Illustrated by: James E. Ransome
Genre: historical fiction
Awards: Parents’ Choice Silver Award 2020
Summary:
John and Millicent Wheeler are sister and brother who have spent their lives working on the Plenty Plantation. Their parents, Samuel and Maggie, had always told them of a time when enslaved people could fly, encouraging them to dream of a life beyond their chains. Tensions leading up to the civil caused great change on the plantation, starting with Samuel and Maggie being sold away. The children worked tirelessly to avoid the wrath of the overseer; when a beautiful bird flies over the field, John and Millicent are once again reminded of their desire to be free. After John returns from working in a factory, the two prepare to set themselves free. They follow the bird, running through the night towards the free West.
Teacher Evaluation:
I would recommend this story as a read-aloud for kindergarten through second-grade. Students could discuss the plot, characters, and settings of the story. The class could complete a story map to identify these parts and help facilitate their discussion. For students in third through fifth-grade, teachers could focus more on the language used to convey the overall theme of the story. Learners could create classroom posters that explain the different types of figurative language presented in this story. They could work individually to write a short analysis of the theme and what figurative language supports it. Older students could also determine how people were affected by Westward expansion in a history unit.
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