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The Story of Juneteenth: An Interactive History Adventure
The Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War have brought an official end to slavery, yet some Southern slave owners are refusing to comply. The road to freedom is still long and hard for many African Americans, but you re not giving up. Will you: Overcome obstacles as you make your way north from Texas, looking to begin a new life of freedom?Seek out your family, from whom you were separated as a child, after emancipation?Fight back when you take work as an apprentice but find that you re still treated as a slave? YOU CHOOSE offers multiple perspectives on history, supporting Common Core reading standards and providing readers a front-row seat to the past."
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 9, 2023
Important! A history lesson on the Juneteenth holiday and the lives of the formerly enslaved in Texas. The book is interactive and allows the reader to choose different paths and provides the opportunity for valuable discussions.
In the book, the path I choose as a newly freed teenage girl led to a vagrancy charge. The book has a timeline, glossary, and bibliography. An important part of history to read!
🌷Book Quotes:
"The federal government sent General Gordon Granger to Texas with 2,000 troops to enforce emancipation."
"Though slavery was abolished, prejudice and racism against blacks continued. Many southern whites resented the newly freed people."
"On January 1, 1980, a law was passed in Texas to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday."
"Without slave labor, some plantations could no longer operate. Why do you think many white southerners resented freed slaves?"
In the book, the path I choose as a newly freed teenage girl led to a vagrancy charge. The book has a timeline, glossary, and bibliography. An important part of history to read!
🌷Book Quotes:
"The federal government sent General Gordon Granger to Texas with 2,000 troops to enforce emancipation."
"Though slavery was abolished, prejudice and racism against blacks continued. Many southern whites resented the newly freed people."
"On January 1, 1980, a law was passed in Texas to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday."
"Without slave labor, some plantations could no longer operate. Why do you think many white southerners resented freed slaves?"
June 25, 2020
Interesting story about Juneteenth.
June 20, 2022
Fun interactive approach to the Juneteenth story. Great read with my 5th and 6th grader. We found it educational, engaging, and a wonderful conversation starter for many topics.
June 25, 2022
I've always enjoyed books that allowed choice in the reading. In addition, having young people realize that there are always options in the choices we make even though some are good and some are not. This book provides a source for young people to examine some of the options newly freed individuals had once freedom was enforced in Texas. A very good book that can be read for each of the choices provided.
July 5, 2019
I like how there are multiple endings. I will be reading these with the class and letting them choose the next step.
May 28, 2023
"It’s a day not just for African-Americans, but for all Americans who believe in..."
"It’s a day not just for African-Americans, but for all Americans who believe in justice and equality."
This book starts and ends with basic history, and the information you "expect", but in the middle it transforms into a storybook reminiscent of the choose your own adventure books of the 1980s where you choose one of two options at the turning point of events, and find out what happens next for the characters.
"It’s a day not just for African-Americans, but for all Americans who believe in justice and equality."
This book starts and ends with basic history, and the information you "expect", but in the middle it transforms into a storybook reminiscent of the choose your own adventure books of the 1980s where you choose one of two options at the turning point of events, and find out what happens next for the characters.
July 8, 2020
Truly a fun history experience
I read this book as a summer Boot Camp reading course. I absolutely love the interaction I was able to have with my students from a far. Having the different perspectives in the different options really puts in hindsight of what it means to celebrate Juneteenth
I read this book as a summer Boot Camp reading course. I absolutely love the interaction I was able to have with my students from a far. Having the different perspectives in the different options really puts in hindsight of what it means to celebrate Juneteenth
June 11, 2018
Great book, I never read a interactive book where you choose the story path and ending.
December 30, 2019
A fun and educational book for kids in upper elementary grades.
June 17, 2021
My kids learned a lot!
We really enjoyed the interactive approach. It helped the kids to really see the unfair and costly consequences of the choices the enslaved were stuck with.
We really enjoyed the interactive approach. It helped the kids to really see the unfair and costly consequences of the choices the enslaved were stuck with.
July 22, 2025
Enjoyable children’s history of Juneteenth
November 15, 2016
Otfinoski, S. (2015). The Story of Juneteenth: An Interactive History Adventure. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.
Summary: After the American Civil War ended in 1865 and slavery was abolished, the freed slaves faced many challenges when working to create new lives. In the state of Texas, many slave owners refused to release their slaves and the federal government eventually had to send General Gordon Granger with 2,000 troops to enforce the emancipation. When the "General Order No. 3" was read aloud on June 19th, and the slave owners were finally forced to release their slaves, the celebration that ensued in the city of Galveston became known as "Juneteenth." This interactive history book allows the reader to choose the paths of three historically-based characters and see how life would have been and what outcomes were often like for the freed men and women of this era. The characters from which to choose are A Young Black Man, An African-American Teenage Girl, and A Young Apprentice.
Five higher-level thinking discussion questions:
1. Consider the situation in Galveston, Texas on Juneteenth. Describe how you think the freed slaves might have felt on that day.
2. Discuss one character you meet as you choose your adventure who you would classify as not a good person. Try to imagine what could have led that character to become the way that we see him or her in this book.
3. In the choices you were given to choose your own adventure, were there times that you had to make a choice and none of the options seemed like a good option? Why? What would you have preferred to do?
4. What would you most want to accomplish in your life if you were living in the times after the American Civil War?
5. Analyzing your favorite character in the book, can you describe why you liked this character the best?
Summary: After the American Civil War ended in 1865 and slavery was abolished, the freed slaves faced many challenges when working to create new lives. In the state of Texas, many slave owners refused to release their slaves and the federal government eventually had to send General Gordon Granger with 2,000 troops to enforce the emancipation. When the "General Order No. 3" was read aloud on June 19th, and the slave owners were finally forced to release their slaves, the celebration that ensued in the city of Galveston became known as "Juneteenth." This interactive history book allows the reader to choose the paths of three historically-based characters and see how life would have been and what outcomes were often like for the freed men and women of this era. The characters from which to choose are A Young Black Man, An African-American Teenage Girl, and A Young Apprentice.
Five higher-level thinking discussion questions:
1. Consider the situation in Galveston, Texas on Juneteenth. Describe how you think the freed slaves might have felt on that day.
2. Discuss one character you meet as you choose your adventure who you would classify as not a good person. Try to imagine what could have led that character to become the way that we see him or her in this book.
3. In the choices you were given to choose your own adventure, were there times that you had to make a choice and none of the options seemed like a good option? Why? What would you have preferred to do?
4. What would you most want to accomplish in your life if you were living in the times after the American Civil War?
5. Analyzing your favorite character in the book, can you describe why you liked this character the best?
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September 16, 2018A historical choose-your-own-adventure book!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews