1. Journey Toward Freedom was published in 1967, William Armstrong's Sounder in 1969, and Paula Fox's The Slave Dancer in 1973. Each book is for young adults, each is about blacks in America, and each is highly regarded.

What changes occurred in the country during the 1960s that made possible this new emphasis on black characters and culture in literature for young adults? What are some other books for young adults from the 1960s onward that also show this new emphasis and new social values?

2. Compare and contrast Julius Lester's To Be a Slave (1968) with Journey Toward Freedom. Do you find the series of personal memories told in the slaves' own words more memorable, or do you prefer the fictionalized biography of Sojourner Truth?

3. Research and report on one of the abolitionists Sojourner Truth encounters. Possible choices include Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell...