Henry “Box” Brown

Author: Ellen Levine
Title: Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2007.

Grade Level: 2-5

Summary: The true story of Henry “Box” Brown and his escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

Strengths: An amazing story with amazing illustrations! The story is simple and not too emotional, making this tough topic appropriate for children. Young children are able to learn about slavery and the Underground Railroad without being disturbed by the most horrific details about slavery. Another strength is the historical accuracy to the story. While not delving into too many disturbing details, Levine was able to stick to the original account of the story. Finally, the watercolor and pencil illustrations were wonderful. The illustration of his face while he is troubled by Nancy’s news, the hand writing the Pennsylvania address, and Henry Brown being tossed upside down in the box are only a few of my favorite illustrations. Overall, a great account of Henry Brown’s life.

Classroom Use: This would be a great book for a slavery unit, especially studying the Underground Railroad. What I like the most is the fact that this shows another aspect of the Underground Railroad that is not usually studied. When people think of the Underground Railroad people imagine people running away on foot, but there were many ways to runaway and many aspects of the Underground Railroad, which is exactly what this book demonstrates.

*Capitol Choice Book
*Caldecott Honor Book

(image from Amazon.com)