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Henry’s Freedom Box

Henry’s Freedom Box

Author: Ellen Levine
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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