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Show Way

Written by Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrated by Hudson Talbott

Hardcover

$17.99 US

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

9.31"W x 11.81"H x 0.38"D

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

Preschool - 3

Reading Level: Lexile AD650L

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Jacqueline Woodson is the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

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 is the bestselling author of more than two dozen award-winning books, including the 2016 New York Times–bestselling National Book Award finalist for adult fiction, Another Brooklyn. Among her many accolades, Woodson is a four-time National Book Award finalist, a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a two-time NAACP Image Award Winner, and a two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Her New York Times–bestselling memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, received the National Book Award in 2014. Woodson is also the 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the recipient of the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. In 2015, she was named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She lives with her family in 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