Recently there has been a welcome resurgence of interest in the black experience as subject matter in children’s publishing. North Star to Freedom, by Toronto writer and editor Gena K. Gorrell, is the latest book about the Underground Railroad, the clandestine escape route by which so many American slaves made their way to Canada and freedom. Gorrell’s book covers much of the same territory as Jim Haskins’s Get on Board, but the particular strength of North Star to Freedom is its attention to background (four chapters on slavery in history and its influence on the United States) and follow-up (two chapters and an afterword on how the blacks fared in their new home in the face of prejudice and poverty). Gorrell offers a nuanced view of history, describing the moral ambiguities and political compromises. Although slavery no longer exists as an institution, she makes clear that economic and political slaves are with us still. Only one small annoyance: Gorrell sometimes uses quotation marks where written explanation would work better – for instance: European explorers “discovered” the Americas.

Each chapter begins with a snippet of story, putting the reader in the place of an escaping slave family, or highlighting the issues to follow. It’s the inspiring stories of bravery, endurance, and ingenuity that bring this subject alive, and Gorrell is a good storyteller. (Raised as a Quaker, she may well have a personal connection to the material – the Quakers were strong anti-slavery advocates.) Choose one or two of these brief stories (especially from Chapter 5: Runaway!) to tell or read aloud, and your audience will be hooked. Or, for a musical introduction, try Jeannette Winter’s “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”

The attractive design features many well-chosen illustrations with captions that reinforce, and add to, information in the text. A foreword by Rosemary Brown, suggested reading list (unfortunately short on fiction), selected bibliography, and detailed index round out the package. A competent look at a complex issue, North Star to Freedom should become a core title on slavery and the Underground Railroad.