Intelluctual Freedom: Jump Ship to Freedom

Jump Ship to Freedom is Volume 2 of the Arabus Family History. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Collier is about Young Daniel Arabus and his mother who are slaves in the house of Captain Ivers of Stratford, Connecticut. By law they should be free, since Daniel's father fought in the Revolutionary army and earned enough in soldiers' notes to buy his family's freedom. However, now Daniel's father is dead, and Mrs. Ivers has taken the notes from his mother. When Daniel bravely steals the notes back, a furious Captain Ivers forces him aboard a ship bound for the West Indies and certain slavery. Even if Daniel can manage to jump ship in New York the long and dangerous road to freedom is still ahead of him. He must use his wits and his courage, plus call his father's memory to mind in order to combat his harsh master, a string of bad luck and his own poor judgment. This is an exciting book which will captivate the reader while teaching about America's past and the struggles its citizens experienced. This book would be great for grades 5-8. I thought this is a great book that teaches perseverance and courage as well. It also exposes students to the issues surrounding the rights of minorities during this time.