The Underground Railroad was truly a fascinating and life-saving part of America’s history, and I am thrilled to have found so many wonderful children’s books that celebrate it! We have had the privilege of visiting several sites that were part of the Underground Railroad, and I would HIGHLY recommend a visit if you live nearby.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive, printable Black History Month book list, you can go here!
If you’d like a list of posts about different topics in black history, you can go here!
The Drinking Gourd (F.N. Monjo)
A 10-year-old white Quaker boy tells the story of a runaway slave family coming to hide at his home on their way to freedom.
Henry’s Freedom Box (Ellen Levine)
The incredible true story of a slave who mailed himself to freedom from a warehouse in a wooden crate.
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Carole Boston Weatherford)
A moving (and beautifully illustrated) tribute to Harriet Tubman and her tireless work on the Underground Railroad.
Show Way (Jacqueline Woodson)
A meaningful explanation of the age-old practice of sewing patches in quilts that were secret maps for slaves to follow to freedom.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (Deborah Hopkinson)
The tale of Clara, a slave and seamstress, who sews freedom quilts to assist the work of the Underground Railroad.
Under the Quilt of Night (Deborah Hopkinson)
A sequel to the book above about a runaway slave who uses a quilt to navigate the Underground Railroad.
Underground (Shane W. Evans)
The story of one family’s journey toward freedom on the Underground Railroad.
Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad (Henry Cole)
A young white girl who finds a runaway slave in her barn must decide what to do.
Freedom River (Doreen Rappaport)
This well-loved book is based on the true story of former slave John Parker, who risked his life to help slaves on the Underground Railroad.
Follow the Drinking Gourd (Jeanette Winter)
Peg Leg Joe assists slaves on the Underground Railroad by pointing them to the Drinking Gourd (the Big Dipper).
The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom (Bettye Stroud)
Young Hannah and her father use a patchwork quilt as a map to lead them to freedom in Canada.
Almost to Freedom (Vaunda Micheaux Nelson)
A young slave girl’s doll tells the story of their flight to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
North By Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad (Katherine Ayres)
A middle-grade chapter book about the home of a white family that serves as a stop on the Underground Railroad in Ohio in 1851.
Allen Jay and the Underground Railroad (Marlene Targ Brill)
The true story of a young boy who finds a runaway slave and must decide whether to help him or turn him in.
I hope this list of children’s books about the Underground Railroad is helpful as you delve deeper into this incredible piece of American history. Happy learning!