Booker T. Washington by Thomas Amper

 

This book tells the story of Booker T. Washington’s childhood following the end of slavery, his struggle to get an education, and his journey at age sixteen to the Hampton Institute.

This is a realistic/historical fiction picturebook that uses text features to guide readers through the journey of Booker T. Washington’s life events.

The illustrator, Jenni Reeves, uses painterly style art that readers could easily relate to with the events in the time line. The vibrant artwork adds color and life to the story.

A great motivational activity I would include after reading this book with my students would be a history lesson. I would use this book during Black History Month and include a creation of time lined events as an activity. I would also suggest a writing piece for older students to express their relation to Booker T. Washington's  list of struggles he endured while coming of age.

 

 

Questions I would include to prompt a discussion would be:

1.       How would you feel if you had to travel alone to an unknown place by yourself at a young age?

2.       How long did Booker T. Washington attend Hampton Institute?

3.       Was Booker T. Washington allowed to attend school at an early age?

 

This book is great for learning the biography of a motivational character and the events that had taken place in their past.