Henry's Freedom Box

 

Book: Henry's Freedom Box 

Author: Ellen Levine 

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Age Group: K-5 

Summary: 

Henry, along with his family, were slaves who worked on a plantation. Once his master died, Henry was separated from his family and sent to work for his masters' son. Years later, he meets Nancy, another slave, and ends up marrying and having kids with her. However, his wife and children end up being sold at an auction causing Henry to cop with another family separation. Yearning for freedom, Henry comes up with the plan to mail himself to some friends in Philadelphia. On March 30, 1849, Henry experiences his first day of freedom and from then onward, became known as Henry "Box" Brown. 

Evaluation and Comments:

Henry's Freedom Box does an effective job in describing a story of a former slave who did what they could, no matter how strange, in order to gain freedom. Henry "Box" Browns story of traveling through a box shows students one inspirational story of what many African American people experienced during this time of slavery. 

This would be a great book to read to younger students when they are learning about topics such as the abolition movement. As you are reading through the book, I would recommend using and defining words such as abolition, freedom, etc. You could also couple this book with books about other significant figures, like Harriet Tubman, and have students compare and contrast between the stories. 

In conclusion, Henry's Freedom Box has my seal of approval! 🥇😄