The Struggle for Freedom

Henry's Freedom Box: 

A True Story from the Underground Railroad

Written by Ellen Levine

Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Scholastic Inc., 2016

40 Pages

Historical Fiction

            This story follows a little boy named Henry. Henry was a slave. After his master passed away, Henry is given to the slave-owner’s son. Henry was told to never tell a lie. Henry eventually meets his future wife. Everything seems to be going in the right direction, but then something terrible happens. Henry’s family is sold to another slave-owner. Will Henry ever see his family again?

            The illustrations in this story seem to be sketches and watercolor. The images portrayed are very realistic, and they accurately reflect the text.

            For the lesson that goes along with this story, I chose to do second grade social studies. We could do a journal entry about walking in Henry’s shoes. I would ask them what they would have done in Henry’s situation. I would also see what they would have done differently. We could all share our ideas with the class as a whole.