Two Friends

Written by Dean Robbins
Illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

Grade:

K-3

ISBN-13:

978-0545399968

Publisher:

Orchard Books (2016)

Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass were neighbors in mid-nineteenth century Rochester, New York. Each was self-taught and grew up experiencing discrimination of the time (directed toward women and African Americans). Each worked diligently for the rights of their communities - for education, for the vote, and for equal opportunity in public life. Not surprisingly, the two became friends. In this book, on a snowy evening, they reminisce on their parallel struggles. Susan and Frederick supported each other’s causes, hopeful of success, and confident of the just nature of their endeavors. (The book does whitewash tough stuff: the friendship was strained to breaking when Douglass failed to support women's rights as part of the Fifteenth Amendment that granted black men the right to vote, but the volume is not incorrect in stating that he theoretically supported the cause--just not at that moment.)