How the word is passed Remembering slavery and how it shaped America

Gr 7 Up--This adaptation of Smith's acclaimed adult novel has many elements that may not be particularly suited or appealing to the intended young reader audience. Organized by important locations to the history and the discussion of slavery, the book's content by chapter is uneven. The Monticello section spends too much time discussing adult tourists' and guides' opinions of Thomas Jefferson while barely discussing important aspects of his life, such as his relationship with enslaved Black woman Sally Hemings. The Whitney Plantation chapters are well developed and written in an appealing style for younger readers, while the Angola Prison chapter focuses on the prison's tour guide and not on the treatment of both enslaved people and the mostly Black prison population, which would've been more relevant for curricular use. Some chapters wander and feel long enough to lose the intended audience, while sacrificing key background information about historic locations and events. Smith ends the text with a strong epilogue that gives readers something to think about; it could inspire projects around interviewing family members and exploring the history that is living at home. Resources include glossary, bibliography, and index. VERDICT While this book addresses an important topic and will have niche readers, the lack of establishing shared context for a younger audience and the uneven approach make this a secondary pick.--Janet Hilbun

Cherry-Paul presents an adaptation for young readers of Smith's 2021 original, a riveting exploration of the lasting impact of slavery in the United States. The author, a New Orleans native, grew up surrounded by "the echo of enslavement" but without being fully aware of his "hometown's relationship to the centuries of bondage" that had shaped it. After witnessing the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from downtown New Orleans in 2017, he decided to investigate the history of slavery and "how it is remembered." This work documents his visits to the Monticello Plantation, the Whitney Plantation, Angola Prison, Blandford Cemetery, Galveston Island, New York City, and Gorée Island, off the coast of Senegal. At Monticello, Smith spoke with visitors who were grappling with their newfound knowledge of Thomas Jefferson's history of separating families and other abuses. At Angola, Smith uncovered racial disparities in incarceration and the slaverylike conditions the prisoners continue to endure. In New York City, Smith took a walking tour of the Underground Railroad and learned the jaw-dropping fact that New York City was home to the second largest slave market in the U.S. This lyrical, moving, and engrossing investigation offers readers outstanding examples of ways to engage with and talk about the history that shapes our present-day lives, whether we're aware of it or not. Readers will approach their own visits to historical sites with a more sophisticated understanding and awareness. An important and phenomenally executed book. (author's note, about this project, glossary, bibliography, index)(Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.