Today's Book Recommendation

Title: Freewater​

Author: Amina Luqman-Dawson

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Range: 10+

Summary: 12-year-old Homer and his sister Ada have been held in slavery their whole lives. They flee when an opening for escape comes, but it means leaving their mother behind on the plantation. Deep in the swamp they discover Freewater, a secret and welcoming community of formerly enslaved people. Yet the violence of slavery persists just on the other side of the swamp. Homer and his new friends set out to rescue his mother — but risk revealing Freewater to those that would destroy it.

Teaching with Freewater

It's a brilliant addition to either of these Book Club units:

• Historical Fiction (7th grade): Freewater is Luqman-Dawson's creation, but it is based on actual communities of formerly enslaved people. This lesser-known narrative of institutional slavery in the United States makes it a compelling option for discerning students.
• Resistance themed (8th grade): By the end of middle school, students are often well-acquainted with the struggles people face in the name of prejudice and discrimination. This is when it is key to teach them what Dr. Gholdy Muhammad calls the pursuit of criticality: recognizing power, equity, and the disruption of oppression (Muhammad, 2020). Freewater shows us how to resist the most oppressive of circumstances.

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Recommended Resource

Human Migration Book Club Unit: Where literary analysis helps students understand the push and pull factors that drive human migration.

Check it out ⇗

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Have a good one and learn everything you can,

Hannah

PS: It's good to be back!​