“I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” Harriet Tubman at a suffrage convention, NY, 1896
Harriet Tubman was born as Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland. Her exact date of birth is not known, although it is believed the year was 1822. What is absolutely known, however, is that she died on March 10, 1913. In 1990 the United States Congress designated March 10th as “Harriet Tubman Day.” The Resolution partially states, “Whereas Harriet Tubman—whose courageous and dedicated pursuit of the promise of American ideals and common principles of humanity continues to serve and inspire all people who cherish freedom…” There have been countless movies, documentaries, articles, and books written about the life of Harriet Tubman—and yet there is so much knowledge still unknown. For educators, parents and caregivers, or anyone seeking books on Tubman, the biographies featured range from picture to young adult books and are listed according to their release date.
1 Harriet Tubman: Toward Freedom: The Center for Cartoon Studies Presents
Whit Taylor | Kazimir Lee | Little, Brown BYR | June 15, 2021 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
2 She Persisted : Harriet Tubman
Andrea Davis Pinkney | Gillian Flint | Philomel Books | January 5, 2021 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
3 The Story of Harriet Tubman: A Biography Book for New Readers
Christine Platt | Rockridge Press | April 7, 2020 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
4 Harriet Tubman (Sheroes)
Christine Platt | Calico Kid | January 1, 2020 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
5 Harriet Tubman
Jehan Jones-Radgowski | Pebble | January 1, 2020 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
6 She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman*
Erica Armstrong Dunbar | 37 Ink | November 5, 2019 | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
7 Trailblazers: Harriet Tubman: A Journey to Freedom
Sandra A. Agard | Random House BYR | October 1, 2019 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
8 Harriet Tubman: Freedom Fighter (I Can Read)
Nadia L. Hohn | Gustavo Mazali | HarperCollins | December 31, 2018 | ChpBk | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
9 Before She Was Harriet
Lesa Cline-Ransome | James E. Ransome | Holiday House | November 7, 2017 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
10 An Apple for Harriet Tubman
Glennette Tilley Turner | Susan Keeter |Albert Whitman | November 1, 2016 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
11 Harriet Tubman and My Grandmother’s Quilts
Lorenzo Pace | Windmill Books | January 15, 2015 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
12 Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, Inspired by Historical Facts
Nikki Grimes | Michele Wood | Orchard Books | January 6, 2015 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
13 Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad
Ann Petry | Amistad, Revised Ed. | August 14, 2007 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
14 Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom
Carole Boston Weatherford | Kadir Nelson | Hyperion | September 1, 2006 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
15 Harriet and the Promised Land
Jacob Lawrence | Aladdin | January 1, 1997 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
16 Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky
Faith Ringgold | Dragonfly Books | December 12, 1995 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
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*Dunbar’s, She Came to Slay, is not categorized as a children’s book but may appeal to YA readers.
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