Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man

by Tonya Bolden

Overview

From award-winning author Tonya Bolden comes the fascinating story of one of America’s most influential African American voices in Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man.

Teacher. Self-emancipator. Orator. Author. Man. Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) is one of the most important African American figures in US history, best known, perhaps, for his own emancipation. But there is much more to Douglass’s story than his time spent in slavery and his famous autobiography.

Delving into his family life and travel abroad, this book captures the whole, complicated, and at times perplexing, person that he was. As a statesman, suffragist, writer, newspaperman, and lover of the arts, Douglass the man, rather than the historical icon, is the focus in Facing Frederick.

Includes color and archival images

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419737596
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Tonya Bolden has written numerous bestselling books for children and adults, and her work has garnered many awards, including a Coretta Scott King Honor, James Madison Book Award, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and YALSA Best Book of the Year. Her books include Changing the Equation, George Washington Carver, and Capital Days. She lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

A Note on Early Photography vi

1 A Soul to Aspire 1

2 One the World Over 16

3 Ships upon a Storing Sea 37

4 The Voice of Inspiration 53

5 No Time for Us to Leave the Country 66

6 We Are All Liberated 93

7 A New World 111

8 Promises in Your Constitution 127

9 Leaf from a Living Tree 152

Author's Note 170

"Frederick Douglass" Robert Hayden 174

Time Line 174

Notes 181

Selected Sources 193

Acknowledgments 195

Image Credits 196

Index 198

Editorial Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Most folks know Frederick Douglass as an escaped slave turned abolitionist. Bolden’s insightful, and impeccably researched, biography reveals, instead, a multifaceted man who would travel many paths and constantly redefine himself . . . Bolden’s beautiful, sophisticated narrative demonstrates that throughout all of his responsibilities, Douglass never lost sight of his biggest role—humanitarian."
—Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This narrative about a well-known figure feels fresh due to Bolden's skilled storytelling . . . A spirited biography that fully honors its redoubtable subject."—Kirkus Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Bolden successfully demonstrates in this biography how monumental a figure Frederick Douglass is in U.S. history . . . Bolden adroitly demonstrates the wealth of Douglass’s life and accomplishments with this stellar biography. A must for all nonfiction collections."—School Library Journal

"Bolden’s signature narrative style, concise and controlled but with a dashes of storyteller panache, allows the big issues to flow easily among the biographical details, making this a strong choice for middle school readers ready to tackle some historical complexity."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"The text introduces its readers to new documents and scholarship about the once enslaved abolitionist. It’s also compelling to read Douglass’s words in breakout quotes and captions. This is an excellent biography . . ."—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

"The text introduces its readers to new documents and scholarship about the once enslaved abolitionist. It’s also compelling to read Douglass’s words in breakout quotes and captions. This is an excellent biography . . ."

School Library Connection

"Bolden’s signature narrative style, concise and controlled but with a dashes of storyteller panache, allows the big issues to flow easily among the biographical details, making this a strong choice for middle school readers ready to tackle some historical complexity."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Most folks know Frederick Douglass as an escaped slave turned abolitionist. Bolden’s insightful, and impeccably researched, biography reveals, instead, a multifaceted man who would travel many paths and constantly redefine himself . . . Bolden’s beautiful, sophisticated narrative demonstrates that throughout all of his responsibilities, Douglass never lost sight of his biggest role—humanitarian."

Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Bolden successfully demonstrates in this biography how monumental a figure Frederick Douglass is in U.S. history . . . Bolden adroitly demonstrates the wealth of Douglass’s life and accomplishments with this stellar biography. A must for all nonfiction collections."

School Library Journal

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This narrative about a well-known figure feels fresh due to Bolden's skilled storytelling . . . A spirited biography that fully honors its redoubtable subject."

Kirkus Reviews

"Bolden’s signature narrative style, concise and controlled but with a dashes of storyteller panache, allows the big issues to flow easily among the biographical details, making this a strong choice for middle school readers ready to tackle some historical complexity."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Most folks know Frederick Douglass as an escaped slave turned abolitionist. Bolden’s insightful, and impeccably researched, biography reveals, instead, a multifaceted man who would travel many paths and constantly redefine himself . . . Bolden’s beautiful, sophisticated narrative demonstrates that throughout all of his responsibilities, Douglass never lost sight of his biggest role—humanitarian."

Booklist

Narrator Adam Lazarre-White tackles the monumental task of giving voice to one of the best-known orators in American history in this wide-ranging biography of Frederick Douglass. The listener enters the story as Douglass is finding his voice both figuratively and literally, risking recapture into slavery to go on increasingly popular lecture tours to promote abolition. Lazarre-White’s smooth, unhurried delivery is a perfect match for the weight and authority of Douglass’s words, which are quoted extensively throughout the text. Each section of narrative also includes quotes from articles and speeches made about Douglass and the causes he championed. These are equally well voiced, but can be confusing without the visual signals that would set them apart from the main story. N.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2018 - AudioFile

★ 2017-09-26
The story of one of the most iconic and photographed figures in American history.Frederick Douglass wanted to be viewed as more than an escaped slave, and Bolden emphasizes that point by beginning his story when he makes the decision to break with abolitionist publisher William Lloyd Garrison to begin his own newspaper. Douglass' history is nevertheless revealed as he contemplates changing his course. In his paper, the North Star, he pressed for an end to slavery and was outspoken in favor of women's suffrage. Once the nation's struggles between freedom and slavery led to armed conflict, he pushed President Abraham Lincoln to allow black men to fight in the Union cause. After the Civil War, Douglass remained tireless in seeking to improve the lives of African-Americans until the end of his life. This narrative about a well-known figure feels fresh due to Bolden's skilled storytelling. It fully captures his outsized personality and provides clarity for nuanced episodes such as his disagreements with Garrison, his refusal to support efforts to colonize blacks outside of the United States, and his reservations about John Brown's raid. Complications in his personal life are handled with sensitivity. In addition, Douglass was a celebrity at the dawn of photography and became the era's most photographed figure, and this handsome volume includes many, as well as period illustrations.A spirited biography that fully honors its redoubtable subject. (author's note, timeline, source notes, selected sources, index) (Biography. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews