Freedom in Congo Square-Week 5

The children's book Freedom in Congo by Carole Boston Weatherford tells a true story of young slaves in New Orleans who always look forward to “Congo Square” on Sunday. Congo Square is a gathering place that slaves could go to listen to music, dance, and play instruments together. This time that the slaves had together, made them feel free for just a short time. They could be themselves and celebrate their culture together. I really enjoyed this book because it educates children on slavery in a kid-friendly way. It also celebrates culture and friendship which is important to teach children. This is a very diverse book and it is not-your-typical-book that you would find in a classroom. I strongly recommend this book and I would definitely have it in my classroom as a teacher. The theme of this book is “there is always a sliver lining”. Although this book is about slavery, the author did shed some light on the positive things in life, which in this instance, was Congo Square every Sunday. My favorite line of the book would be at the end, “This piece of earth was a world apart, Congo Square was freedom’s heart”. That line is very powerful because it shows the symbolism that Congo Square represents in the story. Overall, this is a great fiction book for young readers and it will be in my classroom as a future teacher!