Ellen Craft, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell should be familiar names to anyone interested in women's history or black history. Unfortunately, too few are aware of all three women.

The author accompanies brief (40 pages) well-written biographies of each woman with photographs and a timeline of key events in her life. The introduction provides an overview of the significance of each woman, and there is an excellent bibliography.

This book is about Lucretia Motts life. Much of the book is taken from her diary or historical documents. The book allowed the reader to experience her life of hardships and struggles to give women more rights. The book would be a good selection for upper elementary teachers to use as a read aloud.

Dorothy Sterling brilliantly interweaves the shocking, painful truth about segregation's effects with everyday happenings (chats in a "secret clubroom", purchasing grownup clothing, a beautiful new bedroom) with which any teen would identify. The pleasant and friendly aspects of the latter, combined with dialogue involving Mary Jane's lovely family, make the former message all the more powerful. As a white Northerner, I can say honestly that many of Dorothy Sterling's subtle points presented me with the full impact of segregation's effects (which I abhor.) There is no question that Mary Jane (child of a prosperous lawyer, granddaughter of a professor, and living five blocks from the school) is hated entirely because of her race - no elements of class distinction and the like. The violent protestors on the school's steps somehow shocked me less (since hate-mongers always have some reason to "protest") than Sally's parents being special because they encouraged integration as obedience to the Supreme Court (rather than because segregation was an outrage), and actually were polite to Negroes (how expansive of them! even if their daughter cannot visit her closest friend's home.) The themes are easily accessible for the young reader because the book is not written with hatred or bitterness - merely a presentation of the facts that makes them especially vivid. Mrs Sterling wisely does not add other issues to the theme, which would only take away from the underlying truth that she manages to present in a vivid, entertaining, and engrossing style. Mary Jane has been a good friend of this reader's for over thirty years.

Dorothy Sterling describes the Outer Lands (The Cape, Long Island, Nantucket, etc.) very eloquently, using understandable, interesting language. She adds charming local folklore and local sights, as well as maps and drawings that contribute so much to the book. This book is great for leasure reading as well as a textbook for a marine biology class.

In 1960, at age 13, I read a book by Dorothy Sterling, and I recall the title being "Slave Train." The synopsis of "Freedom Train" seems to match what I remember. If they are indeed the same book, I can only say I was deeply impressed by this work and have never forgotten it. Bravo! Dorothy Sterling for keeping the youth of our nation aware of the greatness of Harriet Tubman!

In the beginning of the book Harriet Tubman was planning how to escape from slavery. She worked on a plantation in the south like so many other slaves. Harriet Tubman escaped with another slave and they got caught a white man hit Harriet in the head with a heavy object which caused her to have a concusion. When she got better she tried it again and made it to the north, were she got a job. She went back and got her family and friends. Harriet started making friends on the way that would help her and other slaves escape to the north, so Harriet started going back to the south and freeing slaves. She freed more then 300 slaves over the year.
Also Harriet fought in the army, became a nurse in an Negro hospital and trained other women to be nurses and founded the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. She was a very tall black women that could not read or write. But she did so much for the slaves and to help free them.

A wonderful book. When I say masterpiece, I mean masterpiece. A brillent true story of a brave young woman who lives in the hearts of children as a role model. When I read the book I felt like I was really there. It is very realistic. Harriet Tubman is an exellent book. Read it!