To Be A Slave is a children's novel

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 by Julius Lester

Julius Lester

Julius Lester is an American author of books for children and adults, and taught for 32 years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also a photographer, as well as a musician who recorded two albums of folk music and original songs.-Early life and family:Born on January 27, 1939, in...

, illustrated by Tom Feelings

Tom Feelings

Tom Feelings was an artist and illustrator, author, teacher and activist.Through his works, he framed the African-American experience. His most famous book is The Middle Passage. Feelings was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.. He attended the School of the Visual Arts and later lived in Ghana and...

. The book received the Newbery Honor medal in 1969. It explores what it was like to be a slave. The book includes many personal accounts of ex-slaves.

This book is about how it felt. The words of black men and women who had themselves been slaves are here, accompanied by Julies Esther's historical commentary and Tom Feeling's powerful and muted paintings, To be a Slave has been a touchstone in childeren's literature for over thirty years. To be a slave has won numerous awards; Newbery Honor Book(1969), ALA Notabe Book, School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year, and Smithsonian Best Book of the Year