Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2025 Gr 7 Up—This adaptation of Smith's acclaimed adult novel has many elements that may not be particularly suited or appealing to the intended young reader audience. Organized by important locations to the history and the discussion of slavery, the book's content by chapter is uneven. The Monticello section spends too much time discussing adult tourists' and guides' opinions of Thomas Jefferson while barely discussing important aspects of his life, such as his relationship with enslaved Black woman Sally Hemings. The Whitney Plantation chapters are well developed and written in an appealing style for younger readers, while the Angola Prison chapter focuses on the prison's tour guide and not on the treatment of both enslaved people and the mostly Black prison population, which would've been more relevant for curricular use. Some chapters wander and feel long enough to lose the intended audience, while sacrificing key background information about historic locations and events. Smith ends the text with a strong epilogue that gives readers something to think about; it could inspire projects around interviewing family members and exploring the history that is living at home. Resources include glossary, bibliography, and index. VERDICT While this book addresses an important topic and will have niche readers, the lack of establishing shared context for a younger audience and the uneven approach make this a secondary pick.—Janet Hilbun - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2025 *Starred Review* In 2021, Smith published a best-selling, award-winning adult title about the history of slavery in the U.S. The work revolved around his visits to eight national monuments and historic places (Southern plantations and cemeteries, museums and prisons, important sites in New York City and Senegal) and his efforts to fill in the gaps in his own knowledge. In his introduction, Smith, a former high-school English teacher, says he didn’t initially plan on writing a young readers’ version but was motivated to reconsider by recent national developments and the crucial need for everyone to know our entire shared history. He describes each site and how it came into existence, sums up presentations by local guides, fills in additional context, and shares the reactions of fellow visitors as they learn about actual conditions and events not taught in most schools. Much of this new knowledge involves grotesque brutality and inhuman acts of racism; reactions range from shock to anger to outright denial. These conversations are insightful and enlightening, as is Smith’s personal commentary. The finished product will include a glossary and bibliography, although they were not available at the time of review. Accessible to middle-grade and young adult audiences and deeply engaging, this is a timely and important contribution to reshaping the American experience to include all participants. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.