Wholesale Freewater (Newbery & Coretta Scott King Award Winner)

Winner of the John Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Author Award, 'Freewater' is a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children's escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom. In this story, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, leaving their beloved mother behind. They find a secret community called Freewater, created by formerly enslaved people. There, Homer discovers friendship and the threat to their new home. This tale is deeply inspiring, based on the history of maroon communities in the South, and showcases survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.