Seminole Diary: Remembrances of a Slave

by Dolores Johnson

A family of escaped slaves finds refuge with the Seminole Indians and journeys with them to the Oklahoma Territory along the Trail of Tears.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Picture Books, Native American, African American, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Dolores Johnson is a journalist who has worked on newspapers in Oregon, California, Wyoming and Colorado, but she always wanted to write and sell a murder mystery. She tried writing books about an investigative reporter and a newspaper editor, but it wasn't until she wrote a book about a dry cleaner, using her background as a free-lance writer and field reporter for American Drycleaner, that she met with success.

Series:
* Mandy Dyer Mystery

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until today, I was unaware that African Americans were also an integral part of the Trail of Tears.
Reading this children's book has given me a history lesson and knowledge that is as important as any of the historical facts that I'd learned as a child and young adult.

[Kayley Huskonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

** Spoiler**
Lexile Level: 860
Grade: 1-3
Libbie, a slave, tells of the peaceful coexistence of African American slaves and the Seminole Indians. In the Seminole villages, runaway slaves found a haven of mutual respect.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colorful picture book about the experience of runaway slaves who were taken in by the Seminole Tribe (leading up to the Trail of Tears). My daughter found the book to be very informative and enjoyed reading it. May be too dark for younger children.

[Elisabeth Ensor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very beautiful book about the seminole people who kept African American slaves. Written in a journal format and found later by relatives!

[Ruqayya Jarad · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Seminole Diary, Remembrances of a Slave” by Dolores Johnson. Written in diary form by a young slave. An African American woman and her daughter find the diary of an ancestor named Libbie. Her diary Started in 1834, she, her father and her sister Clarissa escape from slavery to run away from a mean slave master. They travel for several weeks heading south and befriend a group of Seminoles Indians, who offer to protect them. Libbie and her family settle into their new life for a while until the Seminoles are being forced by the U.S. government to move from Florida and settle on a reservation in Oklahoma. The author did the research and has written the story to strengthen the connection between past and present. The vibrant, oil paintings reflect the weather and the colorful dress of the Seminoles. The book works well with grades 3-5.

[Molly Asp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seminole Diary illustrates the history of enslavement in the Americas. More specifically, it explains the remembrances of Seminole slave in the southeastern United States.