Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

By: Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson

"A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom.

Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom."

Awards:

• Caldecott Honor 2008

• Commended Notable Children's Book 2008

• CCBC Choices Selection 2008

Discussion Questions:

Before Reading:

• What do you know about the underground railroad?

• What do you know about slaves?

• What does it mean to be free?

• What is slavery?

During/After Reading:

• Why is slavery bad?

• What are some things slaves were not allowed to do?

• What words would you use to describe Henry?

• What did Henry win at the end?

• Has anyone ever been mean to you because of how you looked or where you are from? How did that make you feel?

Read Aloud by Ellen Levine