Freewater (Newbery & Coretta Scott King Award Winner)
Winner of the John Newbery Medal
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award An Indiebound BestsellerA New York Times BestsellerUnder the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there's no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.Amina Luqman Dawson is the author of the pictorial history book Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg (Arcadia Publishing). Her op-eds on race and popular culture have appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more. She's a proud mother of a 13-year-old son. Amina, her husband, and her son reside in Arlington, VA.
Author: Amina Luqman-Dawson
Format: Paperback, 416 pages, 130mm x 192mm, 330 g
Published: 2023, Little, Brown & Company, United States
Genre: Children's Fiction
Interest Age: From 10 years
Winner of the John Newbery Medal
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award An Indiebound BestsellerA New York Times BestsellerUnder the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there's no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.Amina Luqman Dawson is the author of the pictorial history book Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg (Arcadia Publishing). Her op-eds on race and popular culture have appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more. She's a proud mother of a 13-year-old son. Amina, her husband, and her son reside in Arlington, VA.