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67th out of 230 books
—
179 voters
Show Way
Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways -- maps for slaves to follow to freedom. When she grew up and had a li...more
Hardcover, 48 pages
Published
September 8th 2005
by Putnam Juvenile
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Show Way by Jacqueline Woodon is a historical fiction book which won John Newberry honor award. It is intended for readers P-I. This book takes readers through several generations of a little girl's family of African Americans who lived through the different cycles of slavery, racism, and segregation. It takes an interesting approach of mixing pictures with poetry, and weaves it into the overlying theme of optimism - fighting for freedom, with a deep family moral.
The illustrations in this book...more
The illustrations in this book...more
Show Way is a historical fiction book that begins with a story of Soonie’s great grandmother being sold off as a slave at age seven. Soonie’s great grandmother left her home with only muslin, two needles and bright red thread. This becomes significant later on in the story. As the story progresses, Soonie’s great grandmother learns to sew and she begins making quilts that had secret roads and pathways to freedom. Soonie’s great grandmother grows up and “jumped broom with a young man named Ensler...more
The book Show Way was written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Hudson Talbott. This is a book about a generation all from soonies great grandmother. The story begin to tell us that soonies great grandmother was sold off as a slave at the age of seven and all she had was some muslin, two needles, and bright red thread. As the story goes on sonnies great grandmother learns to sew. She begins to sew quilts that had secret codes on them to get to freedom. Soon sonny’s grandmother had got mar...more
Show Way is an interesting historical fiction picture book that tells the stories of eight African American women. The first one begins with a little girls sold into slavery from Virginia to a plantation in South Carolina. The last one is the author's daughter. One commonality among all these women is that they all loved their baby daughters and they inherit an artistic quality from their ancestors. At the same time the readers learn about these women’s stories, they also learn about the history...more
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson is an absolutely stunning book. It tells the story of many generations of African-American woman from slavery to freedom to the civil right movement to present day. It begins with Soonie's great grandmother being taken away from her family when she is 7 to go to another planation. All she is given is a piece of muslin and some thread. She learns to sew from Big Mama who teahes her to quilt show ways. A show way is a quilt that helps slaves find their way to freed...more
Show Way-picture book for older readers historical fiction
Woodson, Jacqueline G.P. Putnam Sons c2005 ISBN 0-399-23749-6
The author writes of her female ancestors on her mother’s side and touches on their lives covering nine generations up to her daughter. She begins the story with a little girl who is sold away from her family at a young age, who learns to sew quilts that show the road to freedom, called Show Ways, hence the title of the book. Her daughter, Mathis May, is also sold away and she a...more
Woodson, Jacqueline G.P. Putnam Sons c2005 ISBN 0-399-23749-6
The author writes of her female ancestors on her mother’s side and touches on their lives covering nine generations up to her daughter. She begins the story with a little girl who is sold away from her family at a young age, who learns to sew quilts that show the road to freedom, called Show Ways, hence the title of the book. Her daughter, Mathis May, is also sold away and she a...more
Show Way by Jacqueline Woods and illustrated by Hudson Talbott is a pretty amazing book. This book follows a family tree from its beginning when a small 7 year old from Africa was sold into slavery and sent to America. The concepts in this book are quite advance. Although the reading is quite easy, I would recommend this book to upper elementary or middle school students. The book is about a little girl in Africa who is taught to sew. As she grows up she has a child that she teaches how to sew....more
A book about a family’s history, Show Way is a glimpse into the past about a family’s rise from slavery to the present day (well when the book was written). The story is about the family’s struggles to past down their history. The “Show Way” is a quilt that knitted to be a secret map for slaves. Slaves follow the map to freedom. The author is the one of the present generations of women in her family. She wrote the story as a way to share her history with her daughter and the world. The rhythm of...more
Summary-
This picture book is written for elementary school students. It tells stories of Jacqueline Woodson's family history. Starting many years before her time her family began using quilts to tell stories and pass along messages. These quilts have connected her family for generations. Her great-great-great-great grandmother began sewing quilts while she was a slave in South Carolina. Her quilts helped send messages to other slaves through symbols and pictures. Later, her family used these qui...more
This picture book is written for elementary school students. It tells stories of Jacqueline Woodson's family history. Starting many years before her time her family began using quilts to tell stories and pass along messages. These quilts have connected her family for generations. Her great-great-great-great grandmother began sewing quilts while she was a slave in South Carolina. Her quilts helped send messages to other slaves through symbols and pictures. Later, her family used these qui...more
Tracing back to her great-grandmother’s great-grandmother, Jacqueline Woodson (the author) explains to her daughter the significance of the art of quilt making in their family. Based on the real history of her family, the author weaves together a story of the fortitude of the women that came before her. By including her daughter to this line of females, she shows that the strength of such women will continue on to future generations. The author’s poetic phrases echo the story-telling traditions...more
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Summary:
This book tells the historical stories of the roads the strong woman in the author, Jacqueline Wood’s family traveled in their lives and the love and quilts that tied them together. Starting with her great-great-great-great grandmother’s slavery in South Carolina, to her great-great, great grandmother’s quilt making, to her great, great grandmother (Mathis May) sewing clothes and quilts helping slaves to escape slavery, to the freedom, cotton picking, and quilt making (and selling) of he...more
This book tells the historical stories of the roads the strong woman in the author, Jacqueline Wood’s family traveled in their lives and the love and quilts that tied them together. Starting with her great-great-great-great grandmother’s slavery in South Carolina, to her great-great, great grandmother’s quilt making, to her great, great grandmother (Mathis May) sewing clothes and quilts helping slaves to escape slavery, to the freedom, cotton picking, and quilt making (and selling) of he...more
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I went to the UNC library to search for Newberry Award winning books and I found this book by Jacqueline Woodson. I had never heard of Show Way but after reading the back and flipping through the pages it looked interesting. I loved how it was based on actual events and stories that the author was able to recall. The illustrations were very well done and diverse. One of my favorite pages was toward the end of the book and it showed a group of African Americans walking together during a fight to...more
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson is the story of the author’s heroic ancestors starting with slavery, marching in the civil rights movement and ending with the present day passing of traditions to her daughter. It depicts the life of Soonie, an African American slave and the generations of relatives who were sold away from their family as children. Soonie used her talent for stitching picture “crossroads” and “paths” on patches (used as pictorial maps) that would ‘’show the way” to freedom for esc...more
Show way is a story about nine generation of African American women who throughout the years has inspires each other with their courage, strength, family traditions and their dreams of freedom. The theme for “Show Way” comes from the lives of the author Jacqueline Woodson female ancestors on her mother side who were quilters and artists and freedom fighters. The illustrations in the book are vibrant colors and designed look like quilted pieces. These illustrations brought the text on the pages t...more
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This is one of those rare books that could easily have been awarded both the Newbery Medal (for writing) and the Caldecott Medal (for illustration). Jacqueline Woodson, a three-time Newbery Honor Book winner, uses African-American idiom so well that, reading the words silently, one can hear them spoken in the mind. Show Way is many things: a matrilineal genealogy that emphasizes the liberating role of creativity; a history of African-Americans over the last 150 years or more; a book about family...more
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson is a picture book intended for readers in grades three through five. I gave it four stars. “And the words became books that told the stories of many people’s Show Ways.” This is a story of Woodson’s family tree, starting back in the days of slavery. The tale is woven together by the art of quilting Show Ways, which were quilts stars, moons, and paths that would lead slaves to freedom. It was this skill of quilting and the stories of freedom and love that got passe...more
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Although the exact date of this historical fiction book is not specifically stated, it starts out during times of slavery and as the story is told we move through each generation of this family. The story is about a girl named Soonie and how her family came to be. Soonie's family has made "Show Way" quilts for many generations. The quilts contain messages that help slaves to find freedom. As each new generation is born they take something with them from the past. They are constantly trying to fi...more
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This book is definitely for younger readers but may entice mid level ones as well. Lots of beautiful artwork and history are used to follow the ancestry of the author from great-great grandmother, through the line of matriarchal lives in slavery to the present day. The book outlines traditions such as broom-jumping for marriage and quilting for hope, the luxury some slaves had of raising their own children and the memories others kept alive of their families.
On first reading the book, and coming...more
On first reading the book, and coming...more
2006 Newberry Honor Book
Grades 2-6
Woodson’s personal account of all the women who came before her takes at least two reads, as it is a little hard to follow. It drops immediately into the story of how the author’s great, great, great, great-grandmother was sold into slavery at the age of seven. From there, each baby girl learns how to sew beautiful quilts-“Show Ways”-that either literally or metaphorically show the way to freedom through the thread that stretches from past to future. It is a mov...more
Grades 2-6
Woodson’s personal account of all the women who came before her takes at least two reads, as it is a little hard to follow. It drops immediately into the story of how the author’s great, great, great, great-grandmother was sold into slavery at the age of seven. From there, each baby girl learns how to sew beautiful quilts-“Show Ways”-that either literally or metaphorically show the way to freedom through the thread that stretches from past to future. It is a mov...more
Show Way by Jacueline Woodson, Illustrated by Hudson Talbott, Putnam Juvenile (September 8, 2005)
Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways—maps for slaves to follow to freedom.When she grew up and had a little girl, she passed on this kn...more
Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways—maps for slaves to follow to freedom.When she grew up and had a little girl, she passed on this kn...more
Really four and a half stars. A moving and poetic picture book that explores the love and traditions passed down from mother to daughter over eight generations, the cruel history of slavery that separated mothers from their children and the remarkable fact that quilts were used to direct fugitive slaves on the underground railway. While the illustrations were not part of Newbery consideration, the blend of sweet watercolor painting with collages incorporating historical illustration, photographs...more
Dec 07, 2011
Chris Maynard
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
age-level-p,
age-level-i,
autobiographical,
ci-546-wide-reading-project,
picture-book,
setting-night-time,
subject-african-american-culture,
subject-slavery,
subject-down-on-the-farm,
subject-imagination,
subject-life-and-death,
subject-racism,
subject-relocating,
subject-poverty,
theme-community,
theme-discovery,
theme-family,
theme-freedom-vs-captivity,
theme-hope,
theme-humanity,
theme-identity,
theme-inequality,
theme-love
Purpose: Picture Book (Wide Reading Project)
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Picture Book
Grades: Primary to Middle School
Subjects/Themes: See the bookshelves above.
Classroom Use: While there is controversy about the existence of freedom quilts, I would not hesitate to read this book out loud to students especially during a unit on slavery and the Underground Railroad.
Review: Woodson really poured her heart and soul into this autobiographical piece written for her daughter following the death of her...more
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Picture Book
Grades: Primary to Middle School
Subjects/Themes: See the bookshelves above.
Classroom Use: While there is controversy about the existence of freedom quilts, I would not hesitate to read this book out loud to students especially during a unit on slavery and the Underground Railroad.
Review: Woodson really poured her heart and soul into this autobiographical piece written for her daughter following the death of her...more
This books makes me cry whenever I read it, no matter how many times, not so much out of sadness as just being moved by the love following children throughout the Woodson's family history. It traces the author's family back to the times of slavery, when slaves would make quilts to show the route to escape to freedom. The narrative is beautifully illustrated in a complex quilt of different media and styles. It follows the family from slavery to Jim Crow all the way to present day Woodson, who "di...more
Jacqueline Woodson books are not easy to review. Given their length, it may make you think otherwise, but the words of other writers don't do them justice. It's hard to deny that the woman has a way with words, and her devoted fans would continue to flock to her work even if she came out with a 600+ page book. But how does she handle the picture book? Considering the strength of "Show Way," I would say she handled it considerably well.
Woodson does what she does best here: she keeps the story sho...more
Woodson does what she does best here: she keeps the story sho...more
I know there are historical questions about the validity or otherwise of the "Underground Railroad Quilt Code". But questions or not, this book tells a story that has clearly been handed down, generation to generation, mother to daughter and on again, through Jacqueline Woodson's family. Thus it is truth to that family, as much as any other truth (such as the truth that an ancestor of mine helped to build the Anglican Cathedral in Hobart).
The illustrations are beautiful, and so carefully thought...more
The illustrations are beautiful, and so carefully thought...more
Woodson shares her heritage with readers. Many strong women her family were slaves that made Show Ways. Show Ways are quilts that contained hidden meanings that were maps to lead slaves to freedom in the North. Because of those strong slave women, her family did experience freedom but their struggles didn't end there. Her mother and aunt took part in marches during the Civil Rights Era. Each generation of women in her family passes on inspiration and the craft of quilting. Jacqueline Woodson has...more
This book edged from three stars to four because of the rhythm and pace of the words that just begs to be read aloud.
A fascinating look at one African American family's journey through the centuries. I wonder how much of the story had to be prodded into place, and how much was completely true. Several of the girls have important things happen to them at age seven - which is probably also the age of the target reader.
Quilts as part of the Underground Railroad have been debunked pretty thoroughly...more
A fascinating look at one African American family's journey through the centuries. I wonder how much of the story had to be prodded into place, and how much was completely true. Several of the girls have important things happen to them at age seven - which is probably also the age of the target reader.
Quilts as part of the Underground Railroad have been debunked pretty thoroughly...more
Show Way has wonderful illustrations and a very sweet, simple story that is all the more powerful for its simplicity. The author traces her mother's family from Soonie, her great-grandmother, back as far as Soonie's memory takes her, and tells the story of young women who grew up in slavery, made freedom quilts and taught their children to do the same. The story is almost poetry, with themes repeating - I can hear my own children saying the words along with me..."and mama loved this baby up. yes...more
1.This is a junior book, other, a historical fiction.
2.Jacqueline Woodson tracks back her own heritage to tell a story about slavery and ‘Show Way’ quilts which helped lead slaves to the north.
3.A. Jacqueline Woodson has written a lovely story that oozes with love through generations. Her way of writing about her ancestors, their hardships and relating it all the way to present day is magical and gives everyone the hope of change.
B.The greatest aspect of this story is the way readers are transpo...more
2.Jacqueline Woodson tracks back her own heritage to tell a story about slavery and ‘Show Way’ quilts which helped lead slaves to the north.
3.A. Jacqueline Woodson has written a lovely story that oozes with love through generations. Her way of writing about her ancestors, their hardships and relating it all the way to present day is magical and gives everyone the hope of change.
B.The greatest aspect of this story is the way readers are transpo...more
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson is a historical fiction book. This book was a John Newberry honor book in 2006. The age group this book is intended for is intermediate. This book takes us through the history through generations of woman in the author’s family.
The book gives a little bit of history about slavery. It didn’t mention exact times, but it mentioned that slavery lasted through two generations of this family. The show way was a map on a quilt and there were no words because “picture read...more
The book gives a little bit of history about slavery. It didn’t mention exact times, but it mentioned that slavery lasted through two generations of this family. The show way was a map on a quilt and there were no words because “picture read...more
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| Ashland 566 Autum...: Picture Book 28 | 1 | 1 | Nov 14, 2012 10:56am |
I used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories a...more
More about Jacqueline Woodson...
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories a...more
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I agree, the cover is such a wonderful invitation into the book, as readers will experience how these woman worked through struggles and har...more
Nov 01, 2009 07:29am