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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
TL, DR: Excellent use of verse format to bring to the life of a slave in a middle grade appropriate way. It also highlights the little known story of the Maroons of The Great Dismal Swamp.
I'm going to spoiler tag this, although I feel the little bits I mention would in no way ruin the read.
Unbound provides glimpses into slave life as filtered through Grace’s young eyes. Some of the horrors are made obvious in what isn’t said, because Grace doesn’t understand or know about it herself. For example, Grace swears she doesn’t have a father, but when she see the Master and his blue eyes, it becomes obvious to the reader who her father is. It also explains Missus’s special venom directed at a child.
Ann E Burg is the critically acclaimed author of Serafina’s Promise and All the Broken Pieces. She has been recognized by the ALA Best Books List and the NAACP Image Awards. Here she uses the true story of the “Maroons” who found refuge from slavery not by running North, but by hiding in The Great Dismal Swamp along the border of Virginia and North Carolina. Burg brings the cruelties of life on the plantation to life with a deft hand that keeps the reader’s interest with intense story and a quick pace. The story, while very intense, never becomes so graphic that it loses a middle grade reading audience.
This is an excellent choice for a cross-curricular tie in with Black History month or for American Studies. I highly recommend it for seventh grade readers.
I'm going to spoiler tag this, although I feel the little bits I mention would in no way ruin the read.
Spoiler
Nine-year-old Grace has lived her entire life in the slave cabins, but now her light skin causes her to be summoned to the big house. After promising her family that she will keep her eyes down and her mouth closed, she tries to stay out of the way of Missus. At nine, she does not yet realize that there is no winning with such a hard-hearted woman. Grace’s life changes when a fellow house slave, Jordan, makes a run for freedom. To make up for the unbudgeted expense of replacement, Master decides to sell off Grace’s toddler brothers along with her mother. Grace, remembering the advice of Uncle Jim, her stepfather, hears auction and knows the family must run.Unbound provides glimpses into slave life as filtered through Grace’s young eyes. Some of the horrors are made obvious in what isn’t said, because Grace doesn’t understand or know about it herself. For example, Grace swears she doesn’t have a father, but when she see the Master and his blue eyes, it becomes obvious to the reader who her father is. It also explains Missus’s special venom directed at a child.
Ann E Burg is the critically acclaimed author of Serafina’s Promise and All the Broken Pieces. She has been recognized by the ALA Best Books List and the NAACP Image Awards. Here she uses the true story of the “Maroons” who found refuge from slavery not by running North, but by hiding in The Great Dismal Swamp along the border of Virginia and North Carolina. Burg brings the cruelties of life on the plantation to life with a deft hand that keeps the reader’s interest with intense story and a quick pace. The story, while very intense, never becomes so graphic that it loses a middle grade reading audience.
This is an excellent choice for a cross-curricular tie in with Black History month or for American Studies. I highly recommend it for seventh grade readers.
Hm. Would have liked it better if it wasn't a white woman writing about a slave experience.
This book was very intriguing and poetic. I only wish that we could have seen more about what happened at the plantation after Grace and her family escaped. I doubt it will happen, but I would love to read a book from Aunt Tempie's point of view that tells about the aftermath and gives us more information about her backstory, including how she became involved in helping OleGeorgeCooper help runaway slaves. Overall, I would rate this book a 4.5/5.
This free verse novel follows the story of Grace as she is torn from her mother and brothers and sent to work in the Big House, due to her light skin. Grace and her family are slaves on a plantation near the Great Dismal Swamp. Only nine years old, Grace promises her mother that she will keep her eyes down and her thoughts to herself, but she sees new things every day that cause her to question why things are the way they are. The injustice of it all becomes too much for her, threatening her entire family. A powerful look at the horrors of slavery and the bravery and resilience of those who lived through it. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
Great story. I did not know about the Great Dismal Swamp being a place where there were settlements of folks who escaped slavery.
This one surprised me. While I had no expectations going in, it was so incredibly well done and the writing was phenomenal. The story, while focused on slavery and set in the era of slavery, is told from the perspective of a young slave girl and written in such a way that I think it's perfect for any child to read. It's informative and almost optimistic, but still touches on the horror of slavery without delving too deep into topics best save for older children. There is certainly some of it implied, but a younger kid might not pick up on it allowing such a conversation to be had when an adult might feel it's time to talk about it. It's just such a good read and a great way to learn more about the era of slavery no matter the age - you will definitely learn something new.
The audiobook version is so, so good and highly recommended.
The audiobook version is so, so good and highly recommended.
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
“Seems to me the road to Freedom is marked with too many sad good-byes."
Unbound is a novel in verse that tells the story of Grace and her family's journey to freedom.
The interesting thing about this story though is instead of going north they go to a different place that is in the swamp and is hardly ever talked about.
Unbound is a novel in verse that tells the story of Grace and her family's journey to freedom.
The interesting thing about this story though is instead of going north they go to a different place that is in the swamp and is hardly ever talked about.
Grace is a 9 year old slave living in 1860s Virginia. She is just learning how the world works, and her own worth as a black person born in America. She is brought to the master's house to work and finds herself and her family in trouble. This story was moving and impossible to put down.
Wow -- I am a huge fan now of Ann Burg's work. Her third novel-in-verse, this one kept me turning pages, completely enthralled with the voice of Grace, her spirit and choices. Beautiful, and beautifully describes a piece of lesser known history about where some people found freedom.