Henry's Freedom Box

Levine, E. (2007). Henry’s freedom box: A true story of the underground railroad. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Read on June 10, 2012. A 2008 Caldecott Honor book.

When you are a slave, I'm sure there's only so much that you can take before you decide that enough is enough. For Henry, it wasn't the fact that he didn't have a birthday or even that he was forced to work for the horrible son of his former owner. For Henry, the breaking point was hearing about the auction of his wife and children while he was working. This desperate man decided that he would rather risk his life while trying to escape than to live without his family. So Henry mails himself to a state where slavery had been outlawed. Not only did he gain his own freedom, but he also helped many other slaves escape the cruel life of slavery. Along with his freedom, Henry also gained another very important thing--a birthday. His birthday coincided with the date he reached his final destination, March 30, 1849 was a day that Henry would remember forever.

This biography has some of the best illustrations I have seen in a picture book. The attention to detail make this book appear lifelike. So real, in fact that if Henry were still alive, I think I'd be able to easily recognize him. Students also enjoy the realism presented through the illustrations.

I use this book in my classroom every year and each time, I try to find a new way to model a reading strategy. For example, I have students make predictions using the title only, they can think about what they already know about the Underground Railroad, while reading they can make connections to hard times they've had, and they can problem solve (Mosaic of Thought). Some students have difficulty understanding why Henry didn't just hit his slave master since he didn't like him, which often leads to a discussion of what life was like for a slave. The teacher could do an extension activity with other books that show what life for a slave was like.