Overview
Jonas has lived all of his thirteen years on a farm in Missouri, and even though he hears whispers about freedom, he thinks he'll never try to escape. He knows what happens to slaves who attempt to run away. Besides, Master William has promised to make Jonas his personal manservant, and Jonas thinks fine suits and special privileges sound like a dream. But this dream is put on hold when, in 1859, Master William's good-for-nothing son, Percy, decides to seek his fortune in the Kansas Territory gold fields, taking Jonas along as his cook and caretaker. Although Percy is a brutal master, Jonas is surprised to find that the other members of the wagon train don't hold his views about slavery. Jonas even befriends a doctor's daughter, who teaches him how to read. And with each word Jonas learns, he discovers that there are much bigger dreams a boy can have than being another man's servant. In this unforgettable novel, Maurine F. Dahlberg tells the story of a slave coming to understand his own worth. The Story of Jonas is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Full Product Details
Author: Maurine F Dahlberg
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Imprint: Farrar Straus Giroux
Dimensions:
Width: 14.70cm
, Height: 1.70cm
, Length: 21.40cm
Weight: 0.299kg
ISBN: 9780374372644
ISBN 10: 0374372640
Pages: 148
Publication Date: 20 March 2007
Audience:
Children/juvenile
,
Children / Juvenile
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Out of Print
Availability: Awaiting stock
Reviews
The ability to let readers feel the essential cruelty of slavery without scenes of excessive brutality makes this well-crafted, engaging novel appropriate for a middle-grade audience. -- Booklist This gripping tale, with its exciting twists and turns, is easily accessible. -- School Library Journal A lively story with a light touch and many a folksy turn of phrase. -- Kirkus Reviews The rick and vivid historical framework...offers the reader many topics for discussion and personal reflection. --IRA
The ability to let readers feel the essential cruelty of slavery without scenes of excessive brutality makes this well-crafted, engaging novel appropriate for a middle-grade audience. -- Booklist “This gripping tale, with its exciting twists and turns, is easily accessible.” — School Library Journal “A lively story with a light touch and many a folksy turn of phrase.” -- Kirkus Reviews The rick and vivid historical framework...offers the reader many topics for discussion and personal reflection. —IRA
Author Information
MAURINE F. DAHLBERG is the author of Escape to West Berlin, an NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and two other novels for young readers. She lives in Springfield, Virginia.
