Barracoon: Adapted for Young Readers
Barracoon: Adapted for Young Readers
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HarperCollins
Annotation: "In the first middle grade offering from Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi, young readers are introduced to the remarkable and true-life story of Cudjo Lewis, one of the last survivors of the Atlantic human trade, in an adaptation of the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Barracoon. This is the life story of Cudjo Lewis, as told by himself"--Amazon.
 
Reviews: 2
Catalog Number: #374980
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright Date: 2024
Edition Date: 2024 Release Date: 01/23/24
ISBN: 0-06-309833-4
ISBN 13: 978-0-06-309833-6
Dewey: 920
Language: English
Reviews:
School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2024)

Gr 3–7— "The most valuable things humans receive from the past generations are not money. They are stories." Collected by Zora Neale Hurston in 1931, the tale of the "Last Black Cargo" wasn't published for 87 years because Hurston refused to alter the dialect of the formerly enslaved Cudjo Lewis. The sole living Black man kidnapped from West Africa in 1859, Cudjo survived transport to the U.S. on the final slave ship, was forced to work, and was suddenly liberated in 1865 with no resources or means to return home. A significant introduction creates the context for Cudjo's story and Hurston's fieldwork as an anthropologist to gather it. Kendi honors the tale by preserving both Cudjo's and Hurston's voices. The visual art as well as the narrative are exceptional; astonishing black-and-white images created by fine artist Lee-Johnson demand attention and create pause. Cudjo's lifelong yearning for his home and the tragic lives of his six children bring readers to his final parting with Hurston. The interviews and artistry here create of this narrative an emotional experience. VERDICT This adaptation of Hurston's beautiful, important work is a true gift. Highly recommended for all libraries.— Janet S. Thompson

Kirkus Reviews

Scholar Kendi adapts Hurston's account of one of the last survivors of the transatlantic slave trade.Among her many accomplishments, Hurston was a trained anthropologist, and one of her works of scholarship-based on interviews conducted in the late 1920s but not published until 2018-was the story of Cudjo Lewis, the last person to endure the Middle Passage. Although the slave trade was outlawed in 1808 in the United States, in 1859, the captain of the Clotilda secretly traveled to West Africa to purchase enslaved people. Lewis recounts his harrowing tale, including being imprisoned in an enclosure called "the barracoon" before he was sold and brought to Alabama. Lewis endured enslavement for five and a half years, until the Civil War ended. Those who came over on the Clotilda formed a community, and once it became clear they could not return to West Africa, they worked together to buy land for a village they named AfricaTown, where they built homes and a church and raised families. Kendi's adaptation provides context and clarity. The use of dialect is understandable and authentic; Kendi allows Hurston's storytelling mastery to shine through for younger readers. The relationship between Hurston and Lewis enriches the story, but it's clear that his firsthand account is the primary focus. Final art not seen.A powerful enslavement narrative from a literary icon, deftly retold for a younger audience. (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2024)
Kirkus Reviews
Word Count: 17,994
Reading Level: 5.0
Interest Level: 4-7
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.0 / points: 3.0 / quiz: 551365 / grade: Middle Grades

An Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller!

In the first middle grade offering from Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi, young readers are introduced to the remarkable and true-life story of Cudjo Lewis, one of the last survivors of the Atlantic human trade, in an adaptation of the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Barracoon.

This is the life story of Cudjo Lewis, as told by himself.

Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America to be enslaved, eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis was then the only person alive to tell the story of his capture and bondage—fifty years after the Atlantic human trade was outlawed in the United States. Cudjo shared his firsthand account with legendary folklorist, anthropologist, and writer Zora Neale Hurston.

Adapted with care and delivered with age-appropriate historical context by award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi, Cudjo’s incredible story is now available for young readers and emerging scholars. With powerful illustrations by Jazzmen Lee-Johnson, this poignant work is an invaluable contribution to our shared history and culture.


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