How the Word Is Passed (Adapted for Young Readers)
Remembering Slavery and How It Shaped America
Clint Smith
Readers rate it 5.0 (1 on Hardcover)
- Published
- 2025
Content report card
What's inside
Violence
Fighting, weapons, death
Language
Swearing, crude humor
Sexual content
Romance intensity, nudity
LGBTQ+ themes
Presence of characters or themes
Scary or mature
Horror, trauma, heavy themes
Substance use
Alcohol, drugs, smoking
What it offers
Positive messages
Kindness, courage, honesty, resilience
Positive role models
Characters who model good judgment and growth
Educational value
History, science, culture, how the world works
A note for parents
This is an acclaimed educational adaptation of a bestselling work that honestly addresses slavery's historical and ongoing impact on America through site visits and stories. While the subject matter includes discussion of violence, brutality, and trauma inherent to slavery, the adaptation is crafted for young readers and frames these realities through scholarship and contemporary perspectives that emphasize understanding and growth. The book models critical thinking and civic engagement, offering strong positive messages about memory, justice, and becoming informed citizens. Mature elementary and middle-grade readers studying American history will find this valuable, though younger or more sensitive readers may need adult support for some historical content.
Analyzed by AI · 1 hour ago
Parent age guide
Is “How the Word Is Passed (Adapted for Young Readers)” right for your kid?
Ready from about age 10.
From about 9, okay with a grown-up nearby.
For younger readers
- Violence is moderate (3/5) — a bit much at 9; fine with a grown-up nearby.
- Sexual content is mild (1/5) — a bit much at 9; fine with a grown-up nearby.
- Scary or mature content is moderate (3/5) — a bit much at 9; fine with a grown-up nearby.
- Suggested for ages 10+.
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From the publisher
Adapted from Clint Smith's #1 New York Times bestselling and universally acclaimed How the Word Is Passed, this must-read narrative takes readers to historical sites across America, exploring the legacy of slavery to help readers make sense of our nation's past and present, and be better stewards of their own future. B... Adapted from Clint Smith's #1 New York Times bestselling and universally acclaimed How the Word Is Passed, this must-read narrative takes readers to historical sites across America, exploring the legacy of slavery to help readers make sense of our nation's past and present, and be better stewards of their own future. Beginning in his own hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads young readers through an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks--those that are honest about the past and those that are not--offering an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation's collective history, and ourselves. How the Word Is Passed illustrates how some of our country's most essential stories are hidden in plain view--whether in places we might drive by on our way to school, holidays such as Juneteenth, or entire neighborhoods (like downtown Manhattan) on which the brutal history of the trade in enslaved people has been deeply imprinted. Informed by scholarship and brought alive by the story of people living today, this adaptation of Clint Smith's #1 bestselling, award-winning work of nonfiction offers kids a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in making sense of our country, and shows how they can reckon with the past and present to become better stewards of their future.
Shelved under
- Juvenile Nonfiction
- War
- Young Adult
ISBN 9780316578509