''To Be A Slave'' is a 1968 nonfiction

children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

Julius Lester Julius Bernard Lester (January 27, 1939 – January 18, 2018) was an American writer of books for children and adults and an academic who taught for 32 years (1971–2003) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Lester was also a civil right ...

, illustrated by

Tom Feelings Tom Feelings (May 19, 1933 – August 25, 2003) was an artist, cartoonist, children's book illustrator, author, teacher, and activist. He focused on the African-American experience in his work. His most famous book is ''The Middle Passage: Whit ...

. It explores what it was like to be a slave. The book includes many personal accounts of former slaves, accompanied by Lester's historical commentary and Feelings' powerful and muted paintings. ''To Be a Slave'' has been a touchstone in children's literature for more than 30 years.Wilensky, Melody. "A Western Mass. Jewel: 'I always took God very seriously,' says UMass-Amherst professor Julius Lester," '' Jewish Advocate'' (January 20, 2000).

Awards

''To Be a Slave'' has won numerous awards, including the 1968

Newbery Honor Newbery is a surname. People * Chantelle Newbery (born 1977), Australian Olympic diver * David Newbery (born 1943), British economist *Eduardo Newbery (1878–1908), Argentine odontologist and aerostat pilot * Francis Newbery (disambiguation), s ...

medal. It was an ALA Notable Book, won the ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'''s Best Book of the Year, and ''

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' mag ...

s Best Book of the Year.''Writers of Multicultural Fiction for Young Adults : A Bio-Critical Sourcebook''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996. ''The African American Experience''. Greenwood Publishing Group. (October 20, 2015) It was given a 1970

Lewis Carroll Shelf Award The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was an American literary award conferred on several books annually by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education annually from 1958 to 1979. Award-winning books were deemed to "belong on the same shelf" ...

References

Newbery Honor-winning works 1968 children's books American picture books Dial Press books Slave narratives Children's books about American slavery {{AfricanAmerican-child-hist-book-stub