Show Way

"Show Ways", or quilts, once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves. This is the story of seven generations of girls and women who were quilters and artists and freedom fighters.

Students often tell me that, “History bores me.” Perhaps some of the reason for this statement is the inability to knit a connection between historical events and personal history. Jacqueline Woodson’s Show Way weaves together both personal history and historical events seamlessly.

From the

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quilted front cover with its “Show Way” title and shining light with stitched in images on muslin, to the quilted back cover; we journey with Woodson’s family as if we were on an underground railroad or at a segregated school. The language of the story perfectly matches our rich oral tradition using Woodson’s family as the fabric for warming our hearts. We are wrapped in an embrace that protects us from slave catchers, whips, and dogs to the point that the most abiding memory is one of feeling loved, “Loved that baby up so. Yes, she loved that baby up.”

Teachers will use this book to discuss freedom quilts, flights to freedom, and the careful use of word and symbol to convey distinctly different meanings. Careful inspection of these pages will reveal Harriet Tubman, Langston Hughes, Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King, and many more, including a very realistic illustration of Woodson and her daughter Toshi. I hope this book finds a home in both elementary and middle school classrooms. This book is certain to win many awards come January 2006. Show Way is another exemplary example of broom jumping words and illustrations, which is to say that the words wed perfectly with the illustrations.

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Beautiful illustrations tell the story of how the author's family used to make quilts to assist those escaping to freedom.

A book that tells the story of multiple generations of African American women. A "Show Way" is a quilt that maps out the road to frreedom.

Mothers wanting to show thier daughters a better way.

Show Way tells the story of the author's female relatives who came in each generation before her, starting with her great-great-great grandma. The strength of each of these African and Africa-American women shines through with poignant illustrations of the "quilted" patchwork of their lives.

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Slavery, marriages, births, and freedom are all portrayed in the lives of these women through narration that respects the heritage and perseverance of each character. This book gave me goose bumps when I reached the end due to the gravity of all that they women accomplished over the generations.

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This was a book about the lives of a family for generations throughout slavery. It showed how sewing helped them get money and get through the nights. For generations the girls sewed telling stories about the road they traveled during slavery and how eventually they came out of slavery but still

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tell the story from the first generation. This book is kind of tricky because the language isn't all there and may confuse some young readers. Also, going throughout the generations may confuse readers. Reading level: Age 6-9

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I loved this. The illustrations add so much more that young readers may miss, but may be explained, or not. The story is poignant and could relate to some kids' heritage. It highlights the importance of strength through love of family.

This book tells the story of Jacqueline Woodson's ancestors. Her great-great grandma was a slave. She learned to sew quilts to help slaves make their way to the north for freedom. She passed this down through the generations and even though slavery is over, the family members still know how to make

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the quilts.

This book could help children learn about quilts to show slaves the path to freedom and aso the link to past relatives.

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The illustrations in this book are intricate and unbelievable. Show Way takes us through generations of a family sold into slavery, yet through hardship you see love and family values shining through. While the lives of the women through the generations change, the importance of family history and

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how that shapes shines through. The story is told in free verse poetry style and there are powerful repeating phrases throughout the story. I would want to draw attention to the historical significance of the book and how quilts were used in the Underground Railroad.

Students could discuss or write about some of the ideas that come from the book that they may be able to connect with. What things are hard for your family? How much do you know about your ancestors and how do you think that affects you? How are things similar and different from the life your parents and your grandparents led to the way you live now?

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This book introduced the reader to Show ways and their importance in a different manner, by personifying them with the individuals from the author's family. I really liked the illustrations which all look like quilts and they way that is used to connect the generations.

This program could be used in

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a public library to celebrate Black History Month and show the stuggles that slaves too to gain freedom.

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through generations of a family sold into slavery, through hardship you see love and family values. With the lives of the women generations change, the importance of family history. THe story walks you through the lives of the women that were slaves and the bonds they had with family and the

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important history told by the stories of the wemon in slavery to the present time.

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Very powerful and moving historical based story about seven generations of girls and women who were quilters and artists and freedom fighters.These quilts once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves.

Confusing yet sweet story of several generations of women who quilt, and who are either slaves or descendants of slaves. Show way quilts are one of the motifs, the quilts that mapped the way out of slavery for escapees, but for me at least, there was way too much unstated. The book's designed to be

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read aloud to the very young, and the lovely illustrations make it a pleasure to look at. I think if I were planning to read it to a group of preschoolers, I'd have to flesh out my knowledge, both of show way quilts and of the Underground Railroad. Newbery Honor book.

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Such a wonderful book! I loved it up, so, loved this book up.

Follows a quilt through its many generations of women from the same family. A really great book to use during African American History month, talks about the underground railroad all the way up to the civil rights movement. Could be used with 4th grade or 5th grade students.

Written in dialect, this book was a little bit hard to read at first—mainly because I wasn’t expecting it. The dialect added a really great touch to the reading of the book; the reader could feel and listen to what it might have been like to be there with the heroine, Soonie. There was also a

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sort of poem-like feel to the language. The pictures were very illustrative, making the author’s words even more powerful. This is the story of a family who started in slavery, lived through segregation, and ended with a first person narrator growing up to become a published writer, which surprised me at first. I think this is an informational picture storybook, and an absolutely beautiful story that I would recommend to everyone because it is such an important topic to know more about.

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This is a book that follows generations of a family from slavery to the civil rights movement by way of quilts that tell a way to freedom. This story is full of literary elements and the illustrations are remarkable and engaging that also enhance the reading and meaning of the story.

A great story about Jaqueline Woodson's life and family history as a slave. She relates to the lives of her family and she also talks about civil rights and r underground rail road system. She talks about her past generations of family and present day family when she talks about her daughter.

A family legacy of Jaqueline Woodson is portrayed in a unique and beautiful way. Her family tree provides great information on the traditions of the civil rights days, such as the touch of the quilt and the jumping of the broom for marriage. The dialect of the text gives a realistic representation

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of how their culture talks, which adds a nice touch to the book. I like the idea of young readers getting more in touch with n author, as it gives them a chance to connect with the creator.

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jacqueline Woodson's beautifully crafted literary work chronicles influential members of her own family, which carries historical importance with it. With an artistic approach that mimics the interweaving intricacies of a family quilt, Woodson creates a visually sharp experience which supplies a

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hefty placement of importance on family legacy.

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This was a very profound picture book that I really, really liked. It tells the family history of the author and reaches back across eight generations, up till the author's baby girl. It starts with Soonie's great-grandma being sold from Virginia to a plantation in South Carolina and tells the tale

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of her quilt-making and the secret paths to freedom she sews into her quilts. The history of slavery and oppression is viewed through the eyes of a single family through the generations.

This book has a lot of deeper meanings and references within it that would fit easily in a high school social studies unit. I think I would use this book in elementary school as an aid in understanding what it meant to be a slave and to not have control over most aspects of your life. I might also use it to encourage students to examine their own family histories and to try to trace them back as far as they can. Although this picture book is listed at a 3rd grade reading level, I think it could be read at almost any level because of the detailed pictures that emphasize the story. At a middle or high school level, critical analysis of the illustrator's choice of colors and photo collage could reveal deeper understanding of the book's themes.

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Jacqueline Woodson tells the story of the underground railroad through her own family's history. I enjoyed many of her books and found this one to be extremely interesting because she was able to gather all this information through all the women in her family.

The book starts with Soonie's great grandmother being sold into slavery. She creates quilts with a secret meaning of a map to freedom. Soonie's great grandmother has a daughter and passes this quilt making onto her daughter. The cycle continues for generations, when Soonie is born free. Soonie and

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her mother continue to make quilts with these hidden messages. Generations pass and the women in this family continue to make these quilts and work for freedom and equality of African Americans. The tradition of "show ways" and working for equality is the theme of this book. I loved this book because it told a beautiful story that was almost more like poetry. The lines are pleasing to the ear and send out a great message. I would use this book as a mentor text for third to fifth grade. I would read the book to my students and then discuss the meaningful message that is passed down from generation to generation and is still present. I would have them think of values that their family holds and where they got these values from. I would then have them write a story in a similar style to Woodson. This book is listed at DRA level 28 for third-fifth graders. I believe that the context of this book is fine for younger grades, but the language and hidden messages may be hard for them to understand.

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