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Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story

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I think that there may be a certain amount of thinking amongst adults like myself that we've plumbed all the heroes we could get out of the Civil War. Not a particular history buff, my vague and foggy sense of the time period (informed at intervals by Ken Burns' Civil War series) is that the heroes have long been lauded, the villains well vilified, and that there's not much else to say to kids about the time. I mean, I watched Glory in high school. I know the time period. It's a good thing that there are authors like Janet Halfmann out there who think differently from people like me. A week ago if you had walked up to me and said, "Robert Smalls. Who was he?", I'd have met you with a slow-blinking stare. Now if you walk up to me and say, "Robert Smalls. Who was he?", you're still going to get the stare, but only because I'm probably seated at a reference desk somewhere wracking my brain for context. "Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story" takes a relatively unknown hero and renders his story loud, strong, and clear. With illustrations by first-time picture book artist Duane Smith, it's the kind of book with enough innate drama to stick in the minds of its intended audience.

He was born a slave on a South Carolina plantation in 1839. At the time Robert Smalls was a favorite with his masters, the McKees, and when he was twelve they sent him to work at a hotel in Charleston along the river. From there he worked the cargo docks and then the shipyards, with the potential to someday become a wheelman. After he married, Robert swore he'd buy his wife and daughter's freedom. He had almost managed it by the time the Civil War broke out. So when work dried up, Robert became a deckhand on a steamer called Planter and eventually worked his way up to wheelman. He also observed all the secret steam whistles, a fact that would come in useful later. Robert soon found that he was physically similar to the captain. And so, planning with his crew, Robert determined to disguise himself as the captain one night and smuggle the crew and their families to the north where they would be free. It was risky, dangerous, and even if he managed to escape the South, what would stop the North from firing upon a southern vessel? Halfmann retells this exciting escape and story clearly and concisely. An Afterword offers facts about Robert and his life, including the time when he was elected to Congress in 1875, and a list of Author's Sources provides a plethora of bibliographic information.

Halfmann's focus could have been anything. When you consider that you're dealing with a man who escaped slavery, wrote the proposal for the creation of South Carolina's first free system of public schools, became a Congressman, and petitioned to give women the right to vote, and more, the question isn't whether to tell his story but how much to tell. Because Halfmann's book is in a picture book style and stands at 40 pages, the storyline had to either summarize everything quickly, or focus in on a single moment in time. As it happens, the story of Smalls' escape and bravery is particularly ideal for a picture book. There's danger and suspense and a clear-cut hero involved. Now all that remains is for someone to write a full-length biography of the man for kids.

Artist Duane Smith's style did not initially engage me, and I'll tell you why. I'm the kind of person who loves delicate lines and minute details. I love pen-and-inks and tiny images that only can be seen on the fourth or fifth rereading of a book. Impressionism has never done anything for me. Bold strokes of color and thick paints? Not my style. Which isn't to say that I couldn't appreciate what Mr. Smith has done here. Using deep-hued oils in an array of striking colors, Smith renders his people as almost outlines of paint. Shadows and skin, hollows and shady areas are defined by these sweeps and starts of color. At a key moment, say when Robert overhears the officers of the ship say they'll go ashore, Smith makes a point to close in and detail the face of his hero more precisely. There's a method to the madness here. Smith makes calculated choices on when and how to portray the characters in this book. Admittedly, this serves more effectively as a meditative tool. When you are faced with action sequences, like the Planter escaping Confederate waters, the result is not as exciting as you might hope. That said, the battle at Fort Sumter excels. And I enjoyed Smith's varying angles. One moment you're on the same level as the characters, and the next you're seagull height, peering down upon the Planter and the Onward as they approach one another tentatively. Smith appears to be the ideal illustrator for this particular tale.

So I like the writing and I appreciated the art (even if it's not my preferred choice). It's a pity that the design didn't quite stand up to the rest of the book. Non-fiction (or "informational" if you prefer) picture books suffer from a strict format that does nobody any good. In the most extreme cases you'll open the story up and face a page of text and a picture. A page of text and a picture. A page of text and . . . yawwwwn! "Seven Miles to Freedom" resists this format as much as it can, but it still happens. Sometimes the words will mix and meld with the illustrations, and that's wonderful. But since Smith didn't create an entire book of two-page spreads, something has to be done when there's only picture enough for one page. The result is a fine book, but one that you wish could have upped the oomph just a tad.

I can't vouch for the rest of the country, but in New York young kids are generally given biography assignments of vague proportions. They'll walk up to your reference desk and say, "I wanna biography," and you have to figure out what they mean exactly. The advantage of the Robert Smalls story is that it's short enough to not freak the kids out too much, but interesting and with lots of bright pictures. I wouldn't necessarily hand it to a fourth or fifth grader, of course, but even if I did I figure they'd get a certain level of enjoyment out of the storyline. Kids will also get historical assignments and certainly the best-known picture book set during the Civil War to my mind is Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say. "Seven Miles to Freedom" would pair beautifully with that title. A great new take on a little known true-life tale.

Janet Halfmann's biography of the extraordinary life of Robert Smalls is a testament to the rewards that can be attained with determination and perseverance. Although Smalls was a favored servant, creating what was as close to an easy life as was possible for slaves prior to the Civil War, the young man retained his desire for freedom. The promise of becoming an independent citizen directed his life of accomplishment. He would eventually become the man who outsmarted the Confederate Army.

Smalls' most imperative quality was his patience, as it allowed him to maneuver an entire steamer past battalions of Confederate soldiers to the safety of Union gunships. The man who delivered a legion of enslaved families, including his own, to freedom would not rest once he met his goal. He continued to pilot the prize ship under Union supervision, until a heroic move landed him the title of first African-American captain of a United States vessel. Even after this honor was bestowed upon him, he returned to a life of servitude, but this time his labor would be for his community. He helped create a new constitution for his home state, South Carolina, before winning a legislative seat. He fought for African-American rights while working his way up to the rank of major general in the state militia. He served five terms in Congress.

This list of incredible accomplishments is included as an afterword in Halfmann's story. She focuses the bulk of the book on the key factors that contributed to Smalls' ability to be a community leader, meaning the moments during his initial escape to freedom via the Planter. From the inception of this clever man's scheme to outwit his commanding officers through the suspenseful seven-mile voyage through Confederate checkpoints, Smalls is painted as the modest hero he will become.

Seven Miles to Freedom is a picture book for older children that deserves to be on school library shelves across the nation. It is a praiseworthy educational tool with an intriguing storyline. Duane Smith's collaborative illustrations are colorful, but do not mask the serious nature of the story. Halfmann has stepped away from the innocent exuberance of youth she portrayed in Little Skink's Tail to bring the trials of Civil War era African-Americans to life. Smalls was a single man with humble beginnings, but his achievements outspanned those of entire leagues of privileged men.

Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story is a well-researched and very well written story about a little-known Civil War hero. Even though the book is aimed at a young audience, it does not talk down to them, so I found it very interesting also. It has just the right amount of suspense to keep the reader turning each page. The bibliography at the end is very useful.

The pictures hit just the right note in illustrating the story.

This is an excellent book that should be added to every public and home library.

Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story is a children's picturebook based on the incredible true-life story of African-American hero Robert Smalls, who grew up a slave in South Carolina yet dreamed of being free. He patiently awaited his chance, until he was behind the wheel of the ship - at which point he seized the opportunity to steer the ship past Confederate forts in the harbor, toward the safety of the Union fleet. After his escape, Smalls would go on to become one of the Civil War's foremost heroes, and later a Congressman who fought for civil rights. An inspirational picturebook brought to life with impressive, slightly abstract painted artwork.

The story of Robert Smalls begins in 1939 with his birth into slavery in Charleston, South Carolina. A favored servant, Smalls has a decent life for a slave, but he witnesses firsthand the cruelty of this Peculiar Institution. As he grows from child into man, Smalls falls in love and longs for freedom for him and his family. Seven Miles to Freedom shares how he leads a plot to steal a Confederate steamboat and pilots it into Union held territory.

What a fascinating story! My Civil War collection is the most extensive in my home library. I have numerous non-fiction titles about a variety of topics on the War between the States. I will proudly add Seven Miles to Freedom by Janet Halfmann to my collection.

Having enjoyed Halfmann's Good Night, Little Sea Otter and Fur and Feathers, I knew the writing would be superb; but it can be difficult to make history interesting for young readers. Halfmann makes it look easy. It's a true historical action adventure on the Atlantic. Duane Smith's creations were the perfect complement to the story. His style allows the reader to imagine this being any African-American slave's story. Granted it is Smalls's story, but the fact remains there were many brave African-Americans who helped the Union win the Civil War.

It's no wonder that Seven Miles to Freedom has won so many honors and awards.

My definition of a hero ~
"A hero is someone who with great courage and strength of heart considers the condition and needs of others. He or She may or may not be recognized for their deeds (and probably doesn't want to be recognized for them) because what they have done is what they believe is the right thing to do."

Seven Miles to Freedom is the story of African American Robert Smalls. Born a slave in 1839 to the McKee family in South Carolina this is the story of a slave who made something of himself and also made a difference in the lives of hundreds of slaves and future African Americans.

Written for children age 5+ Seven Miles to Freedom begins with the story of Robert Smalls's birth on his mother's master's estate and continues by explaining what slavery is in terms that a young child can understand. We see the type of work Robert Smalls grows up to do and the man he becomes. He is given much responsibility in his work as a wheelman, a position of trust and honor, because of his hard work, his honesty and because he applied himself to a job well done.

And finally you see in the story how Robert Smalls has a hope and a determination to find a way to freedom, for himself, his family, the crew and their families. Everyone trusted him to help them get to freedom, even at the risk of being caught.

The story doesn't stop with Robert Smalls's run for freedom over 7 Miles on the Charleston Bay but we also learn how he continued to fight for freedom for the newly released slaves long into the future. Robert Smalls truly made a difference in politics, taught himself to read and write and helped teach others how important Freedom truly is.

I strongly recommend that all families with children between 5 and 3rd/4th grades read this book. I personally wanted to share this one with you because I believe it's important for children of all ages to have a hero. A hero who stands up for what's right, what's honest and strives to help others. I also wanted to share this book as it's important for children to see that we can all have heroes - and heroes are made up of all races and all kinds of people.

I am an illustration FANATIC, and I'm raising a family of boys. We are visual people, and this book's illustrations are simple and powerful. I didn't know a thing about Robert Small until I read this book - what a fascinating story about a determined and skilled man.

The text details Robert Small's hatred of slavery, his early jobs, and his determination to buy freedom for his family. Studying charts and testing the harbors, he became an expert pilot - one of the best in antebellum Charleston.

After Fort Sumter, the Confederacy recognized his expertise and put him to work. He learned the schedules and the signals, and when the opportunity came, he and his crew gathered their families and steamed seven miles past the Confederate cannons to the safety and freedom of the Union lines.

I had never heard this story, and now I will never forget it. This is one great biography. Notes and sources at the end. Illustrations so good, you want to touch them.

Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story
Seven Miles is the astonishing true story of Robert Smalls, an African-American who became one of the greatest heroes of the American Civil War. Robert was born a slave on a plantation in Beaufort, South Carolina. Though he was relatively well-treated for a slave, even as a young man Smalls grew to hate everything about slavery. Sent by his master to work in Charleston, Smalls soon became a skilled pilot of a commercial steam boat, the Planter. It was in Charleston that he met his wife Hannah, another slave. When their new daughter was born into slavery, Smalls became determined that his family would one day be free. When the Civil War began, the Union fleet blockaded Charleston and suddenly the chance for his family's freedom was nearly within reach - only seven miles away. So Robert hatched a desperate and daring plan to get all of the Planter's slaves and their families away from Charleston and across the Union lines to freedom.

This book is a fascinating account not only of an astonishing incident in American history but also of an extraordinary man, who accomplished great feats despite being born into slavery. Robert Smalls was a remarkable individual not only for his own time, but for any age. He was a determined father who was willing to take any risk so that his children could grow up free. Further, he took that same resolve and fought not only for his own family but also for the families of the other slaves aboard the Planter, and ultimately for all African-Americans in South Carolina and throughout the United States. The story of Robert Smalls' life and accomplishments is not only a story about slavery and the fight for freedom, it's a story about how fatherhood can make all of us better men when we take its lessons beyond our own families and out into our communities.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker

This is a true story about Robert Smalls, a slave born in 1839, who lived in South Carolina. While his master was kind to him, he grew to hate slavery because he saw the terrible treatment of other slaves. Working in Charleston, where he married and had children, he learned how to pilot steamboats along the coast. Following the attack on Ft. Sumter and the beginning of the American Civil War, Robert, his family, and his crew made plans for a daring escape to the Union forces. You will want to read this book to see how they tried to get away and if their plan succeeded.

Biographical accounts, such as this one, which tell about interesting and exciting events in the lives of important people, whether famous or not, are an excellent way to learn more about the history of our nation. The author concludes with an Afterword
which relates further information about the life of Robert Smalls and his role as a true hero in the story of African-American advancement, along with a list of sources in case anyone would like to do further study. This book is both fun and educational, and I think that children will like reading it immensely, as I did.

I recall reading biographies of Jacques Cartier, John Paul Jones, and Davy Crockett when I was in the 4th grade. These stories took my imagination along great paths of discovery and ignited a love for history for me.

I wish I could have read Halfmann's version (Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story) of the Robert Smalls (1839-1915) story of escaping from the Confederacy during the Civil War when I was 10 or 11. It would have fired my imagination and interest in the American Civil War much earlier.

Halfmann's version of the Smalls story is refreshingly accurate and very well written. The text moves along at a good pace. Unlike Kennedy's new book on Smalls (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s American Heroes: Robert Smalls, the Boat Thief), Halfmann is faithful to the true story in what she covers and what she has to omit for a children's audience.

A real surprise is the bibliography in the back of Halfmann's book which will serve the curious teacher and student well.

I would add one book to the reading list (for the teacher) that Halfmann does not cite as a source for her book: Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families, by Andrew Billingsley.

Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story book should be in every elementary school library in the United States.