Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad

by: Ellen Levine
Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson
Published by: Scholastic
Copyright 2007
Summary: Henry Brown's life as a slave

Strengths: There are very detailed illustrations and present itself with an emphasis on the time period given and the mood of the story. For example, the dark colors indicating that slavery was a very dark time in history. The main character's thoughts are italicized to show he is thinking it rather than saying it.

Concerns: There is abrupt transitioning in that it shows his aging but it was very sudden and had me taken aback. The print is very small and hard to read with the vibrant emphasis on the pictures.

Age level: Elementary (3-4)

Classroom Use: Information on what slavery is and its brutality. Comparing to children now and what it was like for children back then to live through this period in history.