Samuel's Choice

Plot Summary

The year is 1776, the place, Brooklyn, New York, and slaves who work for a British-sympathizing mill owner are troubled. One slave in particular, fourteen-year-old Samuel, listens to his outspoken friend Sana and wonders about freedom—for a new country and for himself.

Awards

1990 CBC/NCSS Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies

Reviews

"Fact and fiction are woven together seamlessly to create this richly textured story of a 14-year-old black slave during the early days of the American Revolution. . . . A very effective parallel emerges as Samuel and van Ditmas's other slaves hear the sounds of drums, fifes and cannons drifting across the water from Manhattan, signaling the colonists' determination to win their freedom from England. Samuel seizes an opportunity to come to their aid, and performs a heroic act that enables General Washington's weary troops to escape from the victorious British after the Battle of Long Island. Samuel's first-person narrative is at once affecting and informative, making this a history lesson that readers will absorb with their hearts as well as their minds." Publishers Weekly

"Samuel's initial uncertainty and his later resolution are beautifully portrayed. If students say history is boring, give them this book." School Library Journal

"A young black slave in Brooklyn plays a heroic role in the Battle of Long Island at the start of the American Revolution. In a fictional first-person narrative, Samuel, 14, tells how he goes up against his cruel pro-British owner and risks his life to help Washington's retreating army, rowing boatload after boatload across the water to safety. . . . Readers will enjoy the action and heroism in the story and the full-page colored ink-and-pencil illustrations." Booklist

Associated Keywords
african-american, american revolution, revolution, social studies, u.s. history, history, multicultural, african, nonfiction