Bound To Stay Bound

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 Volcano beneath the snow : John Brown's war against slavery
 Author: Marrin, Albert

 Publisher:  Knopf (2014)

 Dewey: 973.7
 Classification: Biography
 Physical Description: 244 p., ill., maps, 24 cm.

 BTSB No: 604646 ISBN: 9780307981523
 Ages: 12-16 Grades: 7-11

 Subjects:
 Brown, John, -- 1800-1859
 Abolitionists

Price: $23.98

Summary:
A poignant biography of the controversial Civil War figure John Brown, a man of many legacies, from hero, freedom fighter, and martyr, to liar, fanatic, and "the father of American terrorism."

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Accelerated Reader Information:
   Interest Level: MG+
   Reading Level: 7.70
   Points: 12.0   Quiz: 165693
Reading Counts Information:
   Interest Level: 9-12
   Reading Level: 8.40
   Points: 16.0   Quiz: 63509

Common Core Standards 
   Grade 7 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 7.RI Key Ideas & Details
   Grade 7 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 7.RI Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
   Grade 7 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 7.RI Craft & Structure
   Grade 7 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 7.RI Integration of Knowledge & Ideas
   Grade 8 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 8.RI Key Ideas & Details
   Grade 8 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 8.RI Craft & Structure
   Grade 8 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 8.RI Integration of Knowledge & Ideas
   Grade 8 → Reading → RI Informational Text → 8.RI Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity

Reviews:
   Kirkus Reviews (02/15/14)
   School Library Journal (+) (00/03/14)
 The Hornbook (00/03/14)

Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 03/01/2014 Gr 7 Up—Marrin offers a multisided look at the events and controversy surrounding John Brown's role in the banishment of slavery and his ongoing inspiration for current events. Chapters present the history of the "peculiar institution" (slavery) both here and abroad, details of Brown's life and family, his relationship with the abolitionists, his radicalization leading to the killings at Pottawatomie, Kansas, and, eventually, the uprising at Harper's Ferry and his trial and hanging. Brown's motivations, his religious fervor, charisma, and leadership skills are all examined. The politics of the time and key players both for and against slavery, secession and disunion are introduced. Brown's role in the beginning of the Civil War and the introduction of the Emancipation Proclamation are explained. The role of slaves and free blacks before, during and after the war is also included. The Civil Rights Movement and more recent radical events, including the attack on the World Trade Center, are looked at through the lens of John Brown's actions. From beginning to end, readers are asked to consider the philosophical questions Brown raised regarding "breaking a 'bad' law in democracy." The double-column text is rich with relevant excerpts from writings, speeches, songs, and poetry of the era. Well-chosen captioned and dated black-and-white illustrations include period photos, portraits, artwork, maps, fliers, and posters. Extensive notes and further-reading suggestions are included. This will be an excellent resource for U.S. history collections.—Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/15/2014 *Starred Review* Historian Marrin regards the nineteenth-century zealot John Brown as being “the father of American terrorism,” a man who would use any means to effect what he believed was his God-given mission: to eradicate slavery in the U.S. In pursuit of his mission, the volcanic Brown didn’t draw the line at violence or even murder, being personally responsible for a clutch of deaths in “bloody Kansas.” It is, however, his failed attempt to capture the federal armory at Harpers Ferry for which he is perhaps best remembered. It was his goal to seize the many guns stored there to arm an uprising of slaves that he hoped to foment. Though he didn’t succeed, his failure was, in fact, a triumph, as his subsequent death by hanging turned him into a martyr, an inspiration for abolitionists, and a catalyst for the ensuing Civil War. Marrin has done a brilliant job of providing readers with a full-length biography of this extraordinary man who “raised questions that are as valid today as they were in his lifetime.” In limning Brown’s colorful life, Marrin creates ample context, highlighting the horrors of slavery and offering an overview of the Civil War. His gracefully written, well-documented text is supported by 20 pages of endnotes and is accompanied by a generous selection of black-and-white period photographs and drawings. The result invites independent reading and provides an invaluable resource for classroom use. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 04/01/2014 By the time young adults reach for this lengthy, double-columned text on John Brown, they will likely be familiar with the 1859 debacle at Harpers Ferry, in which Brown and fellow zealots attempted to seize a Federal arsenal, arm slaves who would rise up in revolt, and strike such terror into the South that the “peculiar institution” of slavery would eventually meet a bloody demise. Here Marrin goes far beyond the standard treatment that concludes with failure, executions, and a brief hiatus before the Civil War, confronting instead the larger and more complex issues of what made John Brown tick, and whether his code of “righteous violence” is ever justifiable. It’s a courageous approach, and Marrin carefully lays the groundwork in several chapters covering Brown’s early life and the global development of slavery. By the time readers get to Harpers Ferry, they’ve already met the unstoppable force, Brown, who participated in a massacre in “Bleeding Kansas” and lied about that participation to his more pacifistic financial backers, and the immovable obstacle, slavery, which hunkered down under the protection of politics and legislation. Marrin refuses to take an easy way out by writing Brown off as a religious fanatic or a madman or even a common criminal, and in so doing forces readers into the maelstrom of mid-nineteenth century debate, to determine the most expeditious road to justice, unaided by twenty-first century hindsight. This is a rewarding work for serious adolescent readers, and educators who are equally serious about nurturing informed social criticism within their students will welcome this challenging title. Index, notes bibliography, and black and white reproductions of historical photographs and illustrations are included. EB - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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