The Story of Jonas

By Dahlberg, Maurine F.

Publishers Summary:
Jonas has lived all of his thirteen years on a farm in Missouri, and even though he hears whispers about freedom, he thinks he’ll never try to escape. He knows what happens to slaves who attempt to run away. Besides, Master William has promised to make Jonas his personal manservant, and Jonas thinks fine suits and special privileges sound like a dream. But this dream is put on hold when, in 1859, Master William’s good-for-nothing son, Percy, decides to seek his fortune in the Kansas Territory gold fields, taking Jonas along as his cook and caretaker. Although Percy is a brutal master, Jonas is surprised to find that the other members of the wagon train don’t hold his views about slavery. Jonas even befriends a doctor’s daughter, who teaches him how to read. And with each word Jonas learns, he discovers that there are much bigger dreams a boy can have than being another man’s servant. In this unforgettable novel, Maurine F. Dahlberg tells the story of a slave coming to understand his own worth.

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ISBN
978-0-37437-264-4
Publisher
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)


REVIEWS

School Library Journal

Reviewed on April 1, 2007

Gr 4-7 Thirteen-year-old Jonas, a slave on a Missouri farm, is sent to accompany Percy, his master's son, on an expedition to look for gold. When he returns after a year, Jonas will be trained by Ebenezer to become the manservant to Master William. Jonas is at once excited about his future and apprehensive about going with arrogant Master Percy. Dahlberg has written an unusual tale about slavery and the desire for freedom. The ch...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Horn Book Guide

Reviewed on January 1, 2007

Thirteen-year-old slave Jonas must accompany his master's cruel son from their home in Missouri to the Kansas Territory gold field...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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