Historical Fiction

Henry's Freedom Box
Levine, E. (2007). Henry’s freedom box. (K. Nelson, Illus.). New York: Scholastic Press.

Henry “Box” Brown was a slave and hoped that when his master died he would become free. However, Henry is sold to his owner’s son and soon after his family is sold to other masters. Henry decides to ask an abolitionist to mail him in a box to Philadelphia so that he can be free. The story follows Henry’s 27 hour trip to freedom. Kadir Nelson’s paintings were inspired by an antique lithograph of Henry Brown. He used both watercolor and oil paints combined with pencil crosshatching to make the illustrations look like the lithograph.

Genre: Historical fiction
Type of Book: Picture book
Interest level: K-3 Reading level: 2.6
Awards: Caldecott Honor book, 2008

Someone Named Eva
Wolf, J. M. (2007). Someone named Eva. New York: Clarion Books.

Someone Named Eva is a fictional account of actual events that took place in Lidice, Czechoslovakia during World War II. Milada’s family is ripped apart and the women are relocated to Ravensbruck, a concentration camp near Berlin. Milada is separated from her mother, little sisiter, and Babichka because she has traits that the Germans find appealing. Milada’s name is changed to Eva and she is taught German, how to be a good German child, and adopted by a German family. Despite missing her family deeply and being well cared for Eva struggles to remember her true self. Eva cares for her adopted family and in the end she is torn from them to be returned to her mother.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Type of Book: Chapter book
Interest level: 5-8 Reading level: 5.8
Awards: Bluebonnet nominee, 2009