Freedom Stone

Starred review from November 29, 2010
In a quiet story that builds steam as it unfolds, 14-year-old slave Lillie undertakes incredible risks and defies time itself to save her six-year-old brother, Plato, from being sold at auction at Greenfog plantation, the only home they've ever known. By all accounts, Lillie, Plato, and their mother should be free, since her father fought for the Confederacy and died at Vicksburg, just four months earlier. However, when her deceased father is accused of having stolen money from another plantation, their freedom is denied, leaving Lillie and Plato in danger of being sold. Spirited, strong-willed Lillie and Bett, a wise and gentle slave who can bend time through her baking, set out to prove Lillie's father's innocence and save her family. Kluger (Nacky Patcher and the Curse of the Dry-Land Boats) adeptly mixes drama, fantasy, romance, and history, while creating characters so determined to survive that readers can't help being drawn into their plights. In a climax that breaks with reality but that will keep readers hungry to learn the outcome, Kluger proves his storytelling prowess. Ages 9–up.

January 15, 2011

Thirteen-year-old Lillie has lived her whole life in slavery on the Greenfog plantation in South Carolina. Her father joined the Confederate Army with the promise of freedom for himself and his family, but when he was killed at the Battle of Vicksburg and a bag of gold was found on him, he was labeled a thief and the promise of freedom was broken. With the help of Bett, an old Ibo charm worker who can bend time with her bread baking, Lillie plans to travel back to the battle and find the truth in order to free her family. The novel is strongest in its depiction of slavery and the idea of one old slave's acts of quiet dissidence, but the central premise of magical bread and time travel, besides being ponderously developed, is a silly contrivance, insulting to the reality of slavery and the millions who had no magic to ease the anguish of their daily existence. Young readers will feel for Lillie and not be comforted by hope in magical African stones and bread baking. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2011

Gr 5-9-Kluger portrays the everyday horrors of slavery while mixing in magic and time travel for an atmosphere of possibilities and hope. Thirteen-year-old Lillie's father joins the Confederate army expecting to win freedom for himself and his family. However, he is killed during the siege of Vicksburg and accused of having been a thief. The coins found on Papa become the property of the Master, who is no longer obliged to free the family. Lillie; her six-year-old brother, Plato; and their mother are devastated by his loss and the unjustified allegation, but as slaves they have no power to contest it. What's more, because of his financial problems, the Master begins to consider selling Plato. When magic enters her life by way of an elderly slave and her prized African stone, Lillie gets the chance to clear her father's name and win freedom for her family. Lillie's love for her brother and mother and the danger and intrigue that she faces make for an engaging and satisfying story.-Margaret Auguste, Franklin Middle School, Somerset, NJ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2011
Grades 5-7 *Starred Review* Lillie, her little brother, Plato, and her mother are slaves on a South Carolina plantation. Their father took a chance and joined the Confederate army, with the promise that he and his family would be freed after the conflict. Papas been killed, but Mama and the children were expecting their freedom until word came that a bag of gold was found on Papas body. Presuming it was stolen, freedom has been denied. When it becomes obvious that Plato may soon be sold away, Lillie is determined to prove that her father was not a thief and that the freedom promise should be honored. Kluger presents a story with what should be an impossible task, adds a dollop of fantasy, and brings it full circle in a smart, compelling way. Though its the quest that keeps the pages turning, what anchors the tale is the in-depth historical research, which makes readers feel what its like to live as a slave while the Civil War rages on. Juxtaposed against the realism is the fantasy element of the story, and Kluger wisely uses the Ibo heritage of some of the slaves as a way in, making it more believable than it otherwise might be. A finely crafted tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
In exchange for his family's freedom, Lillie's father enlists in the Confederate Army; he's declared a thief after his death at Vicksburg, and the deal is broken. Lillie must uncover the truth while trying to prevent her brother from being sold. Ibo magic, brutal overseers, and sympathetic characters combine to provide a gripping account of events on one South Carolina plantation.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)