Aronson, Marc & Marina Budhos Sugar Changed the World

Aronson, Marc & Marina Budhos. Sugar Changed the World
Clarion see Houghton Mifflin 2010 166p 20.00 978-0-618-57492-6
ms/hs Sugar - History - Sugar Trade - Slavery E-BN


The story of sugar is a a magical journey through the history of time. It links many races across many continents. It introduces slavery to the new world where sugar became the major product causing great pain and misery. The links from ancient time to modern travel a road that affects many lives. Sugar replaced honey as the spice of life. Honey was used to sweeten everything and ruled the world before sugar appeared in history gradually becoming the product people would prefer the most. The history behind sugar is a long and strange one interwoven with magic, spice, slavery, freedom and science. In ancient Indian and China around 1500 B.C. sugar was produced and used in their preparation of food but it would be a very long time before this product would travel to the modern world. In 600 B.C the Muslims are credited for learning and spreading the knowledge of the production of sugar. It is not until the discovery of the Americas in 1400’s that the sugar production becomes linked to the planting of the sugar cane with it also come the sugar plantations and the buying and selling of African slaves. This then turns into one of the darkest historical moments of the sugar production.

This is storytelling at it’s best. The author tells the story of sugar like a travelogue of events. It links cultures, people, historical events, magical moments, crucial moments in world history and the tragic dark history of slavery. The pictures in the book tell their own story and are just fascinating. What a wonderful combination of art work and storytelling. A book that should be in all libraries and it needs to be placed in children’s hands.
Includes: Timeline, photos, pictures, maps, bibliography,notes and sources, websites,and index.Diaz, Magna

The Firefly Letters.

Engle, Margarita. The Firefly Letters.

Henry Holt 2010 151p 16.99

978-0-8050-9082-6 ms/hs E-BN

It is 1851 and Frederika Bremer is a writer and a woman on a mission for women’s rights. She was looking for simple place to stay in Cuba so that she could write. What she found would change the lives of two women and give her insight into what women need to liberate themselves. In 1851 there was still slavery in many countries and Cuba was not any different.
Frederika Bremer is a woman looking for place to quietly write her thoughts, her observations and her stories. Raised as an aristocrat, Frederika asked the Swedish consulate to find her a simple home in Cuba. Instead she was sent to a rich family’s home and although surprised Frederika discovered a complexity of life involving women and their freedom and giving plenty food for thought on women’s rights.
Cecilia the slave girl became a companion to Frederika because she was able to speak English as well as Spanish. In this way she found freedom in the ability to move around freely with the foreign mistress. They both took pleasure in releasing the fireflies as others captured them and placed them in jars to die.
Elena the daughter of the house found herself a prisoner of her own house and society rules as her mother found their house guest to have to much freedom in her everyday movements. As Cecilia found freedom in her own way, Elena watched from the window at her lack of freedom envying the slave and wondering what freedom really was. Frederika observed both girls and tried to find a way to help them both in way that would be acceptable for society and for the family.
Told in the form of a poem this wonderful story of freedom and discovery will have you wondering about the term of freedom and what it really means. Diaz,Magna

The Underground Railroad.

Huey, Lois Miner. The Underground Railroad.
Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark 2010 64p 25.09
American Archeology Uncovers(MC)
978-0-7614-4267-7 ms/hs E-BNS
Several important discoveries pertaining to the Underground Railroad are described, all of them made by means of archeological evidence. This slim volume is a treasure trove of information about slavery and the Underground Railroad, all uncovered by means of archeological evidence. The organization is good, the layout attractive, and the illustrations relevant. The list of reference for future research is fairly comprehensive, and there is a useful glossary in the back. Altogether, this is a good introduction to a fascinating subject for the student who is interested in the history of slavery in America. Kennedy, Carol