Curiosity.Curiosity Gerald Allen Wunsch 1st Books PO 108, Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in south central Indiana. Located about 50 miles southwest of Indianapolis, it is the seat of Monroe County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Bloomington had a total population of 69,291, making it the 7th largest city in Indiana. ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m # 1410736997 $11.45 1-800-839-8640 This book will interest children in learning about the Underground Railroad Underground Railroad, in U.S. history, loosely organized system for helping fugitive slaves escape to Canada or to areas of safety in free states. It was run by local groups of Northern abolitionists, both white and free blacks. . To effectively demonstrate the Underground Railway to them, Wunsch uses a contemporary setting, something no other book has tried. He entertains as well as educates. With their parents vacationing in Europe, Ginger and her best friend, Irene, stay with Ginger's grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl . However, the girls feel they're the ones to find adventure. Who would believe rural Indiana held excitement? It all began when Ginger's grandfather took them and his fox terrier fox terrier, breed of long-legged terrier developed over several centuries in England. There are two varieties, the smooth and the wirehaired. The coat of the former is dense, short, and flat, while that of the latter is longer, harsh, and wiry. , for a ride to the Browns, in his highly prized MG TF sports car from the 1930's. His friends offered the girls a tour of their house and then of something special. The girls soon learn the Brown's home was once a stationmaster's house for the Underground Railroad. Stationmasters hid slaves escaping north. The stationmaster sta·tion·mas·ter n. Abbr. SM An official in charge of a railroad or bus station. stationmaster Noun the senior official in charge of a railway station Noun 1. hid them in secret areas such as behind closets, rooms under staircases and secret cellars. Days later, back at Ginger's grandparent's the girls hear Laird barking, yet can't find him. After searching, they discover a place no one alive knows about. Oh, what interesting items they uncover. Their secret is threatened though and they wonder if they should tell. Quote taken from the story: After a few seconds, I took the plunge and said, "Grandpa, what if that old cellar was actually a hiding place for slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad?" "I'll tell you what. I'll take one more look down there with the flashlight before I tear the roof off." He'd turned toward the door again so he didn't see the panic on my face and on Irene's face. I knew I'd better say something quick. Later ... As we picked our way through the old tunnel, we came across two bone buttons and a rusty lantern. The lantern was very fragile after so many years in the dirt. Book contents include: Story with sketches Information sections on:--Fox terriers terriers a group of dog breeds, developed as farm dogs in the British Isles for the hunting of vermin and ground dwelling mammals, e.g. rats, badgers, foxes and rabbits. The name is derived from the Latin terra because the dogs commonly pursue their quarry into burrows. with photographs --The country Suriname on the coast of Brazil, along with a map. --MG T series sports cars with a sketching and photograph --Genealogy with a reproduction of Harriet Beecher Stowe's genealogy genealogy (jē'nēŏl`əjē, –ăl`–, jĕ–), the study of family lineage. Genealogies have existed since ancient times. . --America and the Underground Railroad, along with photographs, a picture from an Almanac almanac, originally, a calendar with notations of astronomical and other data. Almanacs have been known in simple form almost since the invention of writing, for they served to record religious feasts, seasonal changes, and the like. dated 1839, and a sketching of Harriet Beecher Stowe as a young woman. --Buffalo nickels along with a photograph. --For more information on Underground Railroads with phone numbers and websites. --Acknowledgements and credits with websites and phone numbers for even more research. --About the author with a photograph of Wunsch and his fox terrier, Laird. --Back page with a photograph of the illustrator as well as her biography. Irene Joslin is an award-winning cartoonist. Wunsch is a retired lawyer who served as a diplomat with the U.S. State A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and Department. He had foreign assignments in Mexico, Suriname and the Netherlands. He fashioned his story to help children find historical information interesting. Artifacts are explained well with supplemental photographs. The narrative is light in tone, adventurous, and told in first person. For further interest, Wunsch also places his playful, real life dog, Laird, into the story. Wunsch handles the subject creatively for parents, teachers, and children. His book is user friendly, informative, instructional, and entertaining. A delight. Recommended. Christina Francine, Reviewer http://www.CFrancine.bizland.com |
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