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Summary
Summary
I, Dred Scott
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-This fast-paced story chronicles the life of the enslaved man best known for his lawsuit to win his freedom. While Scott is mentioned in most elementary American history textbooks, the details of his 11-year legal struggle are largely ignored. While acknowledging that he was fairly well treated by his owners, the book reinforces the fact that slaves were forced to work against their will, with no pay, and often separated from family members. The extent to which they were considered property is evident in this novel as Scott is moved about the country and hired out to others at the whim of his owners. The narrative is written in the dialect Scott would have spoken, which may make it difficult reading for some children. Also, Moses fails to give a real sense of her subject; Scott never expresses emotion inwardly or outwardly. Still, fans of historical fiction written in journal format, made popular by the "Dear America" series (Scholastic), will enjoy this story, which will reach even more students if read aloud. The book contains a foreword written by Dred Scott's great-grandson.-Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Former slave Dred Scott recounts, in the dialect of the period, the personal and historical events that eventually led to freedom for him and his family. The story is inspiring, but the telling falls short, with a confusing litany of names, dates, and legal maneuvers. Wood engravings illustrate the text. An afterword, author's note, and chronology complete the book. Bib. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
From 1846 to 1857, Dred Scott tried to get courts to recognize his right to freedom. His lawyers argued that since he had spent considerable time in free states he ought to be free, according to the Missouri Compromise. Lower courts went back and forth in a series of cases and appeals, and in 1857, in Scott v. Sanford, Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney read a 50-page, two-hour decision stating that African-Americans were not citizens and had no rights. Dred Scott remained a slave until a new owner granted him his freedom shortly thereafter. Moses's fictional slave narrative is an important work that gives voice to a pivotal American, whose case edged the nation closer to war. However, Scott's narrative voice seems disembodied; there's too little character development and historical context to make Dred Scott seem like a real person. Much is told, but there's no drama in the telling. Christensen's illustrations aptly complement the text, and the foreword by the great-grandson of Dred Scott will remind readers of Dred Scott's legacy. (author's note, the impact of the decision, chronology, bibliography) (Fiction. 10-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 8-11. Few people know why the Dred Scott decision is considered one of the causes of the Civil War. This fictionalized slave narrative humanizes the struggle of brave Dred Scott and supplies extensive historical notes that explain the complex legal facts. Scott, born a slave, traveled with his master to several northern states. Sixteen years later he discovered that, according to the Missouri Compromise, his slavery ended when he stepped foot in free territory. Abolitionist lawyers helped him sue for freedom, and although he triumphed at first, his owners appealed and won, with the Supreme Court eventually deciding that slaves like Scott were not free--a notorious decision that polarized the country. The legal stuff is dense, but it's balanced somewhat by the personal anguish of slave family separation. The small, beautifully designed book, with spacious type, is illustrated with stirring full-page wood engravings, and the commentary and eloquent foreword by Scott's great-grandson are part of the story. An excellent curriculum addition, this book will resonate with adults as well as teens. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2005 Booklist
Excerpts
Excerpts
Foreword When I first found out that Shelia Moses was writing a book based on the life and times of my great-grandfather, Dred Scott, I must say I was not sure about how it would turn out. I knew she had written Dick Gregory's autobiography, but Mr. Gregory was alive to speak for himself. My great-grandfather died without ever even learning to read or write. His wife and children were denied the right to any form of education. None of them had ever recorded their journey to freedom. How would Shelia Moses write about them and tell their story? It occurred to me later that how she did it was not as important as simply telling his story. And she does tell his story -- not the story of a court decision or a slave, but rather the story of a man, a husband, a father; and, yes, my great-grandfather. My grandmother Lizzie Scott was Dred Scott's second-born child. She married my grandfather Henry Madison in the late 1800s, and they had a son, John Madison Sr., who was my father. All my life I have lived proudly as the descendant of a family that helped to change the course of the Civil War and the history of slavery. Many books have been written about the Dred Scott Decision and all the judges, lawyers, and slave owners who played a part in what would happen to my ancestors. However, this book is different in that it is fiction based on facts that Shelia Moses uses to give depth to the story of my forefather and his family. This book holds true to my great-grandfather's life; my great-grandmother's support; and my grandmother and her sister, who sat on the sidelines, probably in fear. I hope that people all over the world will read and love the characters to which Shelia Moses has given so much love. I hope you will finish this book knowing that Dred Scott was different from the court ruling that said he was only one-fourth of a man. He was my great-grandfather -- and the start of our legacy. -- John A. Madison Jr., great-grandson of Dred Scott Foreword copyright (c) 2005 by John A. Madison Jr. Excerpted from I, Dred Scott: A Fictional Slave Narrative Based on the Life and Legal Precedent of Dred Scott by Shelia P. Moses All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.