Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine (Diversity Picture Book)



I keep saying this alot to myself, but I think this is my favorite book that I have read so far for this class.  Henry's Freedom Box is a Caldecott Honor book   It is a true story about a slave named Henry Brown.  As a child, Henry was taken from his family to a new slave owner to work in a tobacco factory.  He grew up, met his wife, and had children.  His wife and children were sold at a slave auction.  With the help of two friends, one being a white doctor who did not agree with slavery, he mailed himself in a box to Philadelphia where he could be free.  He traveled 350 miles in 27 hours from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia in that box.  He never saw his family again.

This book should definitely be in every school library collection.  It is such a touching story about innovative way that a slave become free.  It is a true story, so this book could help bring any unit on the Underground Railroad to life.