This book was very powerful. It's the story of Samuel, who is a free black boy with no parents. He lives at an orphanage with his younger brother Joshua and other kids. One day his brother is accused of a horrible prank, and Samuel takes the blame. The result? He's sold off into slavery. The luckiest thing you could say about Samuel is that he ends up on a plantation where the owners treat the slaves "well." I think that makes the book easier for younger ages to digest, but the book certainly does show horrific actions that happen on the plantation, as well as the horrors of the Civil War.

One thing I think is interesting, and would love to hear what teachers think about this aspect, is that there is no way this book could have actually happened. Walter acknowledges in the back of the book that the historical timeline doesn't match up with the book. Would that make you more reluctant to teach with it/recommend it? I'm curious.