Newbery Award Honor - Show Way by Jaqueline Woodson

Title: Show Way

Author/Illustrator: Jaqueline Woodson/Hudson Talbott
Award(s): Newbery Honor(2006), New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Genre(s): Fiction, Picture books, Children's Literature
Age: 4-8

        Show Way by Jaqueline Woodson is about a story of seven generations of African-Americans, based on the author's own personal familial experience. Soonie's great-grandmother was seven when she was sold to a different planation by herself in South Carolina. She left with some bright red thread, and two needles to have as a reminder of her home. She was then raised by Big Mama, and many of the other slave children. She would tell them stories about how children were able to get themselves free, and the children loved these stories. When they were able to rest during the day, Big Mama taught Soonie's great-grandmother sewed colored thread into stars and moons, that as children grew up, they would follow at night leading them to freedom.

    Soonie's great grandmother grew up, and Big Mama passed away, and she got married and had a girl named Mathis May, whom she loved very much. Mathis May eventually was Soonie's grandma, but until that time happened she learned to sew and read the patterns of the quilt. Mathis May got sold away when she was seven and took a star from her mother's blanket to take it with her and remember home, and she eventually started adding to it, and making clothes for the people of the house and other slaves. At night she would add stars, moons and roads to her blanket, which was a 'Show Way' because it showed the other slaves how they could get off this plantation, and get to freedom. Their owners just they were regular blankets and nothing special, so this is how they were able to keep it a secret. Time goes on and Mathis May gets married and has her own child, but her husband was killed before he ever got to meet her, but her daughter was NOT born a slave, even though she was forgotten.
    Many years later Soonie was born and her mom showed her the roads in the stars, moon, and sky. They remained o this land because it was home, but not as slaves, but being paid for their work, even if it was a little amount. Although they were free, they still would create "strange" designs into these blankets/quilts. When Soonie was seven she started to add patches to the pieces, and eventually her family started to sell them and called these quilts "Trail to the North" as well as "Show Way", but since they didn't need to keep them a secret anymore, they were able to make a profit off of them. First made as a way to live, but now it's to remember what they went through. Soonie got married and had a baby girl named Georgiana who made a living for herself teaching others, then had two girls of her own, Ann and Caroline. At seven, Ann and Caroline, were a part of history in changing laws to help black and white people be treated equally, it was hard, but they had their own Show Way pieces to hold onto. Ann became a mother to Jacqueline, who didn't have to work n fields or march for freedom, but she stayed reading books, and writing poems. As she grew up her words became books, and told a story many slaves went through. She had her own child, Toshi Georgiana, and would tell her the stories she heard growing up, and they continue to had their own piece to the story. As these quilts went from generation to generation, they passed on hope and courage to other slaves, and individuals that they could live a better life.