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Freedom on the Sea: The True Story of the Civil War Hero Robert Smalls and His Daring Escape to Freedom
32 pp.
| Holt/Godwin |
May, 2024 |
TradeISBN 9781250818355$18.99
|
EbookISBN 9781250383020$11.99
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Bryan Collier.
During the Civil War, an enslaved man plans a daring escape. Robert Smalls steers a Confederate ship through Charleston Harbor with his wife, their children, and twelve other enslaved people on board. Their mission, to reach a Union blockade just beyond the harbor, was a “life-or-death voyage.” Moore builds the drama and suspense in the story of his great-grandfather’s escape (contextualized in an author’s note) with careful pacing, and the dangerous journey comes to life through beautiful, collage-style illustrations that capture the escapees’ emotions.