise, the other interactive, removable documents allow entries to discussions on aspects of history that are otherwise hard to bring up. For instance, trying to read a hand-written 19th century text led to learning more about the Freedman's Bureau era, and why it was needed. More importantly, the tangible nature of the book makes history real to kids, and therefore, interesting. This book is not just a gimmick, however. The text in the book provides a good introduction to black post civil war history, but is easily accessible for persons of all ages. I would highly recommend this text and its predecessor to anyone wanting to share American history with their families. Parents will find this just as fascinating as their kids - probably more so. If Ms. Thomas comes out with more volumes, count me in. This is a wonderful book, well worth the money. It's only flaw is that is not long enough.
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