Day of Tears

*****
Julius Lester

Follow Emma, Maddie, Will and their friends on this heartbraking journey. Master Pierce has lost all of his money gambling and has to sell off his slaves to pay his debts. It's hard on the Butler family to lose the people they've grown up with, but it's much harder on the slaves sold to new owners around the country. As families are split apart, the tales intertwine to give a clear and crushing story of what it is like to live in slavery.

This is an excellent book. It's written as a play and makes you feel like you're really there alongside the families suffering in this book. Even though it's mostly sad, it's a wonderful book to read. It gives such a clear picture of the loss and suffering as well as some heartening stories of reunion.

If you like this book, look for:
Fever 1793
Out of the Dust
Run for Your Life