Trouble Don't Last

by Shelley Pearsall

Book Overview

Eleven-year-old Samuel was born as Master Hackler's slave, and working the Kentucky farm is the only life he's ever known-until one dark night in 1859, that is.?With no warning, cranky old Harrison, a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375814906
• ISBN13: 9780375814907
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Length: 237 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Trouble Will Last On Your Bookshelf

Running and hiding, running and hiding. That is only the beginning of what happens to two classic characters in the award wining novel Trouble Don't Last. This book was written by Shelley Pearsall and published by Random House Children's Books. Trouble Don't Last is on the ALA booklist and Shelley was awarded the Scott O'Dell award. Shelley's writing will captivate you right from the beginning. This is Shelley Pearsall's first book and I hope it's not her last. Every chapter is a non-stop read that will keep you full of suspense and wonder. I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Trouble Don't Last is a great story that teaches you about the Underground Railroad. The two main characters are Samuel who's around 11 years old and Harrison who's in his sixties. Samuel and Harrison are two hard working slaves that work for Master Hackler. One night Harrison crept near Samuel's sleeping corner in the kitchen and whisked him away on the Underground Railroad. They discovered many different people like Lucy Taylor who is convinced her husband is still alive and Green Murdock who's a clever white peddler. Once Harrison and Samuel think the end of their journey is near, Harrison gets a horrible fever that delays their trip. Will their journey be successful? Will they get caught by white patrollers or will they have to back track home to their master? Samuel and Harrison's personalities are very, very different. They disagree a lot in the book and don't want each other's company. Samuel is very stubborn on his trip to Canada and thinks they should go home, even if it means being whipped. Luckily for Samuel, Harrison pushes him to keep going and to make wise decisions. On occasion Harrison can be just as pig headed as Samuel. These two characters rely on each other to keep going on the journey. Later you'll be just as shocked as Samuel when he finds a hidden secret about Harrison in a ball of gray yarn. In Trouble Don't Last there is a ton of suspense and excitement. There is a code like system on the Underground Railroad. It will show you just how sneaky the railroad can be. Harrison knows many of these secrets that help them along the way. I like that Harrison had to call like an owl to get the grumpy river man to take them to the other side of the Ohio River. The suspense is so exciting it will make you hungry for more. When their master was looking for them I couldn't stop reading and I'm positive you won't stop either. This phenomenal book is a must have for almost all readers. I recommend this book for 4th graders and up. I also recommend this book for parents that want to teach their kids about the Underground Railroad. This is one of the best black history books ever. With characters that have exceptional personalities this story will stay with you forever. Trouble Don't Last is an inspiring book that will never leave your bookshelf, ever.

2003 Scott O'Dell Award Winner

This great book about Samuel and Harrison and their suspenseful journey to freedom in Canada has been awarded the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for 2003! A well-deserved award for an exiting book that readers, young and old, will love.

Great adventure story especially for boys

An excellent book to read if you enjoy histrical fiction and lots of adventure. Samuel, the 11 year old slave who runs away from the only home he has ever known was my favorite character. He was so fearful when he started the journey with Harrison, a 70 year old slave from the Kentucky plantation. However, their many adventures and narrow escapes from trouble made Samuel a much stronger person, able to cope with whatever came his way. The characters he met, the Widow Taylor, Riverman, Ham and Eggs and Green Murdock were really interesting too. I also liked the "secret" that Samuel uncovered at the end of the journey.

Engaging and educational--great underground railroad read!

I really enjoyed this book and plan to use it in my middle-school classroom next year. It seems a rarity in underground railroad fiction that the narrative is told from the slave's point of view instead of the all-too-common "benevolent white helper family." I think some of my reluctant readers will enjoy this book as the action is fast-paced and each chapter ends at a moment of suspense; students will want to keep reading to find out what happens to Samuel and Harrison, and I anticipate hearing "just one more chapter" more often than not as we read through this educational and engaging book.

Trouble Don't Last

I think this book is phenomenal because I felt like I was right there with Samuel, on the long and treacherous road to freedom. It made me feel very lucky to be free when I read all of the hardships the main character and his friend, Harrison, went through. If topics like the Underground Railroad interest you, then this is the fast-paced, heart-pounding book for you!