Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2021 The reliable Center for Cartoon Studies Presents series here offers an account of Harriet Tubman’s life and work, beginning with her conversations with William Still in 1850. The bulk of the story dramatizes one rescue, during which she escorted her brothers to Canada. Lee’s gentle pinks and purples, along with the cartoonishly rounded yet deeply expressive faces, are in compelling contrast to the genuine peril of their escape, but the focus remains squarely on Tubman’s quiet, steely heroics rather than the brutality of the conditions they were fleeing. Apart from the biographical interest, Taylor’s script is rich in tension and character, cultivating a dynamic story that reads like fiction, and though the scope is narrow, it allows for a more in-depth exploration of Tubman’s character and motivations. A handy reference guide in the back matter offers more detailed information about some of the people and places featured in the story, along with other context-building notes and resource lists. This solid biography is a natural choice for classrooms, but it should find a ready audience among more casual readers, too. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2021 Gr 6 Up—Taylor and Lee tell the story of Harriet Tubman, a girl who was once afraid of everything but who eventually led a multitude of people to freedom through the most harrowing of circumstances. In the introduction, Carole Boston Weatherford (Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom) discusses this remarkable woman whose faith shaped her into the dynamic historical figure we know today. Taylor and Lee cover William Still, the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee, and the city of St. Catherine's in Canada, the last stop on the Underground Railroad—in the "Panel Discussions" section at the end of the book, they expand on these and other topics. They also include story notes about the artistic liberties they took. Highlighting locations such as the suspension bridge over the Niagara River grounds Tubman, a figure often shrouded in legend, in reality. The pink and blue hues of the artwork have a vintagelike quality, like aged photographs. The text could have benefited from a glossary of Underground Railroad terms and signs. However, what sets the work apart is the inclusion of the role the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee played in recording fugitive oral history, which the Works Progress Administration would later use to explain how formerly enslaved people would take the names of the planters who stole everything from them, and how vigilant Tubman was about adhering to the rules of the Underground Railroad, keeping her entire group safe. VERDICT This moving graphic novel brings Tubman to vivid life. A strong addition to graphic biography sections.—Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.