Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

by Alan Schroeder, Jerry Pinkney (Illustrations)

The childhood experiences of young Harriet Tubman, called "Minty," who was destined to become the heroine of the Underground Railroad, profile her relationship with her parents, her early dreams of freedom, and her bold personality.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, History, Nonfiction, Childrens, African American, Historical

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book afforded me an opportunity to discuss such an inspiring heroine with young minds. I appreciated the story.

[Lauren Canoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman, written by Alan Schroeder and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, depicts the imagined childhood of Harriet Tubman, famously known for her escape from slavery and bravery in helping other enslaved Blacks find freedom through the Underground Railroad. This text is unique because instead of focusing on Tubman’s work as a freedom fighter as most books do, it chooses to focus on Tubman’s childhood and how it shaped her transition into the famous abolitionist.

Published in 1996 by Dial Books for Young Readers, a company known for producing quality picture books for young readers, successfully released a powerful introductory representation of heroinism in Black history. The author and illustrator, Schroeder and Pinkney are known for writing and illustrating books that celebrate influential African Americans figures. In fact, one of Pinkney’s missions in illustrating children’s books is to teach young readers about African American culture and hardships as well as “(showing himself as) a strong role model for (his) family and for other African Americans” (Pinkney, 2008).

With age appropriate text and beautiful illustrations, this story is a perfect way to start teaching very young readers about Black history. Minty lives with her family on a plantation in the Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the 1820’s. Minty always dreamed of being free, but is forced to work in the fields for her cruel and violent masters. With the help of her family, Minty learns the necessary skills to escape towards the North. However, when Minty gets a chance to run away, she is too terrified to be caught and hides instead. Minty prays that one day she will have the courage to escape.

Through Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman, given the complexity of the topic slavery, Schroeder and Pinkney successfully represent the individualized hardships enslaves Blacks endured under the institution in a manner that young readers can understand. The reader can then relate to certain events of Minty’s life but also be astounded by discrepancies between the reader’s life and the story’s protagonist. Using subtle examples of the number of toys Minty has or the idea that Minty is forced to spend her days working hard in a field aids in presenting an introductory idea of slavery to young children.

The text is simple and easy for young readers to understand and with the intricate illustrations, the audience of the book can further understand the pain and suffering of slaves. Pinkney’s creative decision to lighten or darken the colors of the images in correlation with dreams of freedom versus scenes of despair aid in helping the reader feel more intensely the pain Minty feels. For example, when Minty is whipped, the colors in the illustration are very dark and aid in presenting the intense amount of emotions in this piece, compared to when Minty imagines herself free, the colors are light and the feeling of happiness is depicted. This technique is clever since it helps the reader become more engrossed in the story. Furthermore, the cruelty of slavery is not downplayed in this text, Minty is whipped in the story and the reader is shown an image of her painful recovery. Finally, the book also ended with no resolve; Minty is still enslaved in the end. This ending represents the true reality of slavery that most slaves dreamed of freedom but were never able to have it.

This fictional account of Tubman’s childhood is based on factual accounts of Harriet’s adult life. The author used what he knew of Harriet Tubman to reconstruct what her childhood could be like by successfully piecing together seemly true parts of her childhood to her adult life. By choosing a prominently known individual, Schroeder and Pinkney are able to present to the readers that Harriet wasn’t ‘just’ a famous conductor of the Underground Railroad; she was enslaved for 20 years before her story becomes famously known. Harriet Tubman becomes even more remarkable to the readers if and when they realize that Harriet had been enslaved in her youth and after escaping put herself into the position of getting recaptured while helping other slaves escape.

Overall, this text is a great introductory text for a very young reader and although this book is historically accurate, more information about slavery needs to supplement the read in order for children to truly start to understand the complexity of slavery. Schroeder ends the text with an author’s note that describes more of Harriet’s story and success which aids in supplementing the book with an actual historical description of the story’s main character. To conclude, Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman, successfully introduces the complexities of slavery as well as preserving important historical facts in the reader’s mind. Young children must learn about slavery in order to understand its ongoing effects in our country today and this text is a great way to start.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the only mention of her escape from slavery and her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad is in the author’s note in the back of the book, this is a lovely picture book biography of Harriet Tubman, covering the time when she was a child in slavery, always planning her eventual escape.

It’s an engrossing story, and wonderful for kids, although it certainly doesn’t shy away from the brutality Tubman experienced as a child slave. I do love how she was helped by her family and other slaves, even then, and given skills and knowledge that aided her in adulthood, and presumably gave her some solace and hope as a child.

The illustrations are superb, in a wonderful style and use of color. They’re all beautiful as paintings on their own, and they perfectly complement the story.

I recently read another picture book about Tubman that did not speak to me; this one did, although I’d have liked it even better if the story had continued and followed her throughout her life. But, the story is inspiring and the pictures are fabulous.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Schroeder, but I hope it won't be my last. His text, along with Pinkney's art, makes young Harriet Tubman come alive. Both Schroeder and Pinkney are careful to emphasize that this is a work of fiction, but the basic facts are true. And that's what counts for me. If the gaps in the story weren't filled in, the story wouldn't be of much interest to young readers.

I suspect that, for most kids, this will be an introduction to the idea of slavery. Here, they will learn a little about a time, place and culture without being overwhelmed. I'll bet that most readers will pause to consider what they would have done if they were in the same situation as young Minty.

[Tippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of research went into this book to get the style and elements of the story right for the time. But it's not an easy read. Not that it should be-our history is our history, but reading about an 8 year old getting whipped is hard. And infuriating. We also get to read about how Harriet Tubman learned the skills to survive and find her way north. Overall, a great book.

I read this book as part of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards 50th anniversary challenge promoted through the LA Public Libraries.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful picture book imagines scenes from Harriet Tubman's childhood and features evocative illustrations by the great Jerry Pinkney. Reading "Minty," I found myself thinking about the book banning going on all over the United States. Is "Minty" likely to be targeted by the people who want to suppress teaching about slavery? Terrible to contemplate.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely moving and engaging, as the reader was hopeful that the main character, Minty, would be able to escape her life as a slave. Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award in 1992. As a picture book, I think the content of this story can be fearful and intense for young children even though it paints a realistic experience of a slave. I would not read it to students lower than third graders. With the whipping scene and burning of her doll, some younger students might not be able to emotionally handle these events in the story. I strongly question why the author, Alan Schroeder, would allow Puffin Group Publishers to write this book is for "Ages 5-9" on the back cover?"

After studying artistic media in my college class, I believe that the illustrator, Jerry Pinkney, used watercolors to emphasize the setting and characters of the time period representing slavery. The style of Expressionism symbolized emotion through the expression of his color choices of greens and browns. The layout design of double-page spreads focus on the intense settings of slavery: the fields of the workers, the woods for escaping and the cabin of the slaves. The thin white border around the text contrasts with the watercolors to help the reader focus on the limited print on the page, yet it tells important information, supporting the beautiful illustrations. The "full-color artwork was prepared with pencil, colored pencils and watercolor," noted in the front of the book. The cover demonstrated realistic features of the appearance of a slave in the South.

Misty could be used with children to teach about slavery, Harriet Tubman, and/or The Underground Railroad as a Social Studies lesson.
It is important that we educate students on the history of our country, even though the injustice of slavery was so wrong, it lead us to freedom for the slaves.

[Ashley Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman," was written by Alan Schroeder and Jerry Pinkney and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. It was a 1997 recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award. It has been mentioned on several occasions how far children’s literature has come in the past few decades, so I decided to choose an award-winning book from the year I was born in order to explore any noticeable differences and see what has changed over time. All of Pinkney’s illustrations are full of great detail and were made using watercolor paint. The covers of the book feature double illustrations of Minty. On the front cover, Minty is a young girl in the Big Buckwater River during what appears to be springtime, and on the back cover she is an adult in the same spot and wearing the same colors in the wintertime. This cover design choice highlights the growth of Harriet Tubman throughout her life. The entire book is filled with colorful double-page spreads. I was surprised to find that there was so much detail in the illustrations, especially within the characters’ facial features. Each two sets of pages are similarly structured, with one text box per two pages surrounded by a thin, white border. At times, the pages are text-heavy, which may pose as a challenge for a younger audience. I was personally surprised that this book included information about Minty being whipped for punishment, because I cannot recall ever reading a children’s book that included this aspect of slavery. As a child, I believe that I was only given information about the adult life of Harriet Tubman and not her childhood, so I think that this is also interesting information for younger children to know about. "Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman," is a classic, beautifully illustrated book, and it would serve great purpose in curriculum concerning Black History Month, and general U.S. history.

[Teeny Probst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Harriet Tubman, whose childhood name was Minty, dreamed of escaping slavery on the Brodas plantation to freedom in the late 1820’s. Its text shows any reader just how brave of a women Harriet was even as a children. From disobeying her masters to attempting to leave her loved ones behind without saying goodbye, Minty was willing to do anything in her power to follow the north star to freedom.

Author: Alan Schroerder
Illustrated by: Jerry Pinkney

Audience: K-3rd
Genre: Picture book
Theme: African American history, Civil War, determination and perseverance
Slavery, women's history

Illustrations: Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations were so well-done throughout this particular book that he won the 1997 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration. His one of a kind artwork brings to life the setting and characters of the story. Furthermore, his pictures include much detail and color that portrays the mood of the time period.

Usage: This particular book can be used in a variety of setting in the classroom including independent reading, guided reading, and reading out loud. One could easily use this book when teaching the brutality of slavery, important women in history, or the Civil War. Activities to go along with this book are endless including decoding slavery songs that help lead thousands of individuals to freedom, learning about maps, and etc.

Awards: Winner of the 1997 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, an ALA Notable Book, an American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists", a Time Magazine Best Children's Book of the Year, Winner of the Christopher Award, and an IRA/CBC Children's Choice

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minty- a Story of Young Harriet Tubman is a powerful account of the eight year old Tubman as she endures the miseries of being a slave during the 1820’s while living on a plantation. Minty is a feisty, brave, and somewhat foolish girl who does not follow the advice of her mother “not t’ aggravate ‘em.” She yearns to run away and her father acknowledges this will to be free. He teaches Minty how to survive in the woods without being seen or heard. He teaches her how to swim, catch fish, and skin a squirrel. Pinkney’s watercolor and pencil drawings are understated and poignant. The images of this young girl being comforted by her parents after a severe whipping from the overseer are powerful and heartbreaking. The images of Minty and her father, as he shows her the drinking gourd and teaches her which way is North, are comforting and foreshadow what is to come. Minty, with her fathers love and gentle guidance will someday be ready for the heroic role she will play in the lives of many slaves. I enjoyed the final pages in particular, as the author, Schroeder, ends the book with Minty not quite ready to escape the cruelty of slavery. This allows readers the opportunity to wonder how and when Minty will escape, it allows for interpretation, and because the story is a fictionalized version of Tubman’s journey to freedom the story does not overstep its boundaries. The factual Author’s Note at the end of the book fills in the gaps for readers. This book would pair well with Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson.

[Rodricucuz Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Contemporary or Historical– Picture Books
2. " Minty: A Story of Young Harriet" is a story about Harriet Tubman when she a little girl .

3. critique




a. list the area for comment (e.g., accuracy) The story of Harriet Tubman is a story of courage and faith . We all have herd the story of Harriet when she was a grown women freeing hundreds of slaves via the underground railroad. This book tells the story of the story that made one of the most revered woman in American history .

b. The book is filled with beautifully crafted illustrations and depict Harriet when she was a little slave girl growing up and working on a plantation. I love the use of water colors in the illustrations . They make the illustrations seem to come alive and become somewhat dramatic.

c. An example of this is the cover of the book . Harriet is depicted at a river in the woods behind her . Her brown skin pops catches the eye of reader as the background woods bends in with her clothing .

4. I would recommend this book for grade 2-6 . This is a great story , it is a story of hope and courage . It also demonstrates if you believe in something or yourself hard enough the sky is the limit. The story of Harriet has inspired many generations .

[Leah Gerber · Rating 2 out of 5]

The young African American slave girl is hiding behind a tree as the white woman calls for her from the house. She is working on an animal farm and the animal illustrations are done very brightly and friendly. Mrs. Brodas, the white woman, is mean and angry. She is yelling at the young girl for not coming in to do chores. She takes the young girl’s ragdoll, hands it to her husband and her husband throws the doll in the fire where it burns to ashes. The girl is really sad about the day’s events and lies on her mother’s lap looking mopey. When she is with her family the illustrations show the reader that they live in a very small, dirty space where their only source of light in a lit candle. They all have to work in the fields and the girl almost runs away on a horse but does not. It won the Coretta Scott King Award. It is for elementary students. I think this would be useful in the classroom for expanding on a unit about civil rights and slavery.

Schroeder, A. (2000). Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman (J. Pinkney, Illustrator). London, UK: Puffin Books.

[Cara Hanson]

Awards: Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator (1997)

Appropriate Grade Level: Grades 1-4

Summary: Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman describes the childhood of slave Harriet Tubman, as her father teaches her to follow the North Star in order to escape slavery. This book describes the determination and fearlessness of the girl who would one day be a famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.

Review: Minty is an excellent depiction of the harsh realities of slavery in the pre-Civil War South. After reading it, one can understand the seriousness and dedication with which Harriet Tubman approached her job of conductor on the Underground Railroad.

Classroom Uses: This book can be used in conjunction with social studies units on the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, or social justice issues. It's also an excellent resource to study characterization, as the fearlessness and determination of the young girl in the book makes it easy to understand the Harriet Tubman who became a famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minty, written by Alan Schroeder and illustrations bye Jerry Pinkney is a fantastic book! It is the story of a young Harriet Tubman. In this book, the main character Minty is a young slave girl who begins by working in her master’s house and then eventually becomes a field slave due to her “disobedience” or I like to say strong-will in believing what’s right. The book’s illustrations are realistic and captures that old time southern era. The colors are beautiful from the different sceneries (inside houses to being out in the forrest). This book does an excellent job portraying the amazing human spirit bestowed upon a young slave girl who more than anything wants to and someday will escape to freedom through The Underground Railroad. This is a great book children can read when learning about slavery and The Underground Railroad. This book is recommended for children 4th grade and up.

[Chelsea Gail Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman written by Alan Schroeder and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is a good book to introduce to children about slavery. Usually many books always focus on Harriet's adult life, but this book focuses on her life as a child. The book shows how hard that being a slave child could be. One instance that happened was when Harriet knocked over a glass and she had to move from being an inside slave to an outside slave only at 8 years old. The book mentions other tales of her being whipped and beaten as a slave. It shows her desires to get out of the slave world but just physically can't. This book also won the Coretta Scott King award, and I can see why. It would be a great story to use to teach during Black History Month, or any unit of slavery in history. The illustrations were also amazing. They seemed so vivid and lifelike it was hard to keep my eye away from them.

[Olivia Longenbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is unique because it is a biography of Harriet Tubman as a young child, but with her given name of Minty. It describes her struggles as a child slave on a plantation, how much she wants to be free, and her attempts at escaping. This book is relatable to elementary students because Minty is around their age, and it would help students understand why Harriet had such a passion for helping free other slaves. This book could best be used in fifth grade, when discussing slaves and what their lives were really like. The book is realistic on the punishment slaves (even children slaves) would face if they ran away, and the language and descriptions are not appropriate for young children. With fifth graders, this book could be read during/after they have learned about Harriet Tubman, and I can see an aha moment happening with students after finding out that Minty is really Harriet Tubman.

[Faloni © · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a journey learning about the antislavery movement. Unless the truth about the African-American slave experience is exposed, American’s won’t truly be free. Minty, allows us to reflect on where we have been, where we are currently, and where we are going futuristically. In our classroom, students are studying the famous American’s unit. They each receive a Famous American story and retell what they’ve learned. It is encouraging to read about the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman is one particular story students in our classroom love to retell. It was this type of legacy that produced black heroism in the Civil War and helped launch the modern civil rights era. Let’s not forget it is young Harriet Tubman’s legacy we celebrate and must adhere. To proclaim for all the world to hear, that human rights must never again become subservient to property rights. Freedom is always worth celebrating, wrong is wrong; right is right.

[Kristy Sikora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This beautifully illustrated (by Jerry Pinkney) story is based mostly on facts of Harriet Tubman's, (Minty), childhood. She was a stubborn child, and she wanted freedom badly. Her father and mother taught her many lessons as a child about nature. Although this story doesn't talk about her being successful at escaping slavery, the author addresses how her childhood lessons would later be what helped her have the knowledge to save so many slaves on the Underground Railroad.

Publication date: 1996

Themes: bravery, slavery, hardships, childhood

Lesson ideas: This book could be used to discuss character traits and slavery. As a third grade teacher, I would use this to talk about how times have changed, and have students imagine what it would be like to be the 8 year old in this story. This would be a great book to introduce the Civil Rights Movement.

[Deangel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Minty was an okay book. The author noted that the story was based on actual information on Harriet Tubman’s childhood. The story was about Harriet’s childhood on the Brodas plantation. Harriet’s nickname was Minty. Most of the time, Minty was getting in trouble by the lady of the plantation Mrs. Brodas. Every time Minty got in trouble she would tell her parents that she was going to run away. Towards the end of the story she encountered a chance to run away, but hesitated. That night she decided she would one day leave to freedom. At the end of the book was an after note with factual information on Harriet Tubman and her escape. The note mentions how she became well known for the Underground Railroad and helped other slaves to freedom. I think children will enjoy this book because even though it is historical fiction, they will get a sense of how Harriet’s life may have been as a child.

[Jennifer Lanman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book based on Harriet Tubman in her early years. She had dreamed of being free and running away from her mean master. She had become a field slave and was forced to work outside all day. She had made a friend but she was sold and sent away. She got beaten for not obeying the master and the rules and was almost sold. She has a plan to run away and her family tries to help her but she gets to nervous and ends up not doing it. In the end she says she will run away someday but right now is not the time. I think this book would be good to use for when you talk about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. You can show what she thought back when she was little and then talk about how she ended up doing what she planned to do but even better because she saved many lives. This would be for ages 9-12

[John Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman, was written by Alan Schroeder and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney with water colors. The illustrations are interesting and add to the story, but I am not a fan of the way the pictures look almost unfinished. Few of the faces are very clear, and most of the pencil lines are still visible, which does not give it a professional appearance. While most of the pictures were difficult to look at, there was one great image; Minty releasing a muskrat from a steel trap in the water. Pinkney shows a side view, both above and below the water, almost like the reader is looking into an aquarium, which is very cool. this would be a good story to read out-loud but might just be a silent reading book in my future classroom.

[Kimberlee Gutterman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is great for teaching children about slavery in a way that isn't overwhelming or too scary. This book also shows how real slavery was and how even children like Harriet Tubman. I liked how Schroeder included her childhood name which was Minty. This is interesting because not many people will have known that fact about her. It also makes the story more real because the children will know that this was about an actual person and it's not just made up. This biography was written very well and I think it is very suitable for children to read. However, I think some of the vocabulary may not be very suitable because I think it will be too difficult for children but this allows for the opportunity for them to use a dictionary or ask the teacher or classmate.

[Daniela Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Harriet Tubman when she was a little girl. Harriet and her family were slaves, and all she wanted to was run away and go North so that she could be free. Her father saw how badly she wanted to run away, so they went out into the woods and he taught her what she needed to do to not get caught. By the end of the story she doesn't run away, but the last page is more information on when she did become free and her contribution to the underground railroad. I felt very empathetic with Harriet as I read the book, and I was also worried that she would run away as a child alone and not have her parents. I feel as though this book could be used with any elementary class as part of a history unit to show slavery, the underground railroad, and the life of Harriet Tubman.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story about young Harriet Tubman. When she was young, her nickname was Minty, and she worked in the house of the plantation as a house slave. After she had a few accidents, she was moved out to the fields to be a field slave. Her owners did not treat her well, and she got punished multiple times, one being so bad that she couldn't walk for days. The story told other events of young Harriet's life, which provides the reader with new knowledge and insight into this time in American history. This book would be for a little bit older readers, possibly third or fourth grade, and would be a good book to use when talking about pre-civil war America.

[Jyothi Gispanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curricular connections: §113.14. Social Studies, Grade 3
(14) Culture. The student understands the role of heroes in shaping the culture of communities, the state, and the nation. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and compare the heroic deeds of state and national heroes, including Hector P. Garcia and James A. Lovell, and other individuals such as Harriet Tubman, Juliette Gordon Low, Todd Beamer, Ellen Ochoa, John "Danny" Olivas, and other contemporary heroes; and
I would use this book by learning about the childhood part of Harriet Tubman and building the knowledge of what made her actions as an adult

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful picture book based on young Harriet Tubman, or "Minty" as she was most often called. The author states in the forward that this story is a work of fiction with many facts about Harriet, the South, slavery, and the Underground Railroad woven in.

Even though told in picture book format, the text is a bit lengthy for most small children to enjoy in a single reading session and would be better received in two small readings. Alan Schroeder did a great job making this story appropriate for children of all ages even though the subject matter is at times unsettling or upsetting.

[Gabriella Bumbaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Biographical Nonfiction
Grade: 4-6
Review:
This was a very interesting read. I would be cautious depending on the class because some of the topics mentioned are pretty raw and real. The language might also be confusing to them. However, I do like that this gives some background to Harriet Tubman. This book can help the children understand that she is not just some fake person but a real human that had a hard childhood and faced struggles.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictional account of Harriet Tubman's childhood who as a child of 8 years old was considered a "difficult" slave, but going from a house slave to a field slave was a blessing in disguise allowing her to hone her skills that she used in her later years to travel back and forth to guide enslaved people to freedom. The illustrator of this book also had the honor of creating the U.S. stamp of Harriet Tubman.

[Ten_zillions · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is a great introduction into the topic of slavery for young elementary school children. I, myself, read and bought this book from the scholastic book fair while I was in elementary school. Although it is an imagined account of a young Harriet Tubman who was affectionately called "Minty," the story is rooted in historical fact. It teaches about perseverance and continuous strength.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with great illustrations. In this book you learn a little bit how Harriet Tubman's life was as a child slave on a farm. I had no idea that she went by Minty as a child. Pretty interesting book, but I was disappointed in the end only because I reached the end of the book and wanted to keep reading.