Direct your Christopher Paul Curtis and Avi fans this way.' - Booklist, starred review, 'With both stirring emotion and apparently effortless skill, Dawson braids the many compelling strands of this story into a stunning conclusion. This lyrical story of hope, strength, and ingenuity will be gobbled up by young history buffs and adventure lovers. Not that you'll want to put it down, even for a second.' - Meena Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author, 'Skillfully drawing memorable characters and moving them towards an exciting, heartfelt resolution, Luqman-Dawson does not shy away from the realities of slavery. Amina brings to life so vividly this important but overlooked chapter in history, in a way that all readers can relate to - and through the eyes of young characters so compelling you'll miss them when you put the book down. '- Horn Book, starred review, 'What a gorgeously told, thrilling, and deeply empowering story. Diouf, author of Slavery's Exiles: The Story of the American Maroons, 'An engrossing, multi-perspective debut novel. 'A compelling, gripping story told in an imaginative and lyrical way, Freewater is a moving, powerful homage to the men, women, and children who rejected slavery and dared invent a free life in the American wilderness.'- Dr. Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.

But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home. In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there's no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail.

Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind.

Winner of the John Newbery Medal Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award Award-winning author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children's escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.

Freewater by amina luqman dawson