Aunt Beth tell her niece her favorite story: the story of her great great grandmother Ella. She closes her eyes and what we see in the illustrations is her imagination painting an image of the story Aunt Beth is telling. Ella Sheppard Moore was born in Nashville, Tennessee. "grandma Ella was born into slavery, but no one could chain her voice." Ella works day and night to attend to Finsk University. When the Jubilee Singers choir finds out that they might close because of lack of funds, the choir tours the country giving concerts to raise money for school. They sing all the popular white songs for the crowds but the response is not what they expected. Desperate and brokenhearted, Ella sits at the piano in the last concert before returning to Nashville and her heart pours out a melancholic song from her time in slavery...the Crowd goes crazy! With her beautiful voice she is reminding all black and white of the hope in everyone's' heart.
They're invited to sing in Europe and in all the U.S. and even get to sing for the president.
They Save the School are reminded in history as patrons of hope and heroes. ( )

I loved how this book took events inspired by real people and created story of inspiration and overcoming adversity. This book shows that is you work long and hard and keep your mind on what you love/want to do, it's possible to overcome any obstacle that comes in your way. Grandma Ella had to constantly work and save money so that the Jubilee Singers could get their names out there. Not only that, but Grandma Ella was born into slavery. The way she accomplishes what she sets her mind on in this book is awesome. This book creates a way to acknowledge black history and African American history. ( )

Didn't really care for this book

This is a good book. She is learning about the dreams and history of her family. I would share this story with students from 4th grade and up. It is a good cultural story. ( )

A Band of Angels is written in the perspective of a great granddaughter of Ella Sheppard. This book is about the struggles that Ella faced in being apart of the Jubilee Singers at the first school created for freed slaves. This is a great historical fiction book to share with students, and I recommend it to grades K and up. ( )