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Show Way

Written by Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrated by Hudson Talbott

Hardcover

$18.99 US

Penguin Young Readers | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

9.31"W x 11.81"H x 0.37"D

On sale Sep 08, 2005 | 48 Pages | 978-0-399-23749-2

Preschool - 3

Reading Level: Lexile AD650L

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Winner of a Newbery Honor!

Soonie's great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways -- maps for slaves to follow to freedom. When she grew up and had a little girl, she passed on this knowledge. And generations later, Soonie -- who was born free -- taught her own daughter how to sew beautiful quilts to be sold at market and how to read.

From slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches and the fight for literacy, the tradition they called Show Way has been passed down by the women in Jacqueline Woodson's family as a way to remember the past and celebrate the possibilities of the future. Beautifully rendered in Hudson Talbott's luminous art, this moving, lyrical account pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters' lives.

Jacqueline Woodson (www.jacquelinewoodson.com) is the recipient of the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and in 2015, she was named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She received the 2014 National Book Award for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award, and a Sibert Honor. She wrote the adult books Red at the Bone, a New York Times bestseller, and Another Brooklyn, a 2016 National Book Award finalist. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jacqueline grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English. She is the author of dozens of award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a four-time National Book Award finalist, and a two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Her books include New York Times bestsellers The Day You Begin and Harbor Me; The Other Side, Each Kindness, Caldecott Honor book Coming On Home Soon; Newbery Honor winners Feathers, Show Way, and After Tupac and D Foster; and Miracle's Boys, which received the LA Times Book Prize and the Coretta Scott King Award. Jacqueline is also a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature and a two-time winner of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo © Tiffany A. Bloomfield

Learn more about Jacqueline Woodson

Hudson Talbott has written and illustrated more than 20 children’s books, including Newbery Honor winner Show Way (by Jacqueline Woodson), ALA Notable Book and VOYA Honor Book Leonardo’s Horse (by Jean Fritz), and We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, which was adapted into an animated film by Steven Spielberg. He lives in the Hudson Valley of New York and in New York City.

Photo © Rob Shannon

Learn more about Hudson Talbott

WINNER
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
WINNER
Newbery Honor Book

* "One of the most remarkable books of the year."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Show Way is a sophisticated book that introduces readers to the passage of time, family traditions, and the significance of quilts and their patterns in African-American history. The gorgeous, multimedia art includes chalk, watercolors, and muslin. An outstanding tribute, perfectly executed in terms of text, design, and illustration."—School Library Journal, starred review

* “Will move many readers to explore their own family roots.”—Booklist, starred review