crystal_reading's review
4.0
I couldn't help but think of Never Forgotten as I read this. There aren't many books for children about children being taken as slaves with so much detail.
readertz's review against another edition
3.0
This is a short story of the fictionalized account of a young girl who was sold into slavery and brought to America on the ship Amistad. After a slave revolt on the ship she was stranded in New England far from home and without any of her family. This story is a powerful one and should be shared. It is a good picture book, but I would be more interested in a novel version of her story.
caroparr's review
4.0
Beautifully imagined historical fiction with real child appeal. The fact that the end notes don't overshadow the text tells you how well constructed it is. Go, Monica!
froggylibrarian1's review
4.0
Confesssion...I have heard of Amistad but didn't know that much about it. A professor of mine recommended this book and then it arrived in a box for review for MSBA so yeah me.
This is a fictionalized account of a young girl who was captured in Africa, placed aboard a slave ship, and was on the Amistad when the mutiny took place. She was then subjected to the trial and waiting before finally being allowed to return to Africa several years later. During that time she learned English, learned to read and write, and eventually became a teacher in Africa.
I enjoyed this book. I learned something about the Amistad and it was told from a child's point of view. Very informative.
This is a fictionalized account of a young girl who was captured in Africa, placed aboard a slave ship, and was on the Amistad when the mutiny took place. She was then subjected to the trial and waiting before finally being allowed to return to Africa several years later. During that time she learned English, learned to read and write, and eventually became a teacher in Africa.
I enjoyed this book. I learned something about the Amistad and it was told from a child's point of view. Very informative.
lazygal's review
5.0
Full disclosure: I know the author. Another disclosure: I work at a school that owns several of the buildings that the Mende stayed in during their time in Farmington, and the founder of the school's brother housed three of them (including Magulu/Margru/Sarah).
So of course there was interest in the book, which also stemmed from the same thing that intrigued the author: there were children on Amistad? We open in Africa, in what's now Sierra Leone, with a girl who has been pawned by her father (interesting parallel to Gen. Alex Dumas' life) and then sold into slavery when the traders made a better offer to the pawn owner. Not speaking Spanish, not understanding what was going on, Magulu is transported to Cuba and then sold to another owner, but the mutiny takes her life in another direction - to New Haven, to a Supreme Court case and to a life that includes time at Oberlin and two returns to her homeland.
Because there's a real paucity of documentation for her life before Amistad and after her return to Africa it makes sense that this is not non-fiction but an attempt at a supposal about her life. The bibliography at the end is geared more towards adult researchers, which was a little disappointing - but perhaps there are no good books about this for the target readers to learn more.
So of course there was interest in the book, which also stemmed from the same thing that intrigued the author: there were children on Amistad? We open in Africa, in what's now Sierra Leone, with a girl who has been pawned by her father (interesting parallel to Gen. Alex Dumas' life) and then sold into slavery when the traders made a better offer to the pawn owner. Not speaking Spanish, not understanding what was going on, Magulu is transported to Cuba and then sold to another owner, but the mutiny takes her life in another direction - to New Haven, to a Supreme Court case and to a life that includes time at Oberlin and two returns to her homeland.
Because there's a real paucity of documentation for her life before Amistad and after her return to Africa it makes sense that this is not non-fiction but an attempt at a supposal about her life. The bibliography at the end is geared more towards adult researchers, which was a little disappointing - but perhaps there are no good books about this for the target readers to learn more.
abigailbat's review
4.0
This little gem explores a bit of history, children on the Amistad - a slavers' ship that was overtaken by African slaves. Edinger's clearly done her research and she's done her subject right, treating this story as fiction so that she can imagine what Margru's childhood was like. Children may need some background information about the Amistad to understand the full impact of what is happening. A valuable contribution.
krismarley's review
3.0
Seems as if a lot of ugly details must have been spared for the sake of making accessible to children. A little embarrassed to admit that the subject matter was new to me. I was likely too busy attending a frat party or making plans to attend another frat party to have caught Amistad the movie in 1997.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118607/?ref_=nv_sr_1
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118607/?ref_=nv_sr_1
ajacks's review
4.0
I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org
lauralynnwalsh's review
4.0
This is how I like my history - a decent story, not too long, but long enough to get interested. This would make a good addition to classrooms where they are studying US history and/or slavery.