Freedom Train

The Thomason family is proud of Joseph, Clyde's big brother, who is a Marine sergeant and war hero. Joseph has been chosen to guard the Freedom Train as it crisscrosses the country with its precious cargo. At each stop along the way, there are huge throngs of people waiting to enter it and view such important historical documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Clyde will recite the Freedom Pledge when the train is in Atlanta, but he suffers from stage fright. Not only has he refused to be in the program honoring the Freedom Train, he hasn't even told his parents that the teacher has assigned the speech to someone else. Clyde's family is expecting to see him up on the platform. One day after school, a bully named Phillip Granger and his two cohorts confront Clyde as he walks home alone from his friend's house in another part of town. BB grabs Clyde's pet, a barking tree frog, and sets him loose, while Phillip beats Clyde with a wooden plank. The delinquents are chased away by a young African-American boy named William Dobbs and his three-wheely, a slingshot that can fire three rocks at once. The stunned and injured Clyde is treated by William's father, who happens to be a doctor. He declines an invitation to come inside their house because he believes he would get in trouble. Clyde doesn't really understand why; he just knows that he must keep silent about who rescued him. Meanwhile, Clyde has his eye on an American Flyer train set that he would like his parents to buy him for Christmas. He knows the family is poor --- with his father working only part-time and his mother earning low wages at the cotton mill --- but still he hopes that this will be the year when he actually gets a present he wants. One night, Phillip's father and a few strangers round up several white men from the mill town and drive them out to the Dobbs's house. Against his better judgment, Clyde's father is in the crowd, as is Clyde. Ugly words are spoken, and William's family is threatened with harm if they don't move away. Clyde is scared and confused. Why would anyone want to hurt such nice people? FREEDOM TRAIN is a powerful historical fiction title that illustrates the evils of segregation and discrimination for a younger audience. As we celebrate Black History Month in February, children will want to read and discuss this timely and important book with their parents and teachers. --- Reviewed by Carole Turner