Tamra's Literature Review

Genre 1: Picture Books - Henry's Freedom Box

Posted by Tamra S , Thursday, June 10, 2010 8:46 AM

Bibliographic Data

Levine, Ellen. 2007. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439777339

Plot Summary

Henry “Box” Brown was born into slavery in the 1800s. When he was a young boy, his master was near death and gave Henry to his son to work for him. Henry had to say good-bye to his family and go work in a factory for the master’s son. Henry grew older, met a young woman named Nancy, whom he would later marry and have children with. Unfortunately, Nancy belonged to another master and was sold, along with their three children. Henry was distraught and heartbroken. It was then that he decided he wanted to be free and had himself mailed to Pennsylvania, which was a free state. Henry took great risks to attain his freedom, but he did.

Critical Analysis

This is an amazingly true story! The text is not too complicated that it is not readable by a young audience, yet it is appealing to older students due to the nature of the story. The historic background of slavery and freedom is a timeless topic. Many stories have been written about slavery and the Underground Railroad in the United States. This tale, however, differs from them all, in that the main character uses an ingenious method of escaping to freedom.

Levine’s storytelling is simple. She avoids complicated language and uses a minimal amount of dialogue. She provides insight to Henry’s thoughts, while the illustrations communicate the emotions.

The etchings and paintings by Kadir Nelson convey strong emotion. The reader gets a real sense of Henry’s pain as his family is taken away and the ensuing sorrow he endures. Henry’s determination to find freedom is evident in his expression when he burns his hand to stay home from work. His anguish and discomfort inside the box is noticeable when he is upside down. The reader gets a glimpse into Henry’s journey with illustrations that reveal Henry inside his box as he is tossed about and turned in all directions by handlers that are unaware he is inside the crate.

The implicit underlying theme of taking risks to reach goals transcends time and place. Henry went through great lengths and enormous risk to attain his freedom, or goal. This life lesson leaps off the pages and into children and adults alike.

Awards and Reviews

*Caldecott Honor Book 2008

*Publishers Weekly: “Thanks to Nelson’s penetrating portraits, readers will feel as if they can experience Henry’s thoughts and feelings as he matures through unthinkable adversity.”

*School Library Journal: “”Inspired by an actual 1830s lithograph, this beautifully crafted picture book briefly relates the story of Henry “Box” Brown’s daring escape from slavery . . . Nelson’s illustrations, always powerful and nuanced, depict the evolution of a self-possessed child into a determined and fearless young man.”

Connections

*Use this story to begin a discussion of the Underground Railroad. Have students identify facts about slavery as the story is read.

*Read aloud another story about the Underground Railroad, such as Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson or If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine, to discuss the different ways slaves escaped to freedom.

*Show students the video “The Ballad of Henry Box Brown” from Gemini Ink Dramatic Reader’s Theater at http://www.blip.tv/file/605774 to see a dramatic rendering of Henry's tale

(from http://www.state.lib.la.us/empowerlibrary/henrys freedom box.doc)