Freewater
by Amina Luqman-Dawson
by Amina Luqman-Dawson
2023 Newbury Award Winner & Coretta Scott King Award Winner
An Indiebound Bestseller
A New York Times Bestseller
Copyright: August 15th, 2023
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Grade level: 5th+
Reading age: 10 and up
Summary:
After an entire young life of enslavement, twelve-year-old Homer escapes Southerland Plantation with his seven-year-old little sister Ada, leaving his beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the recesses of the swamp.
In this new, free society made up of escaped slaves and some born-free children, Homer cautiously embraces a set of spirited friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he hatches a plan to return to Southerland plantation, overcome his own cautious nature, and free his mother from enslavement.
Enslave Journey Resourceful Sacrifice Bravery Racism
Invisibility Compassion Slavery The Great Dismal Swamp
ELA Standard: CCCS RL 5.2. - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
ELA Standard: CCCS W.5.3- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud
Plantation: A large property or landholding dependent on the labor of enslaved people. Also called a labor camp.
Contemplate: To think profoundly and at length.
Overseer: The person who directed the daily work of the slaves, usually a white male.
Marauder: Someone who roams around looking for things to steal.
Stealthy: Intent to escape sight; sneakiness.
Slave: A person who is forced to work for and obey another and is considered to be their property
Domicile: The residence where you have your permanent home
Refuge: Shelter or protection from danger or distress
Serenity: The absence of mental stress and anxiety; calm and/or peaceful.
Ambition: The strong desire to achieve a goal.
Before Reading:
Start by sharing the title and book cover with your students. Based on this alone, students can make predictions about the genre of the text, and what topics or problems might come up in the text. Possible questions to ask:
Do you think this is a fiction or nonfiction text? Why?
Based on the title and/or book cover, what problems do you think the main character(s) might face? What are some possible solutions?
What are you wondering about?
Decide what you want to achieve from reading the book. Is there something specific you want to learn or understand better?
During Reading:
For student engagement, present the novel on display with a document camera, or make copies of sections of the novel. The topic of copying is controversial, but for students to gain stronger grasp on the topic, they need to annotate and take notes as they read.
Modeling close reading is key. Print close reading bookmarks for students to use while they are reading. As you read, model each strategy to students step by step, one at a time.
Underline Key Words: The key words we are looking for today are ones that give us clues about the theme.
Circle What You Don’t Understand: Circle words you don’t know, or parts that don’t make sense.
Annotate Left Margin: Summarize the excerpt in one sentence on the left.
Annotate Right Margin: Tell why the author wrote this part on the right.
Once modeled, now it's time for the students to practice annotating themselves or in groups working to find clues in the text to what the potential theme of the novel is.
After Reading:
What's THE MEssage?
As a whole group, compile a list of potential themes for the novel "Freewater" by Amina Luqman-Dawson. Some questions to spark thought:
What overarching message or lesson do you think the author is trying to convey through this story?
What are the main conflicts or challenges faced by the characters in the story?
How do the characters respond to these conflicts or challenges?
How does the setting contribute to the overall mood or atmosphere of the story?
Facilitate a discussion about the themes identified by the students. Encourage them to share their thoughts and provide evidence from the text to support their ideas. Following the discussion, divide students into groups, each group selecting a prediscussed theme to further explore. In their groups, students should discuss how the selected theme is portrayed in "Freewater." They should consider specific scenes, character actions, and dialogue that relate to their theme. By analyzing the themes, readers can make connections between the characters, plot events, and real-life experiences, which enhances their ability to interpret the text more fully.
Stepping Into Someone Else's Shoes
Diary writing is a great way to explore the thoughts and feelings of characters in a story. Imagine stepping into the shoes of your favorite character and recording their experiences, just like they would in a diary!
"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. Sylviane A. Diouf, author of Slavery's Exiles: The Story of the American Maroons
"This is detailed and well-researched historical fiction. The characters are varied, complex, and fully realized. . . .The page-turning action will engage readers as the story reaches a satisfying conclusion. An exceptional addition to the resistance stories of enslaved people."―Kirkus
"What a gorgeously told, thrilling, and deeply empowering story. 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. Not that you'll want to put it down, even for a second."―Meena Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author