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Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story
Robert Smalls stood at the Planter's wheel. Only seven miles of water lay between the ship and the Union blockade. For Robert, his family, and his crewmates, reaching the blockade would mean a chance at freedom. Growing up a slave in South Carolina, Robert Smalls had always dreamed of the moment freedom would be within his grasp. Now it was here, and all the lives aboard the Planter were in Robert's hands. With precision and daring, he would have to navigate past the forts ahead and steer the ship to the safety of the Union fleet. Just one miscalculation could be deadly, but for Robert and the others it was a risk worth taking. Seven Miles to Freedom is a compelling account of the daring escape of Robert Smalls, a slave steamboat wheelman who would become one of the Civil War's greatest heroes and serve five terms in Congress. His steadfast courage in the face of adversity serves a model for all who must overcome the seemingly insurmountable.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2008
About the author
Janet Halfmann
80 books30 followersJanet Halfmann is a multi-award-winning children’s author who strives to make her books come alive for young readers and listeners. She writes about animals and nature, family and community, and little-known people of achievement. Janet has written almost fifty fiction and nonfiction books for children.
Janet was formerly a daily newspaper reporter, children’s magazine editor, and a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books. She has four children, seven grandkids, and two great-grands. Janet enjoys gardening, exploring nature, visiting living-history museums, and spending time with family. She grew up on a farm in MI and now lives in WI. More at: http://www.janethalfmannauthor.com
Janet was formerly a daily newspaper reporter, children’s magazine editor, and a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books. She has four children, seven grandkids, and two great-grands. Janet enjoys gardening, exploring nature, visiting living-history museums, and spending time with family. She grew up on a farm in MI and now lives in WI. More at: http://www.janethalfmannauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 25, 2020
My fifth graders loved this book! Great read aloud of a lesser known man.
July 5, 2008
I think that there may be a certain amount of thinking amongst adults like myself that we've plumbed all the heroes we could get out of the Civil War. Not a particular history buff, my vague and foggy sense of the time period (informed at intervals by Ken Burns' Civil War series) is that the heroes have long been lauded, the villains well vilified, and that there's not much else to say to kids about the time. I mean, I watched Glory in high school. I know the time period, right? It's a good thing that there are authors like Janet Halfmann out there who think differently from people like me. A week ago if you had walked up to me and said, "Robert Smalls. Who was he?", I'd have met you with a slow-blinking stare. Now if you walk up to me and say, "Robert Smalls. Who was he?", you're still going to get the stare, but only because I'm probably seated at a reference desk somewhere wracking my brain for context. Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story takes a relatively unknown hero and renders his story loud, strong, and clear. With illustrations by first-time picture book artist Duane Smith, it's the kind of book with enough innate drama to stick in the minds of its intended audience.
He was born a slave on a South Carolina plantation in 1839. At the time Robert Smalls was a favorite with his masters, the McKees, and when he was twelve they sent him to work at a hotel in Charleston along the river. From there he worked the cargo docks and then the shipyards, with the potential to someday become a wheelman. After he married, Robert swore he'd buy his wife and daughter's freedom. He had almost managed it by the time the Civil War broke out. So when work dried up, Robert became a deckhand on a steamer called Planter and eventually worked his way up to wheelman. He also observed all the secret steam whistles, a fact that would come in useful later. Robert soon found that he was physically similar to the captain. And so, planning with his crew, Robert determined to disguise himself as the captain one night and smuggle the crew and their families to the north where they would be free. It was risky, dangerous, and even if he managed to escape the South, what would stop the North from firing upon a southern vessel? Halfmann retells this exciting escape and story clearly and concisely. An Afterword offers facts about Robert and his life, including the time when he was elected to Congress in 1875, and a list of Author's Sources provides a plethora of bibliographic information.
Halfmann's focus could have been anything. When you consider that you're dealing with a man who escaped slavery, wrote the proposal for the creation of South Carolina's first free system of public schools, became a Congressman, and petitioned to give women the right to vote, and more, the question isn't whether to tell his story but how much to tell. Because Halfmann's book is in a picture book style and stands at 40 pages, the storyline had to either summarize everything quickly, or focus in on a single moment in time. As it happens, the story of Smalls' escape and bravery is particularly ideal for a picture book. There's danger and suspense and a clear-cut hero involved. Now all that remains is for someone to write a full-length biography of the man for kids.
Artist Duane Smith's style did not initially engage me, and I'll tell you why. I'm the kind of person who loves delicate lines and minute details. I love pen-and-inks and tiny images that only can be seen on the fourth or fifth rereading of a book. Impressionism has never done anything for me. Bold strokes of color and thick paints? Not my style. Which isn't to say that I couldn't appreciate what Mr. Smith has done here. Using deep-hued oils in an array of striking colors, Smith renders his people as almost outlines of paint. Shadows and skin, hollows and shady areas are defined by these sweeps and starts of color. At a key moment, say when Robert overhears the officers of the ship say they'll go ashore, Smith makes a point to close in and detail the face of his hero more precisely. There's a method to the madness here. Smith makes calculated choices on when and how to portray the characters in this book. Admittedly, this serves more effectively as a meditative tool. When you are faced with action sequences, like the Planter escaping Confederate waters, the result is not as exciting as you might hope. That said, the battle at Fort Sumter excels. And I enjoyed Smith's varying angles. One moment you're on the same level as the characters, and the next you're seagull height, peering down upon the Planter and the Onward as they approach one another tentatively. Smith appears to be the ideal illustrator for this particular tale.
So I like the writing and I appreciated the art (even if it's not my preferred choice). It's a pity that the design didn't quite stand up to the rest of the book. Non-fiction (or "informational" if you prefer) picture books suffer from a strict format that does nobody any good. In the most extreme cases you'll open the story up and face a page of text and a picture. A page of text and a picture. A page of text and . . . yawwwwn! "Seven Miles to Freedom" resists this format as much as it can, but it still happens. Sometimes the words will mix and meld with the illustrations, and that's wonderful. But since Smith didn't create an entire book of two-page spreads, something has to be done when there's only picture enough for one page. The result is a fine book, but one that you wish could have upped the oomph just a tad.
I can't vouch for the rest of the country, but in New York young kids are generally given biography assignments of vague proportions. They'll walk up to your reference desk and say, "I wanna biography," and you have to figure out what they mean exactly. The advantage of the Robert Smalls story is that it's short enough to not freak the kids out too much, but interesting and with lots of bright pictures. I wouldn't necessarily hand it to a fourth or fifth grader, of course, but even if I did I figure they'd get a certain level of enjoyment out of the storyline. Kids will also get historical assignments and certainly the best-known picture book set during the Civil War to my mind is Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say. Seven Miles to Freedom would pair beautifully with that title. A great new take on a little known true-life tale.
Ages 7-11.
He was born a slave on a South Carolina plantation in 1839. At the time Robert Smalls was a favorite with his masters, the McKees, and when he was twelve they sent him to work at a hotel in Charleston along the river. From there he worked the cargo docks and then the shipyards, with the potential to someday become a wheelman. After he married, Robert swore he'd buy his wife and daughter's freedom. He had almost managed it by the time the Civil War broke out. So when work dried up, Robert became a deckhand on a steamer called Planter and eventually worked his way up to wheelman. He also observed all the secret steam whistles, a fact that would come in useful later. Robert soon found that he was physically similar to the captain. And so, planning with his crew, Robert determined to disguise himself as the captain one night and smuggle the crew and their families to the north where they would be free. It was risky, dangerous, and even if he managed to escape the South, what would stop the North from firing upon a southern vessel? Halfmann retells this exciting escape and story clearly and concisely. An Afterword offers facts about Robert and his life, including the time when he was elected to Congress in 1875, and a list of Author's Sources provides a plethora of bibliographic information.
Halfmann's focus could have been anything. When you consider that you're dealing with a man who escaped slavery, wrote the proposal for the creation of South Carolina's first free system of public schools, became a Congressman, and petitioned to give women the right to vote, and more, the question isn't whether to tell his story but how much to tell. Because Halfmann's book is in a picture book style and stands at 40 pages, the storyline had to either summarize everything quickly, or focus in on a single moment in time. As it happens, the story of Smalls' escape and bravery is particularly ideal for a picture book. There's danger and suspense and a clear-cut hero involved. Now all that remains is for someone to write a full-length biography of the man for kids.
Artist Duane Smith's style did not initially engage me, and I'll tell you why. I'm the kind of person who loves delicate lines and minute details. I love pen-and-inks and tiny images that only can be seen on the fourth or fifth rereading of a book. Impressionism has never done anything for me. Bold strokes of color and thick paints? Not my style. Which isn't to say that I couldn't appreciate what Mr. Smith has done here. Using deep-hued oils in an array of striking colors, Smith renders his people as almost outlines of paint. Shadows and skin, hollows and shady areas are defined by these sweeps and starts of color. At a key moment, say when Robert overhears the officers of the ship say they'll go ashore, Smith makes a point to close in and detail the face of his hero more precisely. There's a method to the madness here. Smith makes calculated choices on when and how to portray the characters in this book. Admittedly, this serves more effectively as a meditative tool. When you are faced with action sequences, like the Planter escaping Confederate waters, the result is not as exciting as you might hope. That said, the battle at Fort Sumter excels. And I enjoyed Smith's varying angles. One moment you're on the same level as the characters, and the next you're seagull height, peering down upon the Planter and the Onward as they approach one another tentatively. Smith appears to be the ideal illustrator for this particular tale.
So I like the writing and I appreciated the art (even if it's not my preferred choice). It's a pity that the design didn't quite stand up to the rest of the book. Non-fiction (or "informational" if you prefer) picture books suffer from a strict format that does nobody any good. In the most extreme cases you'll open the story up and face a page of text and a picture. A page of text and a picture. A page of text and . . . yawwwwn! "Seven Miles to Freedom" resists this format as much as it can, but it still happens. Sometimes the words will mix and meld with the illustrations, and that's wonderful. But since Smith didn't create an entire book of two-page spreads, something has to be done when there's only picture enough for one page. The result is a fine book, but one that you wish could have upped the oomph just a tad.
I can't vouch for the rest of the country, but in New York young kids are generally given biography assignments of vague proportions. They'll walk up to your reference desk and say, "I wanna biography," and you have to figure out what they mean exactly. The advantage of the Robert Smalls story is that it's short enough to not freak the kids out too much, but interesting and with lots of bright pictures. I wouldn't necessarily hand it to a fourth or fifth grader, of course, but even if I did I figure they'd get a certain level of enjoyment out of the storyline. Kids will also get historical assignments and certainly the best-known picture book set during the Civil War to my mind is Patricia Polacco's Pink and Say. Seven Miles to Freedom would pair beautifully with that title. A great new take on a little known true-life tale.
Ages 7-11.
October 31, 2008
What an amazing story! Robert Smalls was a slave in South Carolina who learned several trades, worked hard, and eventually came to be wheelman on a boat for the Confederacy. The story of how he escaped with his family to Union territory is priceless! An afterword provides more details of his life. What a remarkable man! I must get the biography listed in the bibliography at the end and read more about him. This is such an inspiring story. I love the quote by Smalls at the end: "My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life." Although I wasn't crazy about the illustrations (too impressionistic for my taste), I can highly recommend this book. Most interesting!
February 12, 2024
This picture book tells of the life of Robert Smalls, a man who began life as a slave in Beaufort. Through hard work, he moved from working in the master’s house as a young boy to becoming wheelhouse captain in Charleston Harbor. He and other slaves came up with a daring plan to escape to freedom with their families. One false step or miscalculation would have cost them their lives, but his idea worked!
The illustrations are gorgeous watercolors which go perfectly with telling the life of a waterman.
Every child should know the story of this courageous man especially those who live in South Carolina.
The illustrations are gorgeous watercolors which go perfectly with telling the life of a waterman.
Every child should know the story of this courageous man especially those who live in South Carolina.
January 7, 2020
This is the first time seeing anything about Robert Smalls. His story was definitely a story of courage and not giving up on yourself. This book will be read by scholars this summer!
September 23, 2020
Robert Smalls drives a confederate ships to the union with confederate weapons and his family to freedom.
August 10, 2022
A teacher friend recommended this book from a social justice perspective, saying that it's one of those stories that few people know and yet is action-packed enough to be a movie. It's a great story.
March 30, 2021
An African American slave determined to buy his family's freedom, comes up with a plan to escape to the Union fort with his and his slave crewmates families and Confederate cannons.
Robert Smalls quote "My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life."
Afterward mentions Smalls help in convincing Lincoln to let African Americans enlist. Saved the Planter from capture and was made the first African American captain of a US vessel. Helped write a new democratic state constitution. Proposed the first free system of public schools for all children in South Carolina. Won a seat to the state legislature. Rose to the rank of major general in the state militia. Elected to the US Congress and served 5 terms. He called for the elimination of race discrimination in the army, petitioned to give women the vote, and fought against separate rail cars for the races. Fought and refused to sign the 1895 revision of South Carolina's state constitution the right of African Americans to vote. His funeral was the largest ever held in Beaufort. In 2004 the US Army christened its first vessel ever after an African American - Major General Robert Smalls.
Robert Smalls quote "My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life."
Afterward mentions Smalls help in convincing Lincoln to let African Americans enlist. Saved the Planter from capture and was made the first African American captain of a US vessel. Helped write a new democratic state constitution. Proposed the first free system of public schools for all children in South Carolina. Won a seat to the state legislature. Rose to the rank of major general in the state militia. Elected to the US Congress and served 5 terms. He called for the elimination of race discrimination in the army, petitioned to give women the vote, and fought against separate rail cars for the races. Fought and refused to sign the 1895 revision of South Carolina's state constitution the right of African Americans to vote. His funeral was the largest ever held in Beaufort. In 2004 the US Army christened its first vessel ever after an African American - Major General Robert Smalls.
April 3, 2023
I read this aloud in one sitting with my 7 and 5 year old as part of our homeschool history. I recommend first reading the book The Story of Fort Sumter by Eugenia Burney first. It’s available on archive.org if your library doesn’t have it.
February 18, 2019
I’m so happy I found this book. It was very inspiring to read about this great American, Robert Smalls.
November 6, 2019
This piqued my interest to get me reading everything I could find about Smalls in the adult section of my library, too. The illustrations are almost as astounding as his story.
February 20, 2017
Summary
This book tells the story of slave Robert Smalls, who daringly escapes the South. It speaks from his time as a young boy, through his marriage, the start of his family, and his heroic escape on boat from slavery. The illustrations in this book are impressionistic, using colors and shapes with no definitive lines to paint a hazy but realistic portrait. The afterword of the book holds a picture and quote from the real Robert Smalls, as well as a definitive one-page summary of his life after his escape.
Response
“My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be equal of any people. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.” – Robert Smalls
The quote above is featured in the afterword of the book, taken directly from Smalls’ 1895 constitutional convention. This book tells the heroic story of Robert Smalls in a voice that lies between informational and narrative, but airs on the side of pleasant, without divulging too many violent or haunting images or accounts of what slavery was truly like. The book may be more effective if more was spoken about the horrendous treatment of the slaves, but it does paint a hopeful story full of triumph and strength.
This book tells the story of slave Robert Smalls, who daringly escapes the South. It speaks from his time as a young boy, through his marriage, the start of his family, and his heroic escape on boat from slavery. The illustrations in this book are impressionistic, using colors and shapes with no definitive lines to paint a hazy but realistic portrait. The afterword of the book holds a picture and quote from the real Robert Smalls, as well as a definitive one-page summary of his life after his escape.
Response
“My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be equal of any people. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.” – Robert Smalls
The quote above is featured in the afterword of the book, taken directly from Smalls’ 1895 constitutional convention. This book tells the heroic story of Robert Smalls in a voice that lies between informational and narrative, but airs on the side of pleasant, without divulging too many violent or haunting images or accounts of what slavery was truly like. The book may be more effective if more was spoken about the horrendous treatment of the slaves, but it does paint a hopeful story full of triumph and strength.
February 25, 2019
“Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story” by Janet Halfmann is a phenomenal picture book under the genre of Historical Fiction. I would use this text in third through fifth grade classrooms, particularly fifth grade as the topic is complex and directly related to fifth grade Social Studies standards. This inspiring book tells the story of Robert Smalls’ journey to freedom from slavery. This book really captured my attention and I became invested in seeing how it would end. Robert and his wife knew that they needed to take a big risk in order to provide freedom for their children, but it was a risk they were willing to take! I was thrilled that their hard work and risks paid off when they successfully reached freedom. This is a WOW book for me because it told an inspiring story that was realistic for a period of time in history. Although I will never truly know what it feels like to live through slavery, reading stories like “Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story” gives me insight as to what people went through in the 1800’s and the Civil War. I LOVED this book!
One idea I have for using this book in my classroom is as a read aloud while my students are learning about slavery and the Civil War in Social Studies. This is a great text to integrate with Social Studies in 5th grade because it contributes towards meeting the 5.H.1. standard- “Analyze the chronology of key events in the United States”. It is important for students to learn about what life was like during this time period (Civil War) in order to understand the events that followed it in history. This book does a great job of introducing students to the harsh reality of how African Americans were treated in an age-appropriate manner.
Another idea for using this book in my future classroom is as a read aloud during Black History Month (February). While students are learning about influential African Americans in history, this story can add to their knowledge by introducing them to Robert Smalls. He is not a typical historical figure to learn about, but is still someone who made an important difference by fighting for freedom for his family and others. This text could also be used to teach some of the seven comprehension strategies. While reading this book with my students, I could help students practice "asking questions" to improve their comprehension. I would like to add this text to my classroom library so that students have the opportunity to read this text independently if they choose to.
One idea I have for using this book in my classroom is as a read aloud while my students are learning about slavery and the Civil War in Social Studies. This is a great text to integrate with Social Studies in 5th grade because it contributes towards meeting the 5.H.1. standard- “Analyze the chronology of key events in the United States”. It is important for students to learn about what life was like during this time period (Civil War) in order to understand the events that followed it in history. This book does a great job of introducing students to the harsh reality of how African Americans were treated in an age-appropriate manner.
Another idea for using this book in my future classroom is as a read aloud during Black History Month (February). While students are learning about influential African Americans in history, this story can add to their knowledge by introducing them to Robert Smalls. He is not a typical historical figure to learn about, but is still someone who made an important difference by fighting for freedom for his family and others. This text could also be used to teach some of the seven comprehension strategies. While reading this book with my students, I could help students practice "asking questions" to improve their comprehension. I would like to add this text to my classroom library so that students have the opportunity to read this text independently if they choose to.
June 25, 2011
My definition of a hero ~
"A hero is someone who with great courage and strength of heart considers the condition and needs of others. He or She may or may not be recognized for their deeds (and probably doesn't want to be recognized for them) because what they have done is what they believe is the right thing to do."
Seven Miles to Freedom is the story of African American Robert Smalls. Born a slave in 1839 to the McKee family in South Carolina this is the story of a slave who made something of himself and also made a difference in the lives of hundreds of slaves and future African Americans.
Written for children age 5+ Seven Miles to Freedom begins with the story of Robert Smalls's birth on his mother's master's estate and continues by explaining what slavery is in terms that a young child can understand. We see the type of work Robert Smalls grows up to do and the man he becomes. He is given much responsibility in his work as a wheelman, a position of trust and honor, because of his hard work, his honesty and because he applied himself to a job well done.
And finally you see in the story how Robert Smalls has a hope and a determination to find a way to freedom, for himself, his family, the crew and their families. Everyone trusted him to help them get to freedom, even at the risk of being caught.
The story doesn't stop with Robert Smalls's run for freedom over 7 Miles on the Charleston Bay but we also learn how he continued to fight for freedom for the newly released slaves long into the future. Robert Smalls truly made a difference in politics, taught himself to read and write and helped teach others how important Freedom truly is.
I strongly recommend that all families with children between 5 and 3rd/4th grades read this book. I personally wanted to share this one with you because I believe it's important for children of all ages to have a hero. A hero who stands up for what's right, what's honest and strives to help others. I also wanted to share this book as it's important for children to see that we can all have heroes - and heroes are made up of all races and all kinds of people.
"A hero is someone who with great courage and strength of heart considers the condition and needs of others. He or She may or may not be recognized for their deeds (and probably doesn't want to be recognized for them) because what they have done is what they believe is the right thing to do."
Seven Miles to Freedom is the story of African American Robert Smalls. Born a slave in 1839 to the McKee family in South Carolina this is the story of a slave who made something of himself and also made a difference in the lives of hundreds of slaves and future African Americans.
Written for children age 5+ Seven Miles to Freedom begins with the story of Robert Smalls's birth on his mother's master's estate and continues by explaining what slavery is in terms that a young child can understand. We see the type of work Robert Smalls grows up to do and the man he becomes. He is given much responsibility in his work as a wheelman, a position of trust and honor, because of his hard work, his honesty and because he applied himself to a job well done.
And finally you see in the story how Robert Smalls has a hope and a determination to find a way to freedom, for himself, his family, the crew and their families. Everyone trusted him to help them get to freedom, even at the risk of being caught.
The story doesn't stop with Robert Smalls's run for freedom over 7 Miles on the Charleston Bay but we also learn how he continued to fight for freedom for the newly released slaves long into the future. Robert Smalls truly made a difference in politics, taught himself to read and write and helped teach others how important Freedom truly is.
I strongly recommend that all families with children between 5 and 3rd/4th grades read this book. I personally wanted to share this one with you because I believe it's important for children of all ages to have a hero. A hero who stands up for what's right, what's honest and strives to help others. I also wanted to share this book as it's important for children to see that we can all have heroes - and heroes are made up of all races and all kinds of people.
February 12, 2009
Stories of how real people reacted to overwhelming odds have always inspired us. Picture book biographies have an amazing power to pull children into history and show them how people have acted with courage and dignity to reach their goals. This is a powerful story of Robert Smalls, a slave from Beaufort, South Carolina, who escaped to the Union lines, won his freedom and eventually became a United States Congressman.
Robert Smalls was born in 1839 in South Carolina. Growing up a slave, Robert dreamed of being able to gain his freedom. After his first child was born in 1858, he was able to make a deal to buy his wife's and daughter's freedom for eight hundred dollars. Although he was still a slave, this would enable his family to stay together.
But soon war exploded throughout the country, and Charleston was on the front lines. Robert became a deckhand on a steamship that hauled army supplies for the Confederate army. His knowledge of the Charleston Harbor and surrounding rivers impressed the ship's officers, and Robert was promoted to wheelman. In this position, he learned the secret whistles for passing the Confederate forts protecting Charleston.
In 1861, the Union navy captured Port Royal, just south of Charleston. Only seven miles of waterway lay between Robert and the chance of freedom in Union territory. One night when the officers were on shore, Robert steered his ship, with his family and crewmates aboard, past the many Confederate forts, directly toward the Union blockade.
This is a compelling, dramatic story that will have kids and adults riveted. It made me wonder why I had never learned of this amazing man and his unshakable courage and amazing leadership. The paintings for this book match the compelling nature of the story, and completely drew me in. They are bright and vibrant, and help bring the story to life.
Robert Smalls was born in 1839 in South Carolina. Growing up a slave, Robert dreamed of being able to gain his freedom. After his first child was born in 1858, he was able to make a deal to buy his wife's and daughter's freedom for eight hundred dollars. Although he was still a slave, this would enable his family to stay together.
But soon war exploded throughout the country, and Charleston was on the front lines. Robert became a deckhand on a steamship that hauled army supplies for the Confederate army. His knowledge of the Charleston Harbor and surrounding rivers impressed the ship's officers, and Robert was promoted to wheelman. In this position, he learned the secret whistles for passing the Confederate forts protecting Charleston.
In 1861, the Union navy captured Port Royal, just south of Charleston. Only seven miles of waterway lay between Robert and the chance of freedom in Union territory. One night when the officers were on shore, Robert steered his ship, with his family and crewmates aboard, past the many Confederate forts, directly toward the Union blockade.
This is a compelling, dramatic story that will have kids and adults riveted. It made me wonder why I had never learned of this amazing man and his unshakable courage and amazing leadership. The paintings for this book match the compelling nature of the story, and completely drew me in. They are bright and vibrant, and help bring the story to life.
November 19, 2012
Grade/Interest Level: Upper Elementary/Middle Grades
Reading Level: AD 870 L
Genre: Biography
Main Characters: Robert Smalls, Hannah Jones, McKee family
Setting: This story takes place in Charleston, South Carolina during the Civil War era.
Summary:
Seven Miles to Freedom, written by Janet Halfmann, is a biography about the life of Robert Smalls, an African-American slave who fought his way to freedom during the Civil War. Robert was born into slavery, but fortunately for him he was liked by his master. Although his life wasn't as hard as other slaves, he still longed for freedom, especially after marrying his wife, Hannah, and starting a family. Robert uses his knowledge and skills of boating to devise a plan with his crew to steal a Confederate ship, The Planter, and drive it 7 miles to freedom. His plan is able to work because his appearance resembles the ship's captain and he knew the whistle-codes to get through each port along the canal. Robert Small, his family, and his crew made it safely to the Union and gave them the Confederate ship. Robert Small was praised as a national hero and he was noted for his brave actions.
Classroom Use:
I would love to use this book in the classroom and think it would be a great guided read to include in a unit about the Civil War. This story shows the actions of a brave slave fighting for his freedom and also depicts how life was during the Civil War. I would like to have a discussion with my students about the steps Robert took to become free and the risks he fought through.
Reading Level: AD 870 L
Genre: Biography
Main Characters: Robert Smalls, Hannah Jones, McKee family
Setting: This story takes place in Charleston, South Carolina during the Civil War era.
Summary:
Seven Miles to Freedom, written by Janet Halfmann, is a biography about the life of Robert Smalls, an African-American slave who fought his way to freedom during the Civil War. Robert was born into slavery, but fortunately for him he was liked by his master. Although his life wasn't as hard as other slaves, he still longed for freedom, especially after marrying his wife, Hannah, and starting a family. Robert uses his knowledge and skills of boating to devise a plan with his crew to steal a Confederate ship, The Planter, and drive it 7 miles to freedom. His plan is able to work because his appearance resembles the ship's captain and he knew the whistle-codes to get through each port along the canal. Robert Small, his family, and his crew made it safely to the Union and gave them the Confederate ship. Robert Small was praised as a national hero and he was noted for his brave actions.
Classroom Use:
I would love to use this book in the classroom and think it would be a great guided read to include in a unit about the Civil War. This story shows the actions of a brave slave fighting for his freedom and also depicts how life was during the Civil War. I would like to have a discussion with my students about the steps Robert took to become free and the risks he fought through.
March 24, 2010
Well, I loved this book. I'm disappointed to see the average rating only at 3.67 as I see it as a solid 5...
This is the story of Robert Smalls, a slave who had some big dreams and plans. He married and wanted a better future for himself and his family. He made a daring escape to Union territory on a boat with other slaves and all their families. He impacted history by influencing Pres. Lincoln to allow blacks to fight in the Civil War. He served many years in political positions. He accomplished amazing things, especially considering the time period in which he lived.
The whole time I was reading it to my kids, I was amazed by the turn of events. It provided a great opportunity for me to talk about civil rights and slavery and the brave people who helped change our world.
The illustrations are unique, maybe not my favorite, but I can surely appreciate them.
This is the story of Robert Smalls, a slave who had some big dreams and plans. He married and wanted a better future for himself and his family. He made a daring escape to Union territory on a boat with other slaves and all their families. He impacted history by influencing Pres. Lincoln to allow blacks to fight in the Civil War. He served many years in political positions. He accomplished amazing things, especially considering the time period in which he lived.
The whole time I was reading it to my kids, I was amazed by the turn of events. It provided a great opportunity for me to talk about civil rights and slavery and the brave people who helped change our world.
The illustrations are unique, maybe not my favorite, but I can surely appreciate them.
October 22, 2009
This book also takes place during civil war times, during slavery. This text shares with the reader the courage that people had during slave times had. Robert Small helps a steamboat make it to the north. He helped to sneak up supplies using secret whistle sounds. He showed bravery to go on this daring mission. Did not really like the images in this text, as I found them distracting. They are large brush strokes which are unclear...not my favorite.
September 4, 2018
I am thrilled to have met Robert Smalls, a brave and ambitious man who took risks and made an opportunity to take himself, his family, his crew, and their families to freedom during the American Civil War. I want to find out more about his time after the war, which is mentioned briefly at the end of the book.
As a children’s book, this is a great introduction to this brave hero. The illustrations are lovely and the story is gripping.
As a children’s book, this is a great introduction to this brave hero. The illustrations are lovely and the story is gripping.
August 31, 2008
A less known but significant historical event told with clarity and excitement, accompanied by bold, impressionistic (a la Van Gogh) oil paintings (on paper) makes this a worthy addition to the Civil War narratives.
The afterwords add to the understanding of Robert Small's very active political life and the times he lived through. Ample source notes.
The afterwords add to the understanding of Robert Small's very active political life and the times he lived through. Ample source notes.
September 2, 2009
Can't believe I've never heard of this guy before. What a hero! He was a South Carolina slave who made a daring escape during the Civil War by stealing a ship and several cannons. Later became a Congressman.
July 6, 2012
This book tells the true story of a South Carolina slave who made a daring escape during the Civil War by stealing a ship and several cannons. Although the illustration were not created in a style I liked, the text certainly held my interest. I'm sure that my students will enjoy this book.
March 2, 2013
I had never heard of Robert Smalls until I read this book. In school, a lot of teachers tend to discuss and highlight the same people in history. This book tells a wonderful story of a brave man during slavery trying to escape his friends and family to freedom.
May 26, 2014
I love historical fiction. This story tells of the bravery of Robert Smalls, a man born a slave who risked it all trying to save his family and getting them to freedom by navigating a boat past confederate forts seven miles until he reached the Union fleet.
November 23, 2008
A new story to me; shows how much I know my history. What would you do to save your family? Hopefully, what he did or more.
September 3, 2009
A serviceable children's biography of a slave who achieves his freedom and that of his family in an unusual manner.
August 26, 2012
Great story of an unsung everyday hero of the Civil War. It's quite wordy, so less advanced readers will probably want some assistance.
December 11, 2016
A great story, well-written, with superb pictures.
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October 28, 2018An exceptional story about a man everyone should know about. Read our review at the Reading Tub. You're welcome to add yours, too.
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