Show Way 

by Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by Hudson Talbott

This text would be appropriate for many grades/ages.

Show Way is a story that takes you on a journey through generations of a slave family and their pursuit of freedom in the north. It begins by talking about Soonie’s Great-Grandma and ends the journey with a slight twist. As the reader, you get to see how they still managed to live their lives and find happiness, albeit as slaves. This family is known for creating beautiful quilts called Show Ways. Passed down through generations, they sew and stitch beautifully to show the way to freedom in the north only using symbols knowing that not everyone can read.

This historical recount would be interesting to students because it shows how effectively they were able to communicate about the dire topic of freedom and equality via Show Ways without ever saying a word to one another. These Show Ways, a family’s quilting tradition with additional meaning and purpose led many slaves to freedom. I would highly recommend reading this story to your students to teach them or remind them of resilience, hope, love, and the quest for freedom and equality.

There was a student-made YouTube trailer, but it has a spoiler at the end!