DO YOU KNOW THEM? Families Lost and Found After the Civil War, by Shana Keller and Laura Freeman, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Jan. 9, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
Do You Know Them? by Shana Keller and Laura Freeman, is inspired by newspaper ads placed by African Americans who were separated from family members by the Civil War, enslavement, and emancipation.
After the war’s end, everyone is missing someone. Lettie’s missing her family. They had been sold and lost long before enslavement was abolished. Every week, she reads the advertisements in the newspapers to her congregation. “Do you know them? I would like to find my people. My mother’s name was Charlotte King, and when I was sold, I had five brothers.”
Lettie is determined to find her loved ones, too. She saves every penny she earns, but not to buy candy or toys. She saves for something better—something that could bring her whole family together. —Synopsis provided by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Do You Know Them? Families Lost and Found After the Civil War is a stunning look at a little-known part of America’s history.
The emancipation proclamation may have freed Black people, but it did little to solve some major problems. Do You Know Them? addresses broken families and the steps people took to find their loved ones.
According to author Shana Keller, hundreds, if not thousands, of ads appeared in newspapers following the Civil War. These ads included specific information about the people who posted them, including who was sold or who sold them, where they worked, etc. The cost was high — 50 cents, and there was no guarantee it would work.
When Keller learned that churches read aloud these advertisements to their congregations to help those who could not read, Lettie’s story began to take shape. Lettie is fictional, but all of the ads included in Do You Know Them? are real.
Do You Know Them? is one of those books you wish you had read as a child. It paves the way for broader discussions about slavery and the aftermath of the Civil War. Author Shana Keller’s writing is warm and full of hope. And artist Laura Freeman captures the pain and joy through expressive illustrations.
Do You Know Them? is an excellent addition to home and school libraries.
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