Underground

Underground

Author & Illustrator:  Shane Evans

Publisher:  Roaring Book Press

Reading Level:  Ages 4 and up

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Summary:  Shane Evans provides an intimate portrait of a family's nighttime flight from slavery.  Each page offers a suspenseful snapshot of the family's journey as they crawl, rest, and meet hardship, hope, and help along the Underground Railroad.  Although few words are in this book, the impact is so incredible.

Pre-Reading Activity:  This book would work great with your discussions about the Underground Railroad.   This book could also be used for an introduction for younger grades to the Underground Railroad.   Show the cover of the book and ask your students, "what do you think these characters were thinking in this picture?"

Post-Reading Activity:  Engage your students in a discussion about how the author manages to convey so much with so few words.  Also show the following video in your classroom.  This video is so powerful and impactful.  Although reading only the few words in the book the authors voice and expression bring it to life.  In this video the illustrations are brought to life.  Words cannot express how impactful this short movie is.

www.shaneevans.com/underground.  Ask the children if they understand the book more or less after watching this movie.

Have the students write a short story in which there are five illustrations and only two words per illustration.  Have them switch with their elbow partner and try to figure out what their partner was writing about.

Reflection:  I would use this books as a read aloud or perhaps a guided reading text with a small group as this may be the first time that children are being exposed to the Underground Railroad.  This book is beautifully written and the activities that you can create, the options are endless.  Although there are few words in this book, the impact is incredible and you can have your children work on their emergent literacy skills such as using picture clues, high frequency words, and predictable word and sentence patterns to figure out the text.  

Author Shane Evans

In the business of illustration, design and creative development, Shane W. Evans is a multi-talented artist and visionary who combines his world travels with his art to influence creative expression in others. Evans studied at Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts and graduated in 1993 and began traveling the world. In addition to contract work in illustration, graphic design and web design for major companies, Evans has conceptualized and illustrated numerous children’s books. Many of the books have been featured in the media such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, NBA Inside Stuff, Reading Rainbow and Late Night with David Letterman. Shane has received much acclaim within the children’s literary field for his work on children’s books such as "Osceola," "The Way The Door Closes," "Shaq and the Beanstalk" and "Take It To The Hoop Magic Johnson." His accolades range from being honored by First Lady Laura Bush at the 2002 National Book Festival, The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction for Children. (www.shaneevans.com)

Shane Evans Achievements

2004 – 2005 Land of Enchantment Book Award Master Reading List
2002 National Book Festival honor by First Lady Laura Bush
IRA Children’s Book Award Notables List
Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor Book (Penn State University / Pennsylvania Center for the Book)
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for "Osceola"
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction for children
Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe New Talent Award "The Way A Door Closes"

Beautifully written article about this book and author Shane Evans:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/01/AR2011030106301.html