Freewater

This year's Newbery winner is a debut novel by Amina Luqman-Dawson.  It is set in the south during slavery and is based on the hidden swamp communities that escaped slaves created for themselves.  Freewater is such a community. Homer and his sister Ada are taken there when they found themselves lost and alone when their mother got caught.  Homer knows he can never be happy there knowing his mother is still enslaved, so he plans to go alone and bring her back to Freewater.  Full of adventure and a cast of terrific characters, it centers on Homer but highlights several varied and interesting characters and their stories.  (FIC LUQ)