How the Word Is Passed (Adapted for Young Readers): Remembering Slavery and How it Shaped America

Gr 7 Up–This adaptation of Smith’s acclaimed adult novel has many elements that may not be particularly suited or appealing to the intended young reader audience. Organized by important locations to the history and the discussion of slavery, the book’s content by chapter is uneven. The Monticello section spends too much time discussing adult tourists’ and guides’ opinions of Thomas Jefferson while barely discussing important aspects of his life, such as his relationship with enslaved Black woman Sally Hemings. The Whitney Plantation chapters are well developed and written in an appealing style for younger readers, while the Angola Prison chapter focuses on the prison’s tour guide and not on the treatment of both enslaved people and the mostly Black prison population, which would’ve been more relevant for curricular use. Some chapters wander and feel long enough to lose the intended audience, while sacrificing key background information about historic locations and events. Smith ends the text with a strong epilogue that gives readers something to think about; it could inspire projects around interviewing family members and exploring the history that is living at home. Resources include glossary, bibliography, and index.