The Underground Railroad
Written by Allison Lassieur
Reviewed by Sloane B. (age 12)
Pain, misery, and pain are all feelings that slaves had to go through by being forced to work all day and night, and even being sold away from their family! The book, The Underground Railroad, by Allison Lassieur is about how slaves lived their lives, and how slave catchers searched all night to find their runaway slaves. This is a choose your own adventure book meaning you can choose your own path. Your options include being a slave owner, a slave, or a slave catcher, or even an abolitionist.
You’ll be sad to learn about what happened when slaves got caught running away. Allison Lasseiur also writes about Harriet Tubman. She mentions some of the slaves that Harriet brought to freedom, and how she risked her own life for other slaves because she knew how bad life in slavery was for them. She understood living your life everyday knowing that you’re someone else’s property. Slave catchers went around at night looking for runaway slaves, and it they were found, they could be whipped, even killed. But, some were lucky to make it through the Underground Railroad.
When I read this book it made me think about treating others better. Even if someone is different from me, I need to treat them like any other person.
The only thing I would change about this book is I wish it wasn't an Adventure book. When you choose your own adventure it goes the way you pick it to and not how it happened in real life.
I recommend The Underground Railroad because it is exciting when the slaves are able to escape. It tells you a lot of facts about the Underground Railroad like how the slaves followed the stars in the sky to find their way. Reading about how the slaves are treated when they are caught will make you feel sad.
If you like learning about slave life, then you could look for more books about the Underground Railroad in your school library.