Henry’s Freedom Box
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Genre: Non-Fiction
Award: Coretta Scott Kind Award, The Caldecott Medal
Grade: 2nd grade and up
Henry is a little boy who is a slave and who does not have a
birthday or age. When he was young his master got ill and he got separated from
his family. He worked in his new master’s factory. Henry grew up in the factory
and years has passed and he met his wife Nancy. His family grew and grew and then
he got separated from his wife and children for they got sold. Henry got
depressed and was never happy till one-day henry decided to get away by pouring
vitriol in his hands. He decided to send himself in a box to a place where he
is free! The journey inside the box was hectic but he made it and now his is in
Philadelphia. It ended with him now having a birthday which is his first day of
freedom.
I really like this book for it is not overwhelming and it is
a great story. It gives you the insight of what slaves have to go through and
how the families are separated. I wish I know what happened to his family or whether
they are united or not. This is a really heartfelt story because people are
willing to help him and he sacrificed a lot just to go to the land of the free.
The illustrator Kadir Nelson is really amazing with his art work for it looks
realistic and it is mixed with drawing or sketches. The reader can feel and see
the expression of the boy’s face through his artwork. I would definitely read
this in my class for it will give the students a different perspective of life
back in the days and be grateful for what they have.
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