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A unique perspective about the Great Migration, that affected more than six million Black American families who migrated to escape Jim Crow laws and racial violence
Clickety-clack! Don't look back!
Jane and her parents sit in the segregated train car, bound from Birmingham, Alabama, to Chicago, Illinois, where her father has a new job. When their journey begins, she and her parents must sit at the back of the railroad car while the white passengers sit at the front. But as the train crosses the Mason-Dixon line, the conductor calls out that passengers are now allowed to change seats--and for the first time, Jane sees Black and white passengers sitting side by side.
Based on the author's family history, The Northbound Train presents a unique perspective about the Great Migration--when over six million Black Americans migrated north to escape segregation--while also offering a child's view of what it's like to leave your home behind in search of a better life.
Includes recommendations for additional reading and an author's note about the Great Migration.
Leslie Johnson Piotrowski is a biracial author with a passion for representation and sharing her own heritage through literature. The Northbound Train is based partially on her grandfather's journey as part of the Great Migration. Piotrowski has served in the Peace Corps and traveled to over 25 countries. She lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her husband. This is her debut picture book. Tonya Engel is a self-taught artist, influenced by folk artists of the Deep South as well as fine artists such as Marc Chagall, Frida Kahlo, and Romare Bearden. Her bold style is figurative, textured, colorful, and ripe with symbolism. Engel also illustrated Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Schele Williams, which received four starred reviews, including from the School Library Journal: "Each page spread is a piece of artwork worthy of a museum." Engel lives in Austin, Texas.
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