A former staff attorney with a public interest law group, Levine now devotes her time to writing, lecturing, and teaching. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She has worked in film and television, taught adults and immigrant teenagers in special education and ESL programs, and served a law clerkship with Chief Judge Joseph Lord, U.S. She has a Master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. degree in Politics from Brandeis University, graduating Magna cum laude. I enjoy learning new things and meeting new people, even if they lived 200 years ago.'Įllen Levine was born in New York City.

'Writing nonfiction lets me in behind the scenes of the story. Although she enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction, most of Ellen's books for young readers have been nonfiction. Henry’s Freedom Box is a powerful and inspiring tale that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.Ellen Levine's books have won many awards and honors, including the Jane Addams Peace Award. If you still have questions after reading Henry’s Freedom Box, the author gives some great answers at the end of the book.

It’s hard to imagine that this story is based on real-life, but by reading it, we can learn so much about the past and how we can be better people in the future-fearless and determined defenders of freedom, just like Henry Brown. The illustrator, Kadir Nelson, is incredibly talented the illustrations look real and poignantly show Henry’s feelings. The journey in the box is arduous, but Henry does get his first day of freedom. Henry realizes his only chance at finding freedom is to mail himself North in a crate from the factory. His family is sold at the slave market, and he watches them disappear down a road. When he is older, he marries another enslaved person and has three children. Henry, born into slavery on a plantation, dreams about freedom, but freedom doesn’t look like it will come his way when he is taken from his family and put to work in a factory where he is treated very severely. Join Henry on his remarkable journey and get ready to be moved! Henry’s Freedom Box, winner of a Caldecott Honor in 2008, is a retelling of a true story about Henry “Box” Brown, who courageously escaped slavery and found freedom.

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine