My Name is Not Friday

Starred review from November 9, 2015
Middle-grade author Walter (Close to the Wind), writing his first book for teens, pulls readers into life on a Mississippi cotton plantation in the final years of the Civil War. Twelve-year-old Samuel is a free-born, orphaned, and literate black boy who is sold into slavery. He's renamed Friday by a slave trader and bought by a relatively progressive slave owner whose young stepson befriends him. Samuel quickly realizes that he cannot escape the plantation and becomes a dutiful, hardworking member of the slave community. Sustained by his religious faith, Samuel is thoughtful, intelligent, and compassionate, and he soon gains the respect of both the white owners and his fellow slaves. When he decides to teach the slaves to read and write, in spite of his conflicts about "lying and cheating to do God's work"âas well as breaking the lawâthe story's movement and suspense escalate. Walter masterfully constructs the world of the plantation and presents a large population of complex and distinctive characters, resulting in a rich, thought-provoking, and deeply satisfying book. Ages 12âup.

Starred review from October 1, 2015
Samuel, a freeborn black orphan, is sold into slavery during the height of the Civil War. Thirteen-year-old Samuel is bookish and well-behaved]the exact opposite of his 6-year-old brother, Joshua. They live in an orphanage for "colored" boys run by a priest. When Samuel takes the blame for something he didn't do in order to protect Joshua, he's removed from the orphanage. Faithful and naive, Samuel at first believes he's been taken away by God. But when he's given a new name ("Friday") and sold into slavery on a cotton plantation in Mississippi, he realizes that he is instead in "Hell." In his debut for teens, Walter chronicles Samuel's journey through the horrors of slavery and his quest for freedom against the backdrop of the Civil War. Through Samuel's plight and in his voice, Walter portrays slavery in America as the cruel institution that it was while also exploring moral and religious issues, such as the way the Bible was used by clergy and plantation owners as justification for enslavement. While readers on the young end of the age range and those unfamiliar with religious concepts may find the opening chapters somewhat confusing, Samuel's endearing, immersive narration makes the novel a fascinating and unforgettable account of a brutal and shameful chapter in America's history. A heartbreaking story about family, justice, and the resilience of the human spirit. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

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Starred review from November 1, 2015

Gr 7-10-The opening line: "I know that I'm with God," sets the tone for this Civil War novel. Readers first meet 13-year-old Samuel, slung across a mule with a bag tied over his head. Sold into slavery by the priest who housed and educated orphaned "colored boys," Samuel was punished for something he didn't do, foreshadowing the further injustices to come. The first-person narrative fleshes out the character of Friday (his slave name), while the compelling style keeps readers turning pages. Sustained by his faith, Samuel helps the other slaves on his plantation by teaching them to read and is eventually reunited with his younger brother in freedom. Descriptive language adds excitement and uncertainty to Samuel's journey. He recounts his escape from slavery by floating down a river: "I don't know where we're going but neither does the river. When the branch of a tree passes, I take hold, and it carries me along like we're old friends. I expect it's dead too. We drift downstream together, each of us in the other's arms, two bits of deadwood cut from a tree the Lord don't want, being drawn toward the war like water to a plughole." An author's note references historical documents, including Harriet Jacobs's classic Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. VERDICT Pair this lyrically written historical novel with the informational text Stolen into Slavery: The True Story of Solomon Northup, Free Black Man by Judith Fradin (National Geographic, 2013) or Northup's own Twelve Years a Slave.-Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
Grades 9-12 Tomorrow is Friday, remember that day . . . 'cause that's gonna be your name. Samuel and Joshua are freeborn brothers living in Father Moseley's orphanage during the Civil War years. After a perceived misbehavior gets Samuel sold into slavery, the brothers are separated, whereupon Samuel learns that being an articulate, faithful black youth who knows how to read and write is both a blessing and a curse when in bondage. British author Walter fleshes out Samuel/Friday's precarious education into the hierarchy of slave roles and the many oppressive, unwritten rules. Blessed with a compassionate young slave owner, he finds a way to serve through teaching reading to his fellow slaves. Chances are taken as the Yanks approach, and Samuel's determination to find his brother propels him toward a fight for freedom. This coming-of-age narrative introduces to readers, with great emotion, a character who, though enslaved, remains forever freeborn in his mind. Historical notes include a helpful primer on the economics of American slavery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)