Book Review: Bound for America: The Forced Migration of Africans to the New World
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What Parents Should Know
Parents should know that there are some graphic paintings of
suffering men, women, and children. Families could use this
book as a springboard for a discussion on the legacy of
slavery.
Common Sense Media Review
BOUND FOR AMERICA uses its title as an unhappy pun, as the
book exposes the difference between immigration by choice and
dehumanizing coercion.
Second in a projected seven-part series called From African Beginnings, this well-researched history focuses on the escalation of slavery in the New World and its dire effects on both American and African cultures. Though densely packed with information, it is carefully organized in concise chapters that keep the story clear even when the historical context is very meaty.
One thirteen-year-old with many history lessons under his belt said this book told him terrible things he hadn't known--another way of saying it really captured his attention.
Careful integration of text and illustrations enhances the impact. Eight handsome paintings by Floyd Cooper hold the book together at the pictorial level, so that the other illustrations and the narrative remain in the context of his soft but graphic paintings of suffering men, women, and children.
The book tells slavery's dirty secrets, often with words quoted from slaves and contemporary observers. It clarifies not only the personal sufferings of individuals but also slavery's disastrous effects on African culture. So much information in such a small space can be frustrating--though the time line provides crucial orientation--but most children and their parents will find it worth the effort.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
