rodica_b's review against another edition
4.0
My son is a huge fan of the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series and has been asking me a lot of questions about slavery and the Underground Railroad. I can’t answer some of his questions properly, as a non-American, so I decided it’s time I educate myself.
This is a collection of poems regarding the fate of Henry Brown, a historical figure, one of the slaves who escaped by being mailed in a box, from Virginia to Pennsylvania. It’s a very short and poignant listen, beautifully read by Dion Graham. Really worth less than 1 H of your time.
This is a collection of poems regarding the fate of Henry Brown, a historical figure, one of the slaves who escaped by being mailed in a box, from Virginia to Pennsylvania. It’s a very short and poignant listen, beautifully read by Dion Graham. Really worth less than 1 H of your time.
books_plan_create's review against another edition
4.0
this book hurt to read because it happened. Not only slavery, but knowing a man wanted freedom so badly that he had a box constructed to ship himself to freedom. But this book was very good and has me wanting to start research on this man!
panda_incognito's review against another edition
4.0
This is a powerful retelling of the story of Henry Brown, who traveled to freedom inside a box. This was one of my favorite Underground Railroad stories when I was a child, because it was so concrete, vivid, and yet unimaginable. I spent a lot of time thinking about how hard it would be to survive, and whenever I wanted to complain about feeling uncomfortable or claustrophobic, I would remember that he literally packed himself into a box to get to freedom and stayed in it for days, even when inattentive and irresponsible workers turned it upside down.
This nonfiction picture book tells the story in short, effective poems, and it also covers significant parts of his life before and afterwards. One thing I didn't remember is that he had a family that he was separated from, and this book shows the trauma that he experienced from masters' false promises and his wrenching loss. This book provides a stark window into the context and institution of slavery, rather than just focusing on his escape, and also covers some of his abolitionist activities afterwards.
One thing that I especially like about this book is its emphasis on Brown's Christian faith. As this book shows, it was deeply important to him, a sustaining force in the midst of his trauma and suffering, and an anchor that he held onto with gratitude throughout his life. I really appreciate this, because many children's books gloss over people's faith commitments in an attempt to be neutral. Only, there really is no neutrality when it comes to beliefs, and erasing people's deepest commitments and underlying worldviews does nothing to honor their lives and legacies. I'm glad that this book repeatedly emphasizes the faith in God that was so central to Henry Brown's life.
This nonfiction picture book tells the story in short, effective poems, and it also covers significant parts of his life before and afterwards. One thing I didn't remember is that he had a family that he was separated from, and this book shows the trauma that he experienced from masters' false promises and his wrenching loss. This book provides a stark window into the context and institution of slavery, rather than just focusing on his escape, and also covers some of his abolitionist activities afterwards.
One thing that I especially like about this book is its emphasis on Brown's Christian faith. As this book shows, it was deeply important to him, a sustaining force in the midst of his trauma and suffering, and an anchor that he held onto with gratitude throughout his life. I really appreciate this, because many children's books gloss over people's faith commitments in an attempt to be neutral. Only, there really is no neutrality when it comes to beliefs, and erasing people's deepest commitments and underlying worldviews does nothing to honor their lives and legacies. I'm glad that this book repeatedly emphasizes the faith in God that was so central to Henry Brown's life.
stenaros's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Librarian Book Group
Poetry and pictures bio of the enslaved man who mailed himself to freedom.
Poetry and pictures bio of the enslaved man who mailed himself to freedom.
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
In BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, a picture book biography for older readers, Carole Boston Weatherford offers a heartbreaking personal look at the life of on enslaved man who decided that he had nothing to lose by attempting to mail himself to freedom after everyone he loved - his wife and children - were sold:
"What have I to fear?
My master broke every promise to me.
I lost my beloved wife and our dear children.
All, sold South. Neither my time nor my body is mine.
The breath of life is all I have to lose.
And bondage is suffocating me."
Henry was born to an enslaved mother in 1815 in Virginia and put to work as a young child, along with his seven sisters and brothers. By the time he was 33-years-old, he had been moved from the farm to a tobacco factory in Richmond. There, he met his wife Nancy and soon there were children. But Nancy and the children were sold over and over. Finally, Henry manages to struck a deal to try to get her back - if he would chip in $50. of the $650 asking price for Nancy, he was promised that she would not be sold again. But when Henry couldn't meet demands for more money, his family is taken to be sold.
With nothing left to lose, Henry paid a carpenter to build a box to mail himself to freedom with the help of trusted friends. And difficult and physically painful as the trip north was, he succeeded in arriving at the Philadelphia headquarters of the Anti-Slavery Society and freedom.
Using Henry Brown's 1851 Narrative of the Life of Henry Brown written by Himself as her guide, Boston Weatherford begins Henry's story with a concrete poem called "Geometry" in the shape of the number six, and asking the question: how many sides to a box? The answer, of course, is six sides and from then on, the number six dominates each page.
Each of the 48 poems are written in sixains, six line stanzas, here done in spare free verse poems with each poem replicating the six-sides of a box and with the boxes arranged on the pages like packing crates carelessly stacked one on top of the other and giving the reader a claustrophobic feeling of confinement and lack of freedom, whether referring to Henry's enslavement or to the confines of his box to freedom.
Boston has tight control over her poems and yet, there is a musicality that never gets lost - even in the few 1 line, 6 stanza poems she includes. Each of the poems creates it's own image: clear, affective, detailed, and each connects to the poem that comes before and after it to ultimately paint a complete picture of Henry's life as well as the events of the time, in which he lives, such as the Nat Turner revolt and his subsequent murder. And most importantly, the poems do not shy away from the inhuman brutality of enslavement.
Complimenting and continuing the theme of the six sides of a box are Michele Wood's boldly dynamic mixed media illustrations in a palette of blues, reds, pinks, greens and browns. Illustrations are often set against a background of six-sided quilt patterns.
Back matter includes a Time Line of Henry's life as well as important national events, a Bibliography, A Note from the Illustrator and A Note on Numbers and Language used.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was gratefully received from NetGalley
"What have I to fear?
My master broke every promise to me.
I lost my beloved wife and our dear children.
All, sold South. Neither my time nor my body is mine.
The breath of life is all I have to lose.
And bondage is suffocating me."
Henry was born to an enslaved mother in 1815 in Virginia and put to work as a young child, along with his seven sisters and brothers. By the time he was 33-years-old, he had been moved from the farm to a tobacco factory in Richmond. There, he met his wife Nancy and soon there were children. But Nancy and the children were sold over and over. Finally, Henry manages to struck a deal to try to get her back - if he would chip in $50. of the $650 asking price for Nancy, he was promised that she would not be sold again. But when Henry couldn't meet demands for more money, his family is taken to be sold.
With nothing left to lose, Henry paid a carpenter to build a box to mail himself to freedom with the help of trusted friends. And difficult and physically painful as the trip north was, he succeeded in arriving at the Philadelphia headquarters of the Anti-Slavery Society and freedom.
Using Henry Brown's 1851 Narrative of the Life of Henry Brown written by Himself as her guide, Boston Weatherford begins Henry's story with a concrete poem called "Geometry" in the shape of the number six, and asking the question: how many sides to a box? The answer, of course, is six sides and from then on, the number six dominates each page.
Each of the 48 poems are written in sixains, six line stanzas, here done in spare free verse poems with each poem replicating the six-sides of a box and with the boxes arranged on the pages like packing crates carelessly stacked one on top of the other and giving the reader a claustrophobic feeling of confinement and lack of freedom, whether referring to Henry's enslavement or to the confines of his box to freedom.
Boston has tight control over her poems and yet, there is a musicality that never gets lost - even in the few 1 line, 6 stanza poems she includes. Each of the poems creates it's own image: clear, affective, detailed, and each connects to the poem that comes before and after it to ultimately paint a complete picture of Henry's life as well as the events of the time, in which he lives, such as the Nat Turner revolt and his subsequent murder. And most importantly, the poems do not shy away from the inhuman brutality of enslavement.
Complimenting and continuing the theme of the six sides of a box are Michele Wood's boldly dynamic mixed media illustrations in a palette of blues, reds, pinks, greens and browns. Illustrations are often set against a background of six-sided quilt patterns.
Back matter includes a Time Line of Henry's life as well as important national events, a Bibliography, A Note from the Illustrator and A Note on Numbers and Language used.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was gratefully received from NetGalley
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Physical abuse
kslhersam's review against another edition
4.0
Incredible true story. The poetry was interesting and unique...though sometimes hard to follow for children. Good Nonfiction book for 10+.