Show Way

Across generations, the women in one family pass down the art of quilting — from a seven-year-old girl sold away from her parents who sewed secret maps to freedom, to daughters who carried her knowledge through segregation and into the fight for literacy.

For families who want their children to understand where they come from, this is a book that turns one family's history into something a child can hold and trace with a finger.

• Big idea: What mothers pass to daughters — skill, memory, courage — can carry a whole family from bondage into freedom.
• Vibes: Lyrical, reverent, and quietly powerful — history told as inheritance.

• are curious about family history and where they come from
• are learning about slavery and the fight for freedom
• respond well to true stories told in poetic language
• enjoy looking closely at detailed, painterly artwork

• Story & history: What were the Show Way quilts, and why were their patterns like North Star and Crossroads kept secret?
• Feelings & empathy: How do you think Soonie's great-grandma felt being sold away from her ma and pa at seven years old?
• Family connection: What is something in your own family that gets passed down from parent to child?
• Imagination: If you were sewing a quilt to help someone find their way, what pictures or symbols would you choose?
• Real-life connection: Why do you think it mattered so much that Soonie's daughter learned to read?