To Liberty! The Adventures of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas: A Bloomsbury Reader: Dark Red Book Band

Description

An exciting adventure set in revolutionary France which tells the true story of a swashbuckling hero Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, whose mother was an enslaved African woman and whose father was a French noble. Alex is happy living with his brothers and sister on his father's farm on Haiti but his father wants to go back to France and can't afford to take his mixed-race children with him. Soon, Alex must fight for his freedom... and that of France. From a slave on the streets of Port au Prince to a general in the French army, the dramatic true story of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas' life (the inspiration for his son's book The Three Musketeers) is brought to life by award-winning author, Catherine Johnson. Featuring exciting black-and-white illustrations by TBC, this book is perfect for children who are developing as readers. Book Band: TBC Ideal for ages 10+ The Bloomsbury Readers series is packed with brilliant books to get children reading independently in Key Stage 2, with book-banded stories by award-winning authors like double Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Waterstones Prize winner Patrice Lawrence, covering a wide range of genres and topics. With charming illustrations and online guided reading notes written by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), this series is ideal for reading both in the classroom and at home. For more information visit www.bloomsburyguidedreading.com.

Catherine Johnson is the author of many books for children and young adults, including Sawbones, which won the Young Quills Award for Historical Fiction, The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo, which was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016 and the YA Book Prize, and Freedom which was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2019 and won the Little Rebels prize.

I learnt three things from the synopsis alone. -- David Nicholls * Author of "One Day", "Us" and "Starter for Ten" * Catherine Johnson is one of our best writers of historical fiction [...] It's riveting, irresistible reading, the kind of true life adventure that inspires readers to find out more, and to rethink their own view of the world. Don't miss. * Books for Keeps * Written in clear, concise language, this dark red banded book is action packed, and at a time when most news articles are concerned with equal rights for all, this makes it the ideal book for any classroom or home bookshelf. [...] Although many KS2 readers are reluctant to be seen reading colour-banded books, this is most definitely a 'real book'. With short chapters and supported by detailed black and white illustrations by Rachel Sanson, this is an ideal read for a child who perhaps prefers fact to fiction. -- ReadingZone A swashbuckling dash through the extraordinary career of Alexandre Dumas's father -- Imogen Russell Williams * TLS * A fabulous book for children who dream of stepping back through time to other periods of history. Despite being a relatively short read, this is a book that draws a fabulous line between accessibility and detail. -- Starlight and Stories * starlightandstories.com *