- Hardcover: 160 pages
- Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Jan 1 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 068984719X
- ISBN-13: 978-0689847196
- Product Dimensions: 22.1 x 15.1 x 1.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 299 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-In 1805 Charleston, Michael, 13, escapes from slavery. After stowing away on a ship bound for Boston, he runs afoul of a sailor who would like to turn him in for reward money. He moves on to Maine, but even there the risk of discovery is high, so he finally heads for true freedom in Canada. Resourceful and self-assured, Michael relies on the help of fair-minded men and on the advice he recalls from his deceased parents. His skills as a cook and as a seaman also serve him well on more than one occasion. The smoothly told story presents several scenarios faced by African Americans in the early 1800s, both through the teen's experiences and those of people he talks to. The decision to leave Charleston is not an easy one, as he weighs safety and security against his wish to "make a life." His struggles in New England show the complications of living as an escaped slave in the North. Michael is a thoughtful and likable character, though he never emerges as a fully compelling individual. Supporting characters have enough depth to be interesting, but are also clearly cast as friend or foe, with no deviation, from the start. The novel has some predictable moments, such as Michael's narrow escape in a Boston alley, but the general fast pace and clear writing make it an accessible story full of thought-provoking situations and well-drawn historical settings.
Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. An orphan slave in Charleston in 1805, 13-year-old Michael longs to work in the harbor as his father did. He gets his wish when his mistress sends him to work on a lighter, a sailboat whose crew unloads cargo from larger ships. Upon his owner's death, Michael and an older slave stow away on a northbound ship in search of freedom. Michael changes his name to Noah Brown to elude slave hunters, yet even in Boston and in the far-off District of Maine, he cannot escape the fear of them. Wait concludes with several pages of historical notes and a bibliography of primary and secondary source material. Well-chosen lines of verse, typically from spirituals and sea chanteys, appear at chapter headings. Though the villains do not seem as real as the many characters who wish Michael/Noah well, Wait creates a sympathetic young hero and sets him on an unusual path northward. Many young readers will enjoy following his journey. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Why did the mistress want to see him? Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Why did the mistress want to see him? Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kept my son fascinated for two days,
By A Customer
This review is from: Seaward Born (Hardcover)
My son is 12, and not usually an eager reader, but Seaward Born really kept him reading. He said "it was real!" and he loved that the main character not only chose his own destiny -- he chose his own name! Definitely worth checking out.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moving and exciting story of boy's escape from slavery,
By A Customer
This review is from: Seaward Born (Hardcover)
I read this book with my two grandchildren, ages 8 and ten, and they were fascinated by the story -- and so was I. Author Wait knows her period and her characters, and brings to life the story of a boy who is torn between what he knows and loves, and what the consequences of inaction will be. My grandchildren loved the unhesitating details of what it must have been like to hide in a barrel for days in a ship's hold ... and the chapter on Michael's memories of what his mother had told him of her Middle Passage story are moving and just detailed enough to be fascinating to any age. I would definitely recommend this bookto anyone, of any age -- and certainly to a grandparent wanting to find a way to talk to children about slavery.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting adventure story!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Seaward Born (Hardcover)
I didn't know too much about life in 1806 or slavery, but I really enjoyed reading Michael's story! He had to decide if he wanted to risk his life to try to be free. He had narrow escapes. I really liked the parts where he was escaping, and where he decided to change his name to Noah. I really liked this book!
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