Freedom

by Catherine Johnson

An action-packed and pacey story about slavery in Britain. Nathaniel doesn't want to move to England with his master's family, leaving behind his mother and sister on the Jamaican plantation. But then he remembers what his mother told him: once a slave sets foot on English soil, they're free. Perhaps he can earn his fortune and buy his family's freedom, too. When Nat arrives in London, he soon discovers that his mother was wrong. Nat refuses to live like a caged bird, and seizes the first opportunity to escape. Alone on the streets of London, he hears the story of a nightmare ship, the Zong, where over a hundred slaves were thrown overboard. Now, those responsible face a trial. Will the world continue to turn a blind eye to the horrors of slavery? And can Nat really evade his masters forever?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical, Friendship, Novels, Childrens

160 pages, Paperback

Published August 2, 2018

About the author

Catherine Johnson is a British author and screenwriter known for her young adult fiction and work in film, television and radio. Born in London to a Jamaican father and Welsh mother, she studied film at St Martin's School of Art before publishing her debut novel, The Last Welsh Summer (1993). She has since written around 20 novels, including works on Arctic explorer Matthew Henson, and won the 2019 Little Rebels Award for Freedom. Her historical novel Sawbones (2013) earned multiple shortlistings and the Young Quills Award. Johnson co-wrote the screenplay for Bullet Boy (2004) with Saul Dibb, and has served as Royal Literary Fund Fellow, Writer in Residence at Holloway Prison, and judge for the Jhalak Prize. In 2019, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm being super-lazy here but I like Sophie's review so much that I suggest just reading hers!

[Mary Tsiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

''You are property. We all are. And you, Nathaniel Barratt, will be a slave until the day you die.''
A story that will tear your heart in pieces, the tale of a young black boy traveling from Jamaica to London, where he thinks 'people like him' roam free. Nathaniel's duty is to look after the exotic pineapples his ship brings to England, but as soon as he sets foot in the ''civilized'' jungle of London he realises that his plan to escape and go back to Jamaica to save his mother and sister is not as easy as he thought. Adorned with the legendary figures of Olaudah Equiano and Shadrack Furman, this is not another slave story, but an inspiring account of the events following the trials of the slave ship Zong that paved the way towards the abolition of slavery.

A book that needs to be included in every school curriculum 🙌

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that should be in every school library, following a young boy, Nathaniel, as he travels to England and attempts to escape from slavery. It made me realise how little I know and how much I still have to learn about slavery and colonialism.

[Kat Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written account of a period of British history I knew almost nothing about. Nat is such an engaging main character, I simply couldn’t put the book down once I started reading. Brilliant!

[Dinithi Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had my stomach in a knot and my heart so heavy throughout the 150 pages. I wish this was a text in school because it can serve as a great introduction to black history and the horrifying crimes to this day that have gone unpunished.

[Louise Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story about slavery in both Jamaica and England. I liked the fact that the author used real people to base the characters on.

[Jane(Janelba) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this story packs a punch. Nathaniel a slave in Jamaica is brought to England by his owners to take of pineapple plants during the journey. He believes the there are no slaves in England and he will be free upon arrival. Unfortunately he discovers that this is not the truth upon arrival. He runs away and meets people who are to become influential. Beautifully written with Nathaniel as narrator.

[Ionarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good. I can see why it won the Little Rebels award - and that's absolutely what Nat is, a little freedom fighter rebel.

Obviously I know about the horrors of slavery, but there is always something to be said about living something through a narrative, especially one as well crafted as this. All the statistics and diagrams in the world can't compare to a little boy trying not to cry after seeing his mother taken away. For a very short, quick read, this book packs in a lot of factual material but crafts it into a beautiful, sensitive narrative. It's a great kids book about slavery, full of adventure and hope without bowdlerising the brutality in the slightest, which is remarkable. I'm so glad I read it, and I'm so glad it was written.

[Dom Gittins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book - if you're British, it's likely that you don't know much about the history of the slave trade, because it wasn't taught in schools. This book gives you a lot of jumping off points to get to understand our history and to make you think about the slave trade and the lives of enslaved people. I am delighted that this was a suggestion from our son's school.
We have been talking about slavery this year since the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, and unfortunately my son (10) gets so angry reading about what happens to Nat, that he can't get into the book.
Because it's so short, the author hasn't got the time to give the reader a breather in between emotional episodes, so the experience of reading it is like being waterboarded ! If it's getting to you, you never quite have the time to get your breath back. As an adult I was able to bear it and persevere. My son wasn't, so we put it down and talked through some of the issues instead.
Educating ourselves about British black history is vital and this book is a great route in to some of the topics involved.
I would recommend it to adults looking to widen their understanding of British history.
For kids, think of it like a 12 movie: your 10 y.o. might be fine watching one, but might find another distressing. This one might distress them (it ought to upset them a bit !) but it's a judgment call for you as a parent whether it's a good level or too much.

[Zenubia Arsalan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slavery is a part of history we would rather forget yet that's precisely what we should never do. We should never forget that we believe in freedom for all people, the freedom to live in dignity, to freedom of movement.


The most chilling part of the book is the scene that describes Nat’s confusion about the court case. He think the shipowners are under trial for throwing hundreds of slaves overboard. He's horrified to learn that it's not a murder trial, the case is all about the money - the slaveowners vs insurance company. The fact that slaves lost their lives doesn't register as a crime in the eyes of the law. The thought doesn't cross their conscience either.

The Historical Note at the end of the book gave me a glimmer of hope. Eventually when news of such atrocities became public, slowly our collective conscience could no longer bear this burden and eventually slavery was abolished. In the light of Is*reali Apartheid and defacto annexation of P*alestinians, when all systems of oppression an employed against them, it gives me hope that the plight of the P*alestinians wouldn't go unheard. That eventually our collective conscience would not permit this occupation to continue any longer.

[Kim-Berly Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read it every year for 4 years with my Year 6 class. Our first project of the year is 'MAAFA'. It is a part of history, rarely written into the curriculum, and it starts by looking at the ancient African Kingdoms and moves into the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
This book tells the story from Nathaniel's point of view. He is a Jamaican boy working in an estate in Jamaica. Nat asks some very poignant questions to Old Thomas about treatment of slaves. It is a really clever way to teach the children about the devastatingly evil acts that happened.
Nathaniel travels by ship with his Mistress to England, where he dreams life will be so different. It is, but it doesn't mean it's better.

It's a great way to teach children about the topic of slavery, but to ask them thought-provoking questions about the treatment of others then and now. I have a class of students from a variety of backgrounds, and its amazing how some have no idea about this history.

The project itself links us into modern slavery and approaches many important topics. This book is just a great way to teach the children about the past too.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to support KS2/3 History studies of Black history, the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Zong massacre.

Nathaniel Barratt is an enslaved boy on the Barratt plantation in Jamaica, but dreams of freedom for himself, his mother and sister. When they are sold away, he is sent to England with his master to care for a shipment of pineapples. He hears first hand about the tragedy of the slave ship Zong on his crossing and dreams of freedom.

Various historical figures are woven into the story such as Nat runs away from his master in a bid to be free.

Children will learn about the Middle Passage, the conditions and barbarity of slavery, the Zong massacre and European attitudes towards the enslaved as cargo and property.

[Suzanne Bhargava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t get over how well Catherine Johnson has managed to put together an excellent piece of historical fiction that is both educational and emotive - it feels almost epic despite it being only 150 pages long (and that includes the glossary!).

This middle grade story explores Britain’s role in the slave trade, and follows Nat, a 12 year old who is separated from his family and has to travel from Jamaica to London with his awful owners. Throughout the story, he remains resilient, hopeful and resourceful, even when his dream for freedom feels utterly out of reach.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. I loved the characters, the setting and the story. The historical facts were skilfully woven in and explained simply and effectively. The additional information at the end was also very interesting. This book is written for dyslexic and reluctant readers and I liked the way it tackled difficult issues and didn't patronise the reader at all. I just wish I could read more about Nat and find out his next adventures.

[Bekka_intro.worded · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and very hard story that I would not choose to read but I studied History and had slavery as the first to learn about and thought it might be good to read.
Even though it was described in a very easy way, I kind of liked it because there was well described as white people saw them.. The enslaved people... And I think it is the thing to be understood that they were not taken as a human beings but as a property as a cargo. 😣

[Simon Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a quick read so, in some ways, I admit that 3 stars is harsh. Nevertheless, I wished some characters were developed further and the ending feels like there’s more of a story to tell. My students were all asking if there was a sequel because they thought it must be part of a series with such an open ending. Enjoyable and useful in terms of developing a sense of history, which is why we read it in school.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book with my Year 6 class (5th grade) and thought it complemented our unit of study about Maafa and slavery well. I think that it's a great starting point for a child who is interested in what a child slave's experience may have been like.

The children in my class had really frank and honest discussions about race and power and injustice while we read. It's very short though!

[Redheadreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good children’s historical fiction book about the slave trade. ‘You are property, we all are.” - to spend time with children just discussing this one sentence will do so much good. The issue of slavery was beautifully wrapped in a good story. Loved this book and it will be placed on my classroom bookshelf next week!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important story based off the horrific truths of our past. Great storyline and plot but a little short, the ending not really doing the book justice, a, but what happened next? sort of story. Apart from that, a great book to recommend.

[karen doxey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a good book, I like reading books about slavery, black rights and more books to do with olden times, but our of lots I've read or liked, this is a really good book, I would recommend it to anyone wanting to read this book.

[kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading this with year 7, a very powerful story narrated by such a young voice. explores the brutality of the slave trade in a manner that is accessible to young people, without erasing the realities. wish this was read in my own curriculum.

[Jodie O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slaves struggle to freedom - eye opening - suitable for older children - useful teaching tool abs great piece of fiction for discussion- 8/10!

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but insightful young adult novel presenting the horrors of slavery and the struggle for emancipation in Britain.

[Paula Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read in school. I could not put this down.

[Jane Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracking read from Catherine Johnson. A great introduction to the British slave trade

[Joanne Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down. Characters and events based on real people and true events, making the book mire impactful and gut-wrenching.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good children's book relating to black history - particularly the slave trade in the 18th century. Written as an adventure/escape story.

[EMMA IREDALE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking and insightful.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good historical book for upper KS2

A good book for year 5 maybe year 4 for historical context, an easy read and written well. I really enjoyed it!

[Starlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for Key Stage 2 pupils