My Name is Not Friday

by Jon Walter Narrated by Dion Graham

Overview

A gorgeously written account of a freeborn black boy sold into slavery during the Civil War; think 12 Years a Slave for young adults.

Well-mannered Samuel and his mischievous younger brother Joshua are free black boys living in an orphanage during the end of the Civil War. Samuel takes the blame for Joshua's latest prank, and the consequence is worse than he could ever imagine. He's taken from the orphanage to the South, given a new name -- Friday -- and sold into slavery. What follows is a heartbreaking but hopeful account of Samuel's journey from freedom, to captivity, and back again.

Editorial Reviews

APRIL 2016 - AudioFile

Dion Graham’s soft voicing of 13-year-old Samuel brings out all the heartache in his young life. Near the end of the Civil War, the free black orphan is sold into slavery by the priest in charge of the orphanage where he lives, condemning him to a life of hardship. This is a time when slaves are being pushed ever harder in order to maintain the lives of their owners. Graham’s expert pacing, inflection, and lightly accented speech capture the pathos of this intolerable situation, allowing listeners to feel the cruelty of being forced to live as the property of those who can even take away one’s own name. An excellent choice for middle grade units on slavery, the book and Graham’s narration will aid young people in the exploration of this shameful chapter in American history. S.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Praise for My Name is Not Friday:* "Samuel's endearing, immersive narration makes the novel a fascinating and unforgettable account of a brutal and shameful chapter in America's history. A heartbreaking story about family, justice, and the resilience of the human spirit." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review* "Walter masterfully constructs the world of the plantation and presents a large population of complex and distinctive characters, resulting in a rich, thought-provoking, and deeply satisfying book." — Publishers Weekly, starred review* "Compelling . . . Lyrically written." —School Library Journal, starred reviewPraise for Close to the Wind:"In Close to the Wind, Jon Walter reveals the rare ability to create totally believable characters and settings in few words and with great simplicity. His prose is almost invisible: nothing comes between the reader and the book's action and emotion." — The Guardian, UK

School Library Journal

★ 11/01/2015
Gr 7–10—The opening line: "I know that I'm with God," sets the tone for this Civil War novel. Readers first meet 13-year-old Samuel, slung across a mule with a bag tied over his head. Sold into slavery by the priest who housed and educated orphaned "colored boys," Samuel was punished for something he didn't do, foreshadowing the further injustices to come. The first-person narrative fleshes out the character of Friday (his slave name), while the compelling style keeps readers turning pages. Sustained by his faith, Samuel helps the other slaves on his plantation by teaching them to read and is eventually reunited with his younger brother in freedom. Descriptive language adds excitement and uncertainty to Samuel's journey. He recounts his escape from slavery by floating down a river: "I don't know where we're going but neither does the river. When the branch of a tree passes, I take hold, and it carries me along like we're old friends. I expect it's dead too. We drift downstream together, each of us in the other's arms, two bits of deadwood cut from a tree the Lord don't want, being drawn toward the war like water to a plughole." An author's note references historical documents, including Harriet Jacobs's classic Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. VERDICT Pair this lyrically written historical novel with the informational text Stolen into Slavery: The True Story of Solomon Northup, Free Black Man by Judith Fradin (National Geographic, 2013) or Northup's own Twelve Years a Slave.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2015-09-21
Samuel, a freeborn black orphan, is sold into slavery during the height of the Civil War. Thirteen-year-old Samuel is bookish and well-behaved—the exact opposite of his 6-year-old brother, Joshua. They live in an orphanage for "colored" boys run by a priest. When Samuel takes the blame for something he didn't do in order to protect Joshua, he's removed from the orphanage. Faithful and naïve, Samuel at first believes he's been taken away by God. But when he's given a new name ("Friday") and sold into slavery on a cotton plantation in Mississippi, he realizes that he is instead in "Hell." In his debut for teens, Walter chronicles Samuel's journey through the horrors of slavery and his quest for freedom against the backdrop of the Civil War. Through Samuel's plight and in his voice, Walter portrays slavery in America as the cruel institution that it was while also exploring moral and religious issues, such as the way the Bible was used by clergy and plantation owners as justification for enslavement. While readers on the young end of the age range and those unfamiliar with religious concepts may find the opening chapters somewhat confusing, Samuel's endearing, immersive narration makes the novel a fascinating and unforgettable account of a brutal and shameful chapter in America's history. A heartbreaking story about family, justice, and the resilience of the human spirit. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170508167
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/05/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

Read an Excerpt

From My Name is Not Friday:"I nearly forgot to tell you. Tomorrow is Friday. Now you better remember that day real good, cuz from now on that's gonna be your name." He smiles, expecting me to be pleased. "Friday. I like the sound of that." Then he calls out to me, like we're standing across from one another in a busy street. "I say there, what's your name, boy?"I won't say it. I won't even open my mouth.

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