This story falls under the genres of historical fiction and easy to read books. According to Scholastic, the readability level of this book was 1st to 3rd grade.The book was a beginning reader, chapter book with a controlled vocabulary that dealt with the subject of the Underground Railroad. In the story, a young boy discovers that his father is hiding fugitive slaves in their barn as part of the Underground Railroad. The boy learns more about the secret networks of people that make up the Underground Railroad as slaves escape their owners and travel to Canada for freedom. They follow the Big Dipper, or the Drinking Gourd, because the North Star will lead them to freedom. The boy and his father help Big Jeff, Vinnie, Little Jeff, and Pearl move further North on their journey to freedom while evading federal marshalls. I would definitely use this story in my classroom to help students understand more about the Civil War, Underground Railroad, and the risks that people took to help enslaved people reach freedom. After reading the story, I would have students hypothesize why Thomas and his father would help Big Jeff and his family, since it was illegal. ( )

I found this at the Wake Co. library's book sale. I'll have to see if I can find some more in this series for my nephew. It's a simple early-reader about the underground railroad. ( )

The Drinking Gourd

Summary:
While sitting in church Tommy used an apple core and some fishing line to catch a goose, Tommy disrupted the church congregation when he caught the goose. Tommy's father sent him home, where Tommy discovered four runaway slaves in the barn. The slaves were Jeff,Vinnie, Little Jeff, and Pearl, when Tommy's father got home he allowed Tommy to come with him to transport the slaves by following the Big Dipper, but the slaves called it the Drinking Gourd. The slaves used the Drinking Gourd to follow the North Star to get to Canada. They took a wagon full of hay, Jeff and his family hid in the hay during the trip. After the slaves were taken to a boat at a river Tommy was sent home with the wagon where he waited for his father to return home later that night.

Reaction:
I thought this was a good story about the underground railroad. I thought it showed how the underground railroad worked and escaping slavery very well. Tommy's father is a character that wants to help the slaves and wants slavery to be illegal. The setting was the countryside of South Carolina. I can relate to this by the want to help people, like Tommy's' father helping Jeff and his family.

Extension Ideas:
1. The story could be an introduction on a unit on the underground
railroad.
2.The story can teach about slavery.
3.The story can show what slaves had to do to escape.

The stars of the Big Dipper have led a runaway slave family to Deacon Fuller's house, a stop on the Underground Railroad. Will Tommy Fuller be able to hide the runaways from a search party—or will the secret passengers be discovered and their hope for freedom destroyed? (With preschoolers, I paraphrased the text and used the pictures to introduce the history and talk about how God's creation helped the people find their way to freedom and safety.)

GENRE Historical Fiction CB

Publication Date 1970

Author(s): F Monjo

Title: The Drinking Gourd

Publisher: Harper & Row

Tommy is punished after mischief he created during a church service by being sent home. Upon his arrival he meets run away slaves that his father is helping get to Canada by way of the Underground Train. Tommy learns about compassion and the importance of standing up for what is right even if it seems like the wrong thing to do. ( )