Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2009
96 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
In the middle of the night, The Crosswhites—including young Sadie—must flee the Kentucky plantation they work on. Dear January has been beaten and killed by the plantation master, and they fear who may be next. But Sadie must leave behind her most valuable possession, the wooden sparrow carved for her by January. Through the Underground Railroad, the Crosswhites make the slow and arduous journey to Marshall, Michigan, where they finally live in freedom. And there they stay, happily, until the day a mysterious package shows up on their doorsteps. It is January’s sparrow, with a note that reads, “I found you.”
How the Crosswhites, and the whole town of Marshall, face this threat will leave readers empowered and enthralled. This is a Polacco adventure that will live in the minds of children for years.
"An illuminating and trenchant account." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. An iffy claim near the end that Lincoln 'gave all slaves their freedom' aside, this moving account effectively highlights a significant instance of nonviolent community resistance to injustice." - School Library Journal
"Rooted in history...this is a masterly narrative that horrifies, moves and informs. " - Kirkus Reviews
This information about January's Sparrow was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ages 9-14.
More about Patricia Polacco at www.patriciapolacco.com
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