The Escape of Robert Smalls: A Daring Voyage Out of Slavery

There are actually several children's picture books written about Robert Smalls. I believe I've seen and read all of them and this was the best of them. As a 5th grade teacher, I now look forward to reading this to my class each year.

As an educator, I find the book, 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World, a great starting place for teaching Black History, but it was reading this book aloud that brought Black History Month alive for my 4th grade students. We all cheered on Robert Smalls. HIs life after this event was just as uplifting and heroic, so we enjoyed putting him on our timeline not once, not twice, but three times -- once for stealing a ship and sailing it to freedom, once for becoming a member of the United States Congress, and a final time for having lived a long, prosperous life dedicated to helping others. What a citizen. Find out about him, and you will cheer too, I bet.

Love you my friend this book will be forever cherished! Black Authors!

I absolutely loved it!!!!

I am so impressed with the book, The Escape of Robert Smalls by Jehan Jones Radgowski. I thought from the description that it would be a longer read geared towards fourth grade and up. I am sure that they would enjoy this story too but it is just right for a second grade reader. Wonderful, authentic, meaning text that developing reader can learn from as well as enjoy reading. Not too long, not too short; a clear concise narrative of the escape with interesting illustrations to go along it The Afterword concerning background of the times and his further endeavors is an excellent bonus..I live in the South but sadly had never heard of Robert Smalls so I found him to be inspiringly remarkable. Even so I was glad to see this was a man who never stopped doing what many would have thought impossible during his lifetime. Certainly children need to learn about this individual. This book brings his thinking-in-the-moment bravery to exciting life.The publisher through Net Galley provided an ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

Robert Smalls was a slave during the Civil War, and he had a job on a Confederate warship which enabled him to get close to the captain. Since the captain broke protocol and left the ship in Robert's control in order to visit family, Robert was able to escape from slavery with his family, the crew, and their families because of his quick wits, careful planning, and bravery in the face of danger.This book is well written, tells historical events in a simple, comprehensible way, and has beautifully painted artwork. There is a historical note in the back as well as a glossary of terms. I believe this book would be a great resource for upper elementary school classes, and I highly recommend it!I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

We took out this book from the library last week and I read it with my children, 13, 8, and 5. Everyone was enraptured the whole time. My children were at the edges of their seats, literally, waiting to see what would happen next. Excellent writing and great storytelling! The illustrations are great, too. We read a LOT of picture books in our house, and this is among the best we've read. We really enjoyed learning about Robert Smalls and his incredible journey.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*I enjoyed this book so much. I love learning about historical people who made a difference, and I’m so glad that this book is out there to teach children about Robert Smalls. The story does a great job in being approachable while also highlighting the danger and careful planning that had to be done in order for Smalls to make his escape. The suspense was beautifully built and kept me engaged and at the edge of my seat. It was incredibly informative as well while also being appropriate for a children’s book. I appreciated the glossary at the back for some of the more challenging words–definitely could build a vocabulary list from this! The illustrations were absolutely delightful and do a lot to enhance the story.This would be an incredible addition to a classroom library and a great resource for children learning/researching about the Civil War. I definitely recommend this!