Amistad Rising: A Story of Freedom (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Paul Lee (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6?The story of Joseph Cinque, leader of the African mutineers who seized the Amistad in 1839, is the focus of Chambers's dramatic picture-book narrative. By eliminating the many details of the frustrating two-year legal history of the Amistad case, and the many complex issues of states' rights and Cuban-American relations discussed in the courts, the role of Cinque takes on heroic and legendary status. Brief mention is made of the support of the abolitionists and the important participation of John Quincy Adams in arguing the case before the Supreme Court, but Cinque's bravery and inspirational leadership are the heart of the book. His speeches and feelings are the only elements of fiction in this story from history, for he was indeed a celebrity in the public eye and certainly the leader of the Africans seeking justice. The figures of the man and his followers are heroic in size in Lee's action-filled acrylic paintings. The dark tones and earth colors dramatize the violence, despair, and patient nobility of the Africans as they fight for freedom and the right to return to their homeland and are forced to wait through many months in a New England town. Amistad Rising serves well as an introduction to this chapter in American history. The brevity of facts and the poetic quality of emotional description make the book a fine read-aloud choice.?Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6. Like the Spielberg movie, this picture book is partly fictionalized. There is an inflated voice-over commentary about the "changing winds of fortune" and destiny's plans, but Chambers' narrative of the heroic rebellion is spare, from the facts of slavery ("Many slave traders had grown rich from selling human beings and they were reluctant to give it up") to Cinque's words in court. Lee's extraordinary acrylic paintings contrast the wild, stormy ocean with the tight confinement of people below deck. He focuses on Cinque's yearning, his restlessness. The close-up of the captive's hands as he picks open the lock of his shackles is as powerful as the portraits of Cinque and Adams on either side of a barred cell window. Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152018034
• ISBN-13: 978-0152018030
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #906,545 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amistad Rising, June 12, 2001

By	Colleen Holl (Manhattan,Il USA) - See all my reviews

It was in 1839 and slavery was still prominent and legal. Many slave owners had become very rich from selling human beings and wanted to continue this way of life. Amistad Rising is written and published in a way that allows readers to visualize and imagine what life would be like for and African-American during the time of slavery. The reader is also allowed to identify with the main character Joseph Clinque and witness the events that occurred in his life. The reader is also made aware of how he was able to empower himself to settle the conflicts in his life. I believe this book would definitely appeal to students in grades six and up. Not only are they provided with the history of Amistad, but they are invited to relate to it's main character. It is important for students to read books that have a historical background about mistreatments of others and how conflicts can be resolved without violent measures. This book would be a great tie-in for a unit on slavery. When reading about slavery in history texts, it is sometimes hard for students to visualize the events being discussed or attach a human emotion to the event. I believe the illustrations in this book provide that for the students.

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Introduction., February 12, 2003

By	tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Until 1997 and the release of Spielberg's grand film, AMISTAD, I had never heard of the Amistad uprising. That movie, through a mix of fact and fiction, piqued my interest and I began reading and researching all I could about the Amistad. That search led to me learning a great deal more about African-American History than I had ever learned before. In the way the movie piqued my interest, AMISTAD RISING will pique younger student's interest in not only the Amistad, but a host of other subjects as well. The book itself is fairly short and contains some very powerful illustrations. The text skimps on the facts of the Amistad and relies a great deal upon the author's imagination to tell the story of Cinque. Nevertheless, there is enough factual information that children can learn something without becoming bored with the specifics of historical data. This is a wonderful book and children are fascinated by the pictures. Great reading for African-American History Month.