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On a cold December night, Louis must decide whether to brave the treacherous Detroit River to take a slave family to freedom.Tags
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A terrific introduction to the Underground Railroad. I've read it aloud to students in grades 3 to 7. Even fidgety kids sit still for this one. A lot of ground is covered in this short book.
Friend on Freedom River is a story of doing what one believes is right despite the potential consequences. This book is a story of the Michigan underground railway which served as a route for slaves that were trying to find freedom in Canada. Beautifully illustrated this story describes the journey of one family as they navigated the long journey. Louis, a young boy with ancestors from France and living down river from Detroit, was taught that helping the slaves was part of his duty. One day he is shocked to learn that he will have to fulfill the journey to help a family on his own, as his father is North for the winter. Despite the danger of being caught and arrested Louis decides to follow in his fathers footsteps to support those show more that need him. This story serves as an inspirational tale for all young people. show less
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70+ Works 12,355 Members
Gloria Whelan was born on November 23, 1923 in Detroit, Michigan. She took a strong interest in reading early in life when she was bedridden for a year with rheumatic fever. She dictated stories to her sister who would then type them. She then went on to writing poetry and later editing her high school newspaper. She attended the University of show more Michigan and earned her B.S.degree and M.S.W. degree. She began working as a social worker in Minneapolis and Detroit. She soon became tired of Detroit's hectic pace and moved to a cabin in northern Michigan.This peace was disrupted by an oil company 's desire to drill on her property. Because she did not own the mineral rights, the drilling proceeded. This experience inspired Gloria Whelan to write her children's novel, A Clearing in the Forest in 1978, which was about a boy working on an oilrig. Gloria Whelan has written several works of fiction for children and adults, many set in rural Michigan. She has also written stories set in exotic places like China and India. She won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2000 for Homeless Bird - the story of a young woman in India abandoned by her mother-in-law. show less
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Awards
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Friend on Freedom River
- Original publication date
- 2004
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 117
- Popularity
- 277,401
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.55)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 2
