My America: Freedom's Wings: Corey's Underground Railroad Diary, Book One [Mass Market Paperback]

Sharon Dennis Wyeth (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: My America

As part of the relaunch of the My America series, Sharon Dennis Wyeth introduces readers to Corey Birdsong, a slave boy in antebellum Kentucky. This is the story of his family's attempt to escape.

Corey Birdsong is a lively young boy in search of freedom in the same country that made an economy of slavery. He and his family are owned by the Hart family of Kentucky. But, when Corey's father, Roland, flees to the North and Corey and his mother follow.

Corey records his daily life on the Hart farm with incredible insight and honesty, and later he describes the difficult journey along the "Underground Railroad" to the North to be reunited with his father. With the help of many kind strangers, Corey, his parents, and his new baby sister arrive afely in Canada.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Secretly taught by his father to read and write, a nine-year-old slave keeps a diary but knows that he must hide it from his owner. Corey's spelling and grammar improve over time as he learns from others and from observation. In addition to recording life on a Kentucky farm in 1857, the journal traces the boy's flight to freedom by way of the Underground Railroad. The writing is sparse but compelling, pulling readers along every dangerous step of the way. Wyeth infuses the narrative with historic references to people like Frederick Douglass but also acknowledges the nameless men and women who believed in freedom enough to risk their lives to help others. The historical note and photographs strengthen the link between fact and fiction.

Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library, Austin

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043936907X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439369077
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Multicultural Stories > African-American
  • #44 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > African-American
  • #45 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about a young boy's quest for freedom!, July 31, 2001

By 

hiphopgirl_1000 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freedom's Wings: Corey's Diary, Kentucky to Ohio, 1857 (My America) (Hardcover)

Corey and his family live as slaves on a farm in Kentucky. Corey's dad secretly gives him an education and Corey secretly records his thoughts in his diary. Even though Corey is a slave life is bearable until he overhears his father is going to be sold into the Deep South. Corey's father manages to escape. With help from the Underground Railroad Corey and his mother start their daring journey to the north which is more daring than ever because Corey's mother is pregnant. Will Corey's family be reunited or willl he be made a slave again? Read this book and you will know!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars freedom's runaway diary, May 26, 2005

By 

kearsten Suite "Julie" (nyc, new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My America: Freedom's Wings: Corey's Underground Railroad Diary, Book One (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is about i a little boy named freedom that was sold to these people with his family. Well that family treated them very badly, so they had to find a way to get to the underground railroad. The first person that escaped from freedom's family was his father. Then freedom and his mother ran off becasue they wanted to find his father. Read on to find out if they find his father or not. If not they will get beaten badly or even killed by there owners becasue they found out freedom had left.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Connor's Review, February 9, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: My America: Freedom's Wings: Corey's Underground Railroad Diary, Book One (Mass Market Paperback)

Freedom wings is about a slave boy named Corey and his family that try to escape the Harts. That is the family that owns the boy and his family. His dad is a blacksmith and his mom is a gardener for the Harts.

This story takes place in the 1857 and 1858. This story is about a boy and his family that escape from the Harts and go to the under ground railroad. I'll leave the rest for you to find out.

I would recommend this book to third grade to 5th grade readers. I think a lot of kids should read this book to because it is a good book, and it has a good author. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend because it is an amazing book. So read this book!