I did not know about Brown until I read this story. I understand and learned about Brown's life. I love a true story that I never heard of before. Henry Brown was a slave who grew up on a plantation. As a child, Brown would sing his freedom song quietly in his head, he would sing songs, and hope for freedom one day. Henry met a woman named Nancy. Their masters permitted them to marry. Henry and Nancy had three children together, however, his wife and children were sold by his master to other owners. Henry devises a plan to escape slavery by hiding in a box to be shipped to the North. He would sing his freedom song in his mind, but he would not make a sound. Once someone opened the box, he hopes somebody would help him find his wife and children. I love this book overall because it shows determination, hope, and courage. I'm amazed at Henry because he would sing so many different songs to help him through his journey to freedom. The illustrations in the story caught my attention because I love the soft and hard paint texture. This story will captivate young children and young adults. I would read this to the children so that they can understand the content of the story. Also, I want them to understand who Henry was. ( )

Freedom Song is a fabulous book. I appreciate the context of the situation and all of the little things that go with it. This book takes place before the civil war. It follows a boy named Henry. As a child, he sang the freedom song quietly in his head, hoping to one day be free. He met a young woman slave and got permission to marry her. They had a few children together, but his wife and children were eventually sold to other owners. Henry escaped slavery by hiding himself in a box to be shipped to the north. Once the box was opened, he hoped to find his wife and children. The setting is obviously important to the plot because this was during the time of slavery. Henry was a slave that escaped for his freedom.
This book tugged on my heartstrings quite a few times. My only complaint is that the ending was cut very short to me. The story ends with Henry getting out of the box to freedom, and simply hoping that these people will help him find his wife and children. I asked myself, "That's the end?" on the last page. Beyond the story not being concluded enough for me, I loved the way it told this man's story. It is empowering and humbling. ( )

This is the story of overcoming what life has given you. This book has true facts of what some actually slaves did in order to be free while also telling the their story. In comparison to his other book Freedom’s Box it is really telling. The same story told slightly differently of each box for a different age group is still informational. This great for the younger elementary kids. ( )

"Freedom Song : The Story of Henry "Box" Brown" tells the story of an African American male from the beginning of his life to his freedom from slavery. Henry uses music to overcome the hardships of his life as a slave. Through fears that become realities Henry sings his song to try and push forward. When his wife and children are sold and taken from him he devises a plan to be shipped in a box to freedom. This would be a wonderful book to introduce the Antebellum period of American History. Slavery is never a topic people want to discuss but must be talked about and presented to children in social studies classrooms. I liked the language of the book as well as the parts where the songs were discussed. The illustrations were well done and represented the text well. ( )

Henry Brown survives the hardships of slavery with music, family, and the dream of freedom. Almost every page of the story mentions one of Henry's songs - his workday song in the field, his hidey-hole song as a child playing Hide and Seek, his tobacco-work song, his family song, and loudest and most prevalent of all: his freedom song. When his wife and children are sold, for a moment, "Henry's song died in his throat," but his song remains with him. He devises a plan to escape to the North, which leads him to freedom.
A fictionalized version of Henry "Box" Brown's extraordinary story that illustrates what he may have been thinking and feeling throughout his lifetime. A solid retelling of an incredibly brave man. A good option for a unit on slavery, the Underground Railroad, or Black History Month. ( )