Henry's Freedom Box

Henry’s Freedom Box---Ellen Levine (9/13/08)
I enjoyed reading Henry’s Freedom Box because the author lets the reader understand the importance of what really freedom is all about and not be treated like property. I think that even though we live in a free country, freedom is something that many of us take for granted. The story is about how Henry gets married and has children and lives a happy life but thenthis is all taken away from him because he is property of his master. Later on in his life his family is sold into the slave market and this causes Henry to be sad. His purpose becomes to be free and find freedom since he doesn’t have a family anymore. He decides to mail himself in a box to some friends in Philadelphia and where slavery is not allowed. His journey becomes being in a box very uncomfortable with the purpose of finding freedom and having those obstacles while he is in the box. I think the story gives readers of all ages the knowledge of knowing that everyone deserves to have freedom and to not to be treated as property. This is a story that will help us understand what slavery was all about and help us open up our minds what slaves passed through in life. I enjoyed the illustration and the relation to what was in text. I think that the illustartion was very descriptive as well as the words and having only the pictures help others see what slaves went through in life. The text is good input in letting the reader imagine the reality of the past.