Way Up and Over Everything written by Alice McGillstory and illustrated by Jude Daly, begins when a new shipment of slaves arrive at the plantation. Just before sundown as the slaves were eating their evening meal, the slaves that had just arrived that day were suddenly gone. The overseer and master gathered the search dogs to chase down the run-away slaves. As they caught up to the slaves in the field, they found them holding hands in a circle looking up in the sky. Before they knew it, the master, overseer, and the other slaves were watching them fly away into the sky to freedom. “According to traditional stories, people trying to escape mysteriously disappeared into thin air. Those left behind sang songs and told stories about these flying folks. Sometimes, the stories said, a hoe continued to work in the field after the Africans had flown away”. An appropriate read aloud about slavery and African folktales for any age. - CW Elementary Teacher