Born a slave in Talbot County, Maryland, Frederick Douglass never planned to be the most famous black man in the world. He just wanted to be free. "Once you learn to read," he wrote, "you will be forever free." By telling his story, Frederick helped change the history of the world. This narrative nonfiction biography is perfect for third through sixth graders and has been revised with historical photographs.

"Written with dramatic immediacy . . . this biography] brings a strong sense of the great abolitionist and writer . . . As a slave, Douglass secretly learned to read and the power of literacy underlies this biography: Kerby shows how, in writing his story, Douglass affected the lives of untold numbers of Americans." Booklist