Freewater (Newbery & Coretta Scott King Award Winner)

Winner of the John Newbery Medal

“"Solidly researched and beautifully written, this is storytelling at its finest."-- Kathi Appelt, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor Winner”

"In Freewater, Amina Luqman Dawson shines a bright light on a little-known piece of history. Set against a forbidding landscape, the bright promise of freedom is illuminated in all its myriad shapes and forms. And it couldn't be more timely. Solidly researched and beautifully written, this is storytelling at its finest. Dawson's voice and the voices of her cast will linger long after the last page is closed."--Kathi Appelt, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor Winner
"Skillfully drawing memorable characters and moving them towards an exciting, heartfelt resolution, Luqman-Dawson does not shy away from the realities of slavery. This lyrical story of hope, strength, and ingenuity will be gobbled up by young history buffs and adventure lovers. Direct your Christopher Paul Curtis and Avi fans this way."--Booklist, starred review
"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, starred review
"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
"With both stirring emotion and apparently effortless skill, Dawson braids the many compelling strands of this story into a stunning conclusion. A remarkable accomplishment--a sheer triumph of a book."--Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medal winner and New York Times bestselling author
"A well-written book that explores a relatively unknown piece of history....Filled with both hope and joy, it explores the families we are born into as well as the families we create."--School Library Connection, starred review
"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
"An engrossing, multi-perspective debut novel...[with] an explosive and cathartic conclusion."--Horn Book, starred review
"Journalist and historian Amina Luqman-Dawson's debut middle grade novel, Freewater, is historical fiction at its finest... A gripping, emotional story. Its short chapters and expert pacing seize the reader's attention, and its young freedom-seeking protagonists are instantly engaging."--Bookpage
"When the town's inhabitants undertake a liberation effort, the characters must build courage and overcome their fears in this vividly written, wholly accessible novel of enslavement and resistance."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

Amina Luqman Dawson is the author of the pictorial history book Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg (Arcadia Publishing). Her op-eds on race and popular culture have appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more. She's a proud mother of a 13-year-old son. Amina, her husband, and her son reside in Arlington, VA.

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