Henrys Freedom Box
By: Ellen Levine
Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson
Caldecott Honor

            Henry Brown doesn’t even know his age. No one keeps a record of slaves birthdays. He constantly dreams about one day becoming free. We see Henry Brown be put to work in a warehouse, be torn away from his family, and eventually marry. Henry is devastated because his family ends up getting sold into slavery at the slave market. One day, Henry is lifting a crate at the warehouse and he suddenly knows what he must do. He must mail himself into freedom. He climbs into the crate, and after a crazy adventure inside the crate, Henry has his first birthday. His first day of freedom.
                                                          

I absolutely adored this book. The illustrations kept me distracted overall. I could not stop staring at the wonderful, detailed artwork done by the amazing Kadir Nelson. His art truly brings the book to life. I would use this book in my classroom for ages 2rd grade to 8th grade. This book is a beautiful way to introduce younger children to the topic of slavery. I love how it uses the idea of a birthday to describe the feeling of being free. Having a birthday is something students will be able to relate to.

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